Education and Learning
The Economic Development Strategy for the South Waikato identifies Education and Learning as a key economic driver - especially in the constantly changing, knowledge-based economy, of the 21st Century.
Based on what other people have achieved around the world:
100% literacy and numeracy are possible within our District
Lifelong Learning has the potential to provide us with a sustainable economic advantage
For more information check out the following resources:
Lifelong Learning - A pathway to social and economic cohesion. A presentation by Vicky Adin on behalf of the Papakura Lifelong Learning Trust. (Click here to download an Adobe Acrobat version of the presentation.)
The Learning Web - A FREE on-line version of summary of the best-selling book "The Learning Revolution" which sold 11 million copies in 1999. The book, written by Gordon Dryden and Dr. Jeannette Vos, covers the best ways to learn - anything.
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/economic_development/econdev_strategy_education.htm
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/index.htm
Lifelong Learning
A pathway to social and economic cohesion
A presentation by Vicky Adin on behalf of the Papakura Lifelong Learning Trust
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.Title #.
.Title
1. .A pathway to social and economic cohesion 13. .The Learning Society Concept
2. .The Difference in Philosophy 14. .Ten characteristics of a Learning Society
3. .Economic Change 15. .Why should local councils be involved?
4. .Social Change 16. .Learning Society requirements
5. .Technological change 17. .How can councils apply the Learning Society
concept?
6. .Today’s reality 18. .The Learning City Development Process
7. .Lifelong Learning - What is it? 19. .Perceived Barriers to Learning
8. .The Four Pillars of Learning UNESCO Report 20. .Ten Indicators of a Learning
Organisation
9. .The Three Dimensions of Lifelong Learning 21. .A City Charter for a Learning
City
10. .Why is Lifelong Learning important? 22. .How much will it all cost?
11. .Old and new styles of delivering learning 23. .Innovative use of budgets
12. .The difference in philosophy 24. .Presentation Conclusion
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning01.htm
Lifelong Learning Next Slide
A pathway to social and economic cohesion
Presented by Vicky Adin on behalf of the
Papakura Lifelong Learning Trust
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This presentation is to introduce territorial local authorities (TLAs) to the
philosophy of Lifelong Learning and the economic, social, and personal
advantages that could be gained from becoming a Learning Society.
Backing this philosophy is the recently released government Tertiary Education
Strategy. In his Ministerial Foreword, the Hon. Steve Maharey, says:
“The Strategy is one for ‘tertiary education’, and by that I mean all of the
learning that takes place in the field of post-school education and training…It
is as much about what happens on the job as it is about what happens in
universities and research institutes. It is as much about foundation education
and training which bridges people into further education and training, or into a
job, as it is about world-class doctoral study. It is as much about relevance as
it is about excellence.
[The] reforms include: better integration of the Industry Training system, Adult
and Community Education and Training Opportunities and Youth Training Programmes,
within the wider tertiary education system…And it is essential that we find ways
to ensure that business and communities, in addition to providers and local and
central government agencies are part of the partnership that underpins the
implementation and refinement of this Strategy.”
Copies of the Tertiary Education Strategy may be obtained by from the Ministry
of Education site at: http://www.minedu.govt.nz.
Click on the "Tertiary" link and follow the prompts.
Alternatively, send an e-mail message to: tertiary.strategy@minedu.govt.nz and
the Ministry of Education will post out hard copies at no charge.
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning02.htm
The necessity for Lifelong Learning Next Slide
As we enter the 21st century we face an array of changes:
Economic changes
Social changes
Technological changes
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It is an established fact that society is changing. The world economy is in
transition - from the industrial age to the knowledge age. There are shifts in
employment patterns as new industries replace old. There is a change in the
ethnic and age composition of our communities. As a result of these changes
barriers to trade are coming down and we are now part of a global economy. At
the same time, the application and convergence of computing and communication
technologies has accelerated the development of global business and the global
market place. Technology is now an integral part of the workplace, our homes,
our community, our very way of living.
