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LIFELONG EDUCATION: GLOBAL AND REGIONAL ASPECTS
I.V. Volovik
Numerous discussions on the development of education lay great emphasis on the issues of global and regional trends in the development of education. Globalization and modern information technology have had a significant impact on education, which now has to adapt to changing economic and social conditions. Moreover, in different regions of the world, the education system solves problems related to national interests. Universal primary education is to be provided in underdeveloped countries, and the development of lifelong education is typical of developed countries.
Let us try to analyze global trends in the development of education, while paying particular attention to the problems of lifelong education: (1) expanding access to education on an equitable basis to all those who wish to get it, and not to the elite only. Education should balance social inequality; (2) strengthening the role of understanding of national, regional, international and historic cultures under conditions of pluralism and diversity; (3) multivariate education, ability to meet the needs of different population groups; (4) transition of education to the paradigm "education throughout the whole life"; (5) preparation of a fundamentally communicative educated person, capable of changing activities, rather than a narrow professional, (6) overcoming strictly economic orientations in education through the implementation of a policy of upbringing, preparation for active participation in society life, and the protection and promotion of social values . The above-mentioned trends in the development of world education could have been structured in a different way, but in our opinion in the context of our discourse they characterize the features of the development of education including lifelong education.
We share the view of those scientists who consider education as a benefit of collective nature rather than a market service. Education, regardless of the method of payment, is a highly intellectual social process. Lifelong education is a system of interlinked educational programs aimed at promoting and further developing the educational and professional qualifications of a graduate in accordance with his personal needs and socio-economic demands. The Concept of Development of Lifelong Education System in the Russian Federation up to 2012 calls for a transition from a system of mass education to lifelong individualized education for all as the fundamental basis of innovative development of the country. To realize this aim, not only scientific and theoretical understanding, but also the analysis of processes in the modern education system is required. In the concept of long-term socio-economic development of Russia up to 2020, the strategic goal of public policy in education is defined as the increased availability of quality education in accordance with the requirements of innovative development of economy and modern society's needs. The realization of this goal involves the creation of a modern system of lifelong education, training and retraining of professional staff. Currently, the system of professional education in the country as well as in the regions does not account for the needs of the labor market. Up to 80% of university
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graduates, and up to 70% of graduates of colleges do not work in connection with their qualification, and graduates are often forced to obtain additional, for the most part, paid education.
On demand of the Government of the “North-West” (Udmurt Republic the Centre for Strategic Research has developed) the Strategy of Socio-Economic Development of the Udmurt Republic till 2025", in which it is noted that at present the human potential is the only intangible asset of the Republic, highly estimated not only within the region but also beyond its limits. The high quality of human capital is primarily due to the high level of training, retraining and advanced training.
The Federal State budget institution of higher professional education "Izhevsk State Technical University" (hereinafter - ISTU) is currently a multi-level educational institution that implements programs of higher, secondary and primary vocational education. On the basis of the university, the Institute of Lifelong Vocational Education was established, which includes multi-level educational institutions - schools, high schools, colleges, technical schools, institutes as well as industrial enterprises, scientific organizations, educational authorities. For more than twenty years, the preparation of students of secondary schools for their further training in the ISTU programs of higher, secondary and basic vocational education has been carried out. One of the features of the development of education within the multi-level structure of ISTU is a real possibility of coordination (through the issuing departments of the university) of the curricula at various levels, ranging from preprofile and profile training and secondary vocational education to higher education and postgraduate education in the ever-expanding number of disciplines and areas. Lifelong learning means being able to choose one’s own path (according to one’s abilities and capabilities), as a schoolboy or a student at any stage of training. Along with that, in the future this will allow a reduction in the effort and time spent in institutions of higher education on the correction of errors made in the early stages of education.
Today, a high level of professional mobility, which presupposes the possibility of continuous receipt of new qualifications and skills by the population of the region as well as the possibility of their application in the labor market, are largely provided by the system of lifelong education. Not only regional executive authorities and institutions of professional education should take part in the formation of this system, but also business entities, recruitment agencies and other participants in the education market. Given the impact of global and regional trends in the development of education, it should be noted that priorities in education should be determined based on the fact that every person has the right to access adequate and quality education, which is based on the principles of integrated, lifelong education.
Globalization is a process of forming an integrated economic, financial, ideological, cultural and informative global space based on high technology. Globalization has put humanity before a host of new problems: the world is changing so rapidly that the changes taking place will not soon be understood and critically analyzed. Global trends in education initiated by the western civilization today, have on one hand an objective nature, but on the other hand act as deliberate suppression of the development of the system of regional and national
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education in other countries. Therefore, the need arises to clarify the functions of the education system to resist this pressure.
We share the view of V.I. Panarin, who believes that there is an ontological dependence, as per which the practice of public education is determined by the socio-economic situation in any country (or region). The primary aim is to develop the education system to make it capable of embracing the maximum number of young people in times of economic crisis or economic boom - to specify the education system in order to enhance elite training. Today it has become clear that the education system is stable if it promotes the development of the region and correlates to the regional peculiarities.
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