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Axiological ambivalence of the concept "Lifelong education"
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20534/AJH-16-9.10-27-29
Lichman Lada, Shupyk National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Ukraine, PhD in Pedagogics, Associate Professor, E-mail: lichman1967@mail.ru
Axiological ambivalence of the concept "Lifelong education"
Abstract: This paper deals with the issue of axiological ambivalence of the lifelong education concept. We point out the internal dualism and some inconsistence intrinsic to this concept. We analyze certain epistemological aspects correlated with the idea of lifelong education, subject and object of education in general. We outline the prospects for further development of lifelong education system.
Keywords: lifelong education, competence-based approach, competence of a person.
The concept of lifelong education has long en- ered and outlined the solutions for a large number
tered the social conscience. In many countries the systems for professional qualification enhancement, knowledge improvement and additional competence formation throughout life are determined. For instance, in Ukraine, there are some institutes for postgraduate education, the society Znannya still works successfully in some regions, there are some postgraduate courses in different spheres and institutions, in particular and first of all within the area of pedagogic, as well as commercial training services and so on. In short, a sort of lifelong education industry has appeared and established. In scientific and expert community the viewpoint of the benefit and necessity of lifelong education system dominates. Some synonymic designations appeared in science: continuing education, adult education, lifelong education, lifelong learning, permanent education and
so on.
From 1990s, after Ukraine obtained its sovereignty, the mainstream of state building within the area of education was determined: competence-centered. The idea to integrate the competence-based approach into educational system stimulated the work of postgraduate education institutions: "In Ukraine within the last decade of the XX century and the first decade of the XXI century, — V. Prima-kova notes, — a situation arose when there is a need to improve the quality of education, including the postgraduate one. In view of this, large-scale reforming of the whole branch was performed that discov-
of problems in the education system. In this regard, regulatory documents were adopted that regulate the work of the branch and had significant influence upon the development of postgraduate education of teachers in Ukraine. According to the international sample, the implementation of key competence system into education content was started which was an important condition for education content upgrade, and there was a rich scientific methodological basis for it" [1, P. 23].
Indeed, according to the National Doctrine of Education Development (2002) [2] the idea of lifelong education was approved at the State level by a regulatory instrument. In this instrument, it is noted that the government policy in relation to the lifelong education is pursued in direct relation with transformation of world tendencies within the sphere of lifelong education, as well as the changes in social economic, technological and socio-cultural areas. Within this context, particularly, special attention is paid to the language policy as one of the most significant ones and within the capacious meaning of state-constituting one. The strategy of language education (item IV) is that "In the country, the lifelong language education system is created and it ensures the obligatory acquisition of the national language by the citizens of Ukraine, the opportunity to acquire the native (national) language and be able to speak at least one foreign language. The education promotes the development of high linguistic culture
Section 2. Pedagogy
of the citizens, promotion of respect towards the national language and minority languages of Ukraine, tolerance to speakers of different languages and bearers of different cultures [2, 8].
In general, on the state, scientific and expert levels the lifelong education concept obtains every possible ideological and regulatory support.
Of course, on the one hand, it is difficult to dispute the fact that the development of professional competence within one or another sphere of education or production is quite feasible. Furthermore, the ideology of lifelong education is not confined to only qualification enhancement and new knowledge acquisition. In this education doctrine in various national versions and interpretations it is quite fairly emphasized that the lifelong education process, except the main one — pragmatic or qualification one — factor assumes cultural growth, spiritual enriching of a person. The latter is an important tool for comfortable life sustenance.
At the same time, aside from social economic context and in analyzing some humanitarian dimensions of lifelong education technology, the ambivalence intrinsic to it will reveal. It has to be admitted that permanent education as a significant element of the whole education system contains its drawbacks that are in many respects characteristic of moral picture of modern times.