As can be seen by the Strategy, there is a need, seen by politicians, educators
and business people alike, to “do something” about raising the general
educational standards of adults world-wide and to look at broader definitions of
‘learning’.
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning03.htm
Economic Change Next Slide
Knowledge Economy
Globalisation
Specialisation
Diversity
Complexity, risk, uncertainty, sudden shifts
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As our country moves into the new millennium, and we seek ways of addressing the
need to become a Knowledge Society, we not only face a bewildering mix of
uncertainty, risk, insecurity and division, but also opportunity.
The challenges of rapid change are all around us. They can be seen in radical
shifts in the organisation of industry, business and labour markets.
They are apparent in the rapid changes in occupations and the demand for new
skills, and manifest themselves in new technology and communication systems.
Gone are the days of a single career path for most people.
These challenges feature in the need to meet increased competition, and in the
requirement for new skills and capacities at work.
They are evident in the demand for new products and services and in the radical
and far reaching transformation of technology, information and communications
now in existence.
These changes are having great impact on individuals as they struggle to meet
these challenges.
The Tertiary Education Strategy outlines the goals and priorities it sees as
necessary to meet these challenges and provide the means and opportunities for
members of our society to become an active part of the Knowledge Economy.
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning04.htm
Social Change
An ageing society
Poverty, exclusion, disadvantaged groups
Changes in ethnicity and demographics
Urban versus rural lifestyles
Changes in family types
Changes in housing styles
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Statistics show that we are an ageing society. Life expectancy at present is
into the 80s, but people are retiring or becoming unemployed at 50 something, so
there is a need for these people to continue with active and interesting lives.
Lifelong Learning is a ‘cradle to grave’ process and each and every member of
our society plays an important and integral part in its welfare.
“A truly human society is a learning society where grandparents, parents and
children are students together” (Hoffer. 1973).
Statistics also show that an increasing number of people are on the poverty
line. These people are disadvantaged the most in applying for employment or
having the confidence to take up learning opportunities. These are the very
adults in our community whom we must encourage and provide easier, more cohesive
and more connected pathways to learning for them to fulfil their learning
potential. We need to be proactive about addressing their needs.
There is an increasing drift to urban and city lifestyles, rather than rural or
small towns, as people search for jobs. We are experiencing major changes in
family types. There is an increase in the ethnic and the demographic make-up of
our community. The nuclear family is no longer the norm, as we look at single
parent families, extended families, mixed families, and so on.
There is also a move away from the traditional three bedroom, stand alone house
on a section. All of these changes provide barriers within our community. We
need to lift those barriers and provide the right environment to make change
possible, because people need to adapt and change to meet the challenges offered
by the 21st century.
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning05.htm
Technological change Next Slide
Information and Communication Technologies
Changing methods and patterns of communication
Shift from linear to network societies
Digital divide
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There is no doubt that those who do not understand, use and develop technology
within their field are disadvantaged in the global market. Where once we wrote
letters now we send e-mails. Where once one telephone in the house was a luxury
we now have multiple land lines, computer communication, and use mobiles. We
have cable communication, data networks, satellite links, and increasingly
technological developments are ahead of its usage.
There is a radical shift from linear based systems to networked systems.
Those on the wrong side of the digital divide are finding themselves
disadvantaged even further.
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning07.htm
What is Lifelong Learning?
It is a cradle to grave process
It includes formal, non-formal, informal, and incidental learning
It is learner driven
It boosts confidence
It provides cohesion
"It provides both a structural and mental framework which allows its citizens to
understand and react positively to change" (Longworth 1999)
In the words of Dr. David McNulty, Chair, UK Learning City Network, "Lifelong
Learning is the glue that enables thriving and healthy communities. It is
vibrant and competitive --- but also diverse and inclusive. Just as railways,
plumbing and sewerage systems enabled the great Victorian Cities, so will
Learning and Communications systems enable the great 21st century cities. The
future is already here .... it’s just not evenly distributed" (2000).
