CC BY
20
LIFELONG EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY IN DOCUMENTS OF EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS
E. Kula,
M. Penkovska
Lifelong education is an important strategy for Europe. It will allow the creation of a learning European society, which will result in a society of progress and will make Europe independent from the economic, social and political influence of other countries, especially the USA, Japan and China. Activities, aimed at lifelong education development in Europe have certain cultural characteristics, are of a local significance; and, at the same time, they serve as means of individual and collective self-assertion. Also they can influence the future of Europe, and define its niche in the world.
The traditional division of life into the stages of secondary education, higher education, occupational work and retirement does not correspond to reality anymore. Reality has placed new demands on people. That is why lifelong education has become one of the key issues for the European Union institutions1, namely the European Parliament and Council of the European Union.
The leading role of lifelong education was first considered at the Council of the European Union meeting in Lisbon on 23-24 March, 2000. In
1 Institutions of the European Union:
The European Parliament, which represents the interests of the citizens of the Union; and is elected by the citizens.
The Council of the European Union is the principal decision-making institution of the European Union. It was created on the basis of foundation treaties in the 1950s. It is represented by the participating countries. Every country of the Union is represented by one minister.
The presidency of the council rotates among the member states every six months. In other words, every country of the EU in turns accepts responsibility for the agenda of the Council and presides at the meetings for six months, conducting them, managing all legislative and political solutions, leading separate countries to compromise.
The European Commission is independent from countries' governments. It represents and defends the interests of the European Union as a whole. The Commission is responsible for proposing legislation. Later the new acts are submitted to the Parliament and to the Council for approval.
The Court of Justice of the European Union ensures common interpretation and implementation of the European Law in all countries of the Union so that the law is the same for everyone. For example it prevents delivering different sentences for similar cases.
The Court of Auditors. Its primary role is to externally check if the budget of the European Union has been implemented correctly, if the EU funds have been spent legally and with sound management. It provides a taxpayer with the optimal quality for a reasonable price. It is authorized to control any individual or organization that uses funds of the Union.
120
the Lisbon Strategy it was agreed that in the year 2010 the European economy should become the most competitive and dynamic in the world. The indispensable condition to achieving this goal was a high level of education and professional training in the European Union countries; lifelong education was declared a priority. The resolution of Council of the European Union dated the 27 June, 2002, emphasized that lifelong education should include formal education (in the system of school education), non-formal education (different classes and conferences), informal education (literature, TV, the Internet, personal experience) from pre-school age to retirement.
The Committee of the Council was delegated to working out the framework of acknowledging qualifications in the sphere of education, taking into consideration the results of the Bologna process. This document defines basic skills that are important for lifelong education: effective communication in a foreign language, capacity to study, communicative skills and digital literacy (mathematical and information competence). The necessity of working out the European framework of acknowledging qualifications in lifelong education was emphasized in the joint reports of the Council and the Committee in 2004 and 2006, when the program "Education and Training 2010” was being embedded. These institutions of the EU worked out and adopted a resolution dated the 15th December 2004 about a single framework for the Union in order to guarantee transparency of qualifications: the Europass; and a recommendation from the 18 December about key competencies during lifelong education. The Europass includes five templates of documents that that can be collected to acknowledge one's qualifications and competencies, obtained on the territory of the EU.
They are: 1) Europass-CV, which contains information about present qualifications and competencies; 2) Europass-Mobility, which documents educational periods in other counties; 3) Diploma Supplement, which shows achievements in higher education; 4) Language Passport, which details language competencies; 5) Certificate Supplement, which confirms occupational training and describes the certified qualifications and competencies.
The key competencies were defined as a complex of knowledge, skills and positions that fit the situation. Key competencies are the ones that people need for self-actualization, personal enhancement, active citizenship, social integration and employment: a) native language; b) foreign languages; c) basic mathematic and technical science knowledge; d) computing science knowledge; e) capacity to study; f) social and civil
121
knowledge; g) initiative and entrepreneurial spirit; h) cultural awareness. The key competencies are equally important as every competence can be useful for a successful life in the knowledge society.
In the resolution of 15 November, 2007, the Council of the European Union recommended that participating countries enhance the role of the Education Council as a coordinator of education and training in order to create a solid foundation of knowledge in favor of European and national policy.
The recommendation of the European Parliament of 23 April, 2008, concerning the European framework of qualifications for lifelong education aims at "creating a single framework, which would serve as the instrument for comparison of qualifications and their level in different systems of qualifications both in formal and non-formal education”. As an instrument for promoting lifelong education, the European Qualifications Framework includes all levels of qualification obtained in the course of general education and training both occupational and academic. In the introduction to the document it is pointed out that the European Qualifications Framework provides all-round information concerning access to education, transfer of achievements and progress within the education system. The European Qualifications Framework and National Qualifications Framework allow fir the definition of the correspondence of a diploma or certificate to qualifications conferred in different European countries. Thus qualifications will become easier to understand and estimate in different countries and systems in Europe; and two main goals will be achieved, namely strengthening people's mobility and lifelong education facilitation. At the same time, country-participants were recommended to apply an approach based on training outcomes when defining and describing qualifications; to promote the recognizability of learning processes (except in formal and informal education) in correspondence with the General European Principles agreed in the summary of meeting of 28 May, 2004. It is also emphasized that citizens, prone to unemployment and unreliable forms of employment should be particularly considered. It encourages interest in lifelong education and widening access to the employment market. We know that European authorities assign great importance to training, education, knowledge, qualifications, skills and competencies.
The last document includes summary of the meeting from the 22 May, 2008, concerning adult training. The document stresses the importance of the process for bringing the Lisbon strategy to life, considering that it supports social solidarity, provides the possibility to
122
acquire skills necessary for finding a new job, and helps to better resist the challenges of globalization.
The listed documents draw the scope of initiatives and actions not only at the international level, but also in separate European countries. The importance of the actions is defined by the class of documents and their quantity.
References
1. Zalecenie Parlamentu Europejskiego i Rady z dnia 18 grudnia 2006 r. w sprawie kompetencji kluczowych w procesie uczenia si§ przez cate zycie. Dziennik Urz^dowy Unii Europejskiej L 394/10 z dnia 30 grudnia 2006 r.
2. Rezolucja Rady z dnia 15 listopada 2007 r. w sprawie ksztatcenia i szkolenia jako sit nap^dowych strategii lizbonskiej. Dziennik Urz^dowy Unii Europejskiej C 300/1 z 12 grudnia 2007 r.
3. Konkluzje Rady z dnia 22 maja 2008 r. w sprawie uczenia si§ dorostych. Dziennik Urz^dowy Unii Europejskiej C 140/10 z 6 czerwca 2008 r.
4. Zalecenie Parlamentu Europejskiego i Rady z dnia 23 kwietnia 2008 r. w sprawie ustanowienia europejskich ram kwalifikacji dla uczenia si§ przez cate zycie.
5. Dziennik Urz^dowy Unii Europejskiej C 111/01 z 6.05.2008 r.
6. Europejskie Ramy Kwalifikacji dla uczenia si§ przez cate zycie (ERK), Luksemburg, Urz^d Oficjalnych Publikacji Wspolnot Europejskich 2009.
123