We believe that nowadays the main drawback and the main feature of the education in an information society is its totalitarian essence: the education system caters to the tasks of misappropriation of labor products and manipulation by individual/collective consciousness to a large extent. Characterizing the educational system ambivalence, the linguist and thinker N. Chomsky, who created the concept of innate linguistic competence, wrote "Go to any elite university and you are usually speaking to very disciplined people, people who have been selected for obedience... and ifyou don't say, "That's idiotic," when you get a stupid assignment, you will gradually pass through the required filters. You will end up at a good college and eventually with a good job" [3]. Moreover, in the modern society many people have to do useless, nonproductive and unnecessary for the society work. It is clear that this argument of
N. Chomsky invalidates the significance of the lifelong competence formation process [3].
At first glance, such evaluation of educational space may seem somewhat exaggerated. However, we should ask ourselves a simple but fundamental question: is generation and formation of various competences of a person possible without comprehension of the main subject — competence of a person? It is logical to answer — no, it is impossible. The superconcept "competence of a person" has to determine the nature and development strategy for educational field. Otherwise, not a person will be an axiological center in education/lifelong education structure, but a simulacrum of the person — fictitious and abstract substitution of a person as a personality aiming to control and suppress their natural freedom. This indeed is the key point in estimation of lifelong education as partial manifestation of totalitarianism.
Thus, without identification of fundamental origin that would include the main values, aim and objectives of education it is impossible to come closer to understanding of the nature of educational activities. Such point of view is presented in M. Heidegger's work Plato's Doctrine of Truth where the author reveals the essence of education: "Education implies two things: it means first of all forming in the sense of developing and molding a character. This "forming" however forms (molds) at the same time through its preconceived adaptation to a standard aspect which is therefore called the prototype. Education is above all molding and giving direction by means of a form" [5, 256].
This postulate is obviously extrapolated to the problem of social inequality and unfair distribution of labor products. In that respect we will refer to Chomsky who supposes that not only theoretically, but also practically two intelligent tasks exist: the first task "... is to try to create the vision of a future just society; that is to create, ifyou like, a humanistic social theory that is based, if possible, on some firm and humane concept of the human essence or human nature. That's one task.
Another task is to understand very clearly the nature of power and oppression and terror and destruction in our own society" [4, 41-42]. It should be noted that in this statement the fundamental
significance of the nature comprehension process, competence of a person in direct correlation with moral nature of social world order are highlighted.
Besides, it would be naive to think that the fact of qualification enhancement, competence formation and new knowledge acquisition will certainly result in the progress in development of a person and mankind. The innovative development of the education and science system can be taken rather as modernized manifestation of long-standing didactic approaches: "For a long time the idea has existed that the sciences, knowledge, followed a certain line of "progress", obeying the principle of "growth", and the principle of the convergence of all these kinds of knowledge. And yet when one sees how the European understanding, which turned out to be a worldwide and universal understanding in a historical and geographical sense, developed, can one say that there has been growth? I, myself, would say that it has been much more a matter of transformation" [4, 26].
Indeed, if one goes back the traditions of Antiquity, it will be clear that the idea of competence
Axiological ambivalence of the concept "Lifelong education"
formation within the area of certain competences was conceived in some detail long time ago. It is worth remembering about Plato's social subordination based on the principle of correspondence of background and inherited qualities to certain competences: governors — soldiers — producers.
We have to state that modern educational space, especially within the area of lifelong education, is ambivalent on the issue of determining the values; on the one hand, pragmatic modus prevails in it which is focused on formation of activity and production competences, and on the other hand, it includes the fundamental contradiction — the priority of human personality development and nurturing is determined, but the superconcept "competence of a person is not established. In the longer term, we believe that the successful establishment of educational systems will be connected with the substantiation of the central and the most important concept that, without any doubt, will add more dynamics and universality to didactic technologies.
References:
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2. Про Нащональну доктрину розвитку освгги Президент Украши; Указ, Доктрина в^ - 17.04.2002 -№ 347/2002. - Available at: http://zakon3.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/347/2002.
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