In the words of Prof Norman Longworth, Chair, Towards a European Learning
Society (TELS) "It has to be ‘learning’ - not teaching, not course provision,
not training, but an out and out focus on the needs and demands of the learners,
however strange they may be" (1999)
The following statement from the UK Department of Education and Employment
epitomises the general philosophy of lifelong learning: "Learning offers
excitement and opportunity for discovery. It stimulates enquiring minds and
nourishes our souls. It takes us in directions we never expected; sometimes
changing our lives... [Learning] contributes to social cohesion and fosters a
sense of belonging, responsibility and identity" (1998)
From Building a Learning City - Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow. "Lifelong Learning
is not just restricted to the workplace - it needs to apply to everyone
throughout their life time. Learning needs to be a seamless process, as
instinctive as breathing, which makes the most of an individual’s potential and
boosts their self-respect"
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We come now to what is Lifelong Learning and how it can help your community. It
covers a range of opportunities, has a range of names and it is not new, just
resurgent.
So, let us now try to define Lifelong Learning. Skill New Zealand emphasises the
need to acknowledge “we are in the throes of another technology
revolution...[which] demands lifelong learning from us all. (1998). In the past
there has been no understanding of lifelong learning covering a wider range of
‘learning’ opportunities that were separate to the ‘educational’ opportunities
that were offered by formal educational facilities.
Angela Foulkes, former President of CTU, made some broad and serious statements
about the social and economic implications of people not being able to access
the right information and, therefore, not able “to fulfill [their] potential and
contribute adequately. We need intervention on a national scale. The problem is
not with schools or teachers. It is because we have never made adult education a
national priority. Someone has to stop and say we want to give people a second
chance to learn” (1998).
The Tertiary Education Strategy seeks to specifically address the issue of adult
education in its broadest context.
Dr David McNulty is Chair of the Learning City network, which is the largest
learning communities network in Europe with over 40 members. He is also Lifelong
Learning Manager, Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council. This Council is one of
the few councils to gain an award as an example of good practice of education
and training.
Professor Norman Longworth is a world renowned proponent on lifelong learning
and author of two books. He is currently Project Evaluator for a European Union
Project - Promoting Active Lifelong Learning in Australasia, Canada and Europe (PALLACE).
He visited New Zealand in late June 2002, to confirm details of an International
Conference and Learning Festival to be hosted by Papakura Lifelong Learning
Trust as part of the PALLACE project. He is also Chair of ‘Towards a European
Learning Society’. Past President of European Lifelong Learning Initiative
(ELLI), advisor to World Initiative Lifelong Learning (WILL), the European
Commission OECD and UNESCO.
The success of the Lifelong Learning philosophy in the UK, (especially in
Scotland and England), Europe and Australia is mostly to do with their political
systems for the delivery of educational programmes.
To mention just a few, England has a Minister for Lifelong Learning, there is a
Learning City Network, and much of the responsibility for the delivery of the
education system lies with the local authority. 1996 was named the European Year
of Lifelong Learning. Australia has a State and Federal system for education,
and it is the State system that has become involved with the lifelong learning
philosophy and introduced the Learning City concept. It also has an active,
linked and cohesive network for adult learning through the Australian Adult
Learning Association that is promoting and developing the Learning City concept.
The Four Pillars of Learning UNESCO Report
Jacques Delors (1995) Next Slide
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning08.htm
Learning to Know
Learning to Do
Learning to Be
Learning to Live Together
global versus local
universal versus the individual
traditional versus the modern
long term versus short term
equality of opportunity
competition
expanse of knowledge
spiritual and cultural versus material
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The UNESCO Commission for Education, under Jacques Delors, established the Four
Pillars of Learning together with some of the considerations that need to be
addressed in looking at current communities, how they function, and what impact
they have on our society.
Learning to know: which concerns developing ones’ concentration, memory skills
and ability to think.
Learning to Do: which concerns personal competence in the field of occupational
training.
Learning to Be: that education should contribute to every person’s complete
development - mind and body, intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic appreciation
and spirituality.
Learning to live together: which concentrates on reducing world violence and
raising awareness of the similarities and interdependence on all people.
The Three Dimensions of Lifelong Learning Next Slide
Personal Fulfillment
Personal growth
Love of learning
Knowledge, skills and attitudes
Employability
Equity
Economic Development
Innovation
Competitiveness
Productivity
Knowledge Economy
Ecological integrity
Sustainability
Social Development
Caring citizenship
Quality of life
Active participation
Cultural richness
Inclusion
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http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning09.htm
The three dimensions of lifelong learning are:
- Personal fulfillment for individuals
- Economic development of districts, regions and nations
- Social development of communities
Put all of this together and you create a Vision for Lifelong Learning.
Why is Lifelong Learning important?
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning10.htm
...It:
provides cohesion and connectedness
provides inclusiveness
stimulates new partnerships
changes focus from institutions to learners and learning
boosts competitiveness
improves quality of life
reduces unemployment
promotes cultural development
reduces barriers
reduces inequality
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There is a growing world wide trend to now include all formal, informal,
community and employment related learning opportunities under the heading of
‘tertiary’.
Its purpose is to encourage a love of learning from ‘cradle to grave’. learning
for learning’s sake and learning that is controlled by the learner, not by the
provider.
The philosophy is based on the premise that if you put the needs of the learner
first, rather than the needs of society or the employer, and encourage learners
to learn what they want to learn, then a general attitudinal change to learning
will occur.
The assumption is that this approach will open the learner’s mind to new ideas
and perspectives, allowing the needs of society and the employer to re-emerge.
Therefore, it will be easier for the learner to go on learning and take up
specific, focussed and formal educational qualifications.
That, in turn, may well change the way society and the employer does things now.
As a consequence of this development, the emphasis on adult learning has
changed.
We now need to emphasise the difference between what ‘learning’ is and what an
‘education’ is, from the learner’s perspective.
Previous Slide
Old and new styles of delivering ‘learning’ Next Slide
| Character |
|
|
| Funding |
|
|
| Focus |
|
|
| Structure |
|
|
| Delivery |
|
|
Old New
Character Formal
Formal
Informal
Reflexive
Funding Mainstream budgets
Initiatives
Special projects
Focus Provider driven
Learner led
Structure Segmented
Competitive
Age driven & elitist
Majority leave @ 16 or 18
Integrated
Collaborative
All age & open to all
Lifelong
Delivery Teachers
Classrooms
Schools closed 75% of year
Autonomous learners
Networked learning centres
All day, all year 24/7
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As this chart demonstrates, the Lifelong Learning Concept is substantially
different from established educational systems. For a start it addresses those
most in need, those potential learners who were labelled ‘learning failures’ at
school, or those who don’t know where to start, so never bother.
The concept of a Learning Society is to demonstrate to learners that there are
alternative pathways to learning, and that informal or non-formal learning may
be just as important as formal learning. This ‘one step at a time’ process will
be encouraged so that learners are not ‘frightened off’ by the seemingly endless
formal process. They will be taught that learning to master one task is all they
need to do to achieve another skill.
http://www.swktodc.govt.nz/lifelonglearning/lifelonglearning24.htm
The essence of Lifelong Learning is that :
Learning should become as natural as breathing
Learning should be both lifelong and life-wide
Learning is about securing our future.
Lifelong learning is a self-perpetuating process - the more successful it is,
the more successful it becomes.
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Thank you for this opportunity to present this proposal to you.
The Tertiary Education Strategy is the most radical shift in ideology for some
time and should be greeted with enthusiasm and optimism. It is a living document
and many changes will be made to it yet, but over the next five years we should
see some interesting and effective changes in the tertiary system. I hope you
choose to be a part of it.
I would like to acknowledge the people, whose knowledge, experience, and passion
for Lifelong Learning has been a catalyst to my own, and without whose help I
could not have compiled this presentation.
Attached for your information are references for further readings and websites
that may assist you in implementing the Learning Society concept.
.