Научная статья на тему 'Lifelong education of adults in the perspective of learning society'

Lifelong education of adults in the perspective of learning society Текст научной статьи по специальности «Науки об образовании»

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Текст научной работы на тему «Lifelong education of adults in the perspective of learning society»

LIFELONG EDUCATION OF ADULTS

IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF LEARNING SOCIETY

Ryszard Gerlach

The changes taking place around us cause that slogans such as knowledge-based economy, postindustrial society, information society or knowledge society can no longer remain in the sphere of future plans but are becoming a reality. Without going into details it can be indicated that already A. Toffler recognized that knowledge is a prevailing resource of the third wave necessary for human development. According to him knowledge is the source of power.1 A similar point of view is also presented by

P. Drucker. Writing about post-capitalist society, which is being created, he points to the fact that knowledge is its basic resource and qualified workers, who can use knowledge for production purposes, will become the leading groups in the knowledge society.2 More and more common is the belief that the value of a contemporary enterprise depends on the people employed there and especially their knowledge, skills and abilities. A. Carnegie believes that "the only true capital of a company is the intellectual capital, that is, the knowledge of its employees.”3

The changes taking place around us are continual in character. Their speed causes that a lot of attention, as never before, has been devoted to issues concerning the future. The source of such interest, as one may suppose, lies in the characteristic features of a contemporary civilization, which is described as “changeable”, "with high level of transformation and uncertainty”, balancing ceaselessly on the verge of global progress and prosperity and global disaster. Undoubtedly there is a lot of literature which aims at explaining the state and condition of contemporary civilization. Various scenarios of potential and possible events are being presented. Numerous studies introduce key words, which are used to identify the present state of things. Many of them have both positive and negative implications. However, it is not possible to discuss all of them in such a short paper. It can only be mentioned that at least three of them seem to be important. These are modernity, progress and globalization. The range of beliefs concerning these categories varies greatly. It can be assumed, however, that no matter what attitude we adopt to describe their essence

1 Quote after E. Skrzypek, Wiedza i praktyka. in: Dylematy cywilizacji informatycznej. A. Szewczyk (Editor) Warsaw 2004, pp. 97-98

2 P. Drucker, Spofeczenstwo pokapitalistyczne, Warsaw 2000, p.14

3 E. Skrzypek, Wiedza ..., p.110

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they are an indispensable feature of our civilization, which is sometimes called the civilization ‘at the crossroads’. The subject literature talks about “civilization fault”, "erosion of rules and lack of reference points”, “production of human-waste” who live on the social and economical margin or “temporariness and lack of stability”. 1 Quoting A. Toffler: “people live in a state of permanent future shock, which is a consequence of totally overwhelming disorientation caused by untimely coming of the future”. It causes the fundaments of social-economic life to change completely during only one biography and creates the feeling of “civilization incompetence” in people.2

It is worth remembering, however, that apart from the opinions which place the contemporary civilization at the crossroads there appear options describing reality as “universal civilization”.3 Generally speaking, it means cultural unity of humankind, widespread acceptance of common values and beliefs by nations of the world.

One of the sources of universal civilization are modernization processes including urbanization and industrialization, higher and higher level of education of society, people’s mobility and more and more complex and diverse vocational structures. It is also a consequence of a great development of scientific knowledge and technology.

The changes, only mentioned and in many cases differently interpreted, which we witness and in which we participate allow to acknowledge that the need for the development of a learning society is out of the question.

One should realize that a learning society will not appear immediately. Nevertheless, it is important to undertake actions aimed at this. These actions should concern creating a possibility to access educational institutions for everyone who wants it and needs it during their whole life with a special interest in people who are marginalized and excluded or at risk of exclusion. It is also important to shape the awareness of youths and adults concerning the necessity to learn throughout the whole life and the skills which might be needed in this process. G. Dryden and J. Vos mention thirteen steps which lead to the creation of a learning society. These are:

1 The questions are discussed by A. Toffler, Szok przysztosci,1988; Trzecia fala, 1985; S.P. Huntington, Zderzenie cywilizacyjne, 2008, Z. Bauman, Zycie na przemiat,2007

2 A. Toffler, Trzecia fala, Warsaw 1985, p.21

3 S.P. Huntington: Zderzenie..., pp.77-80

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1. A new look at the educational role of electronic means of communication - for the first time every person can communicate with everybody else.

2. Learning to use computers and the Internet.

3. The need for parental education - a family plays the most important role in education especially at the beginning of a child’s development.

4. A thorough improvement of healthcare in early childhood that will allow to prevent learning difficulties.

5. Quality programs stimulating early development of a child.

6. Introducing compensation programs in all schools to help make up for delays in learning.

7. Adjusting the teaching methods to an individual style of assimilating knowledge.

8. Learning how to learn and think.

9. Defining anew what should be taught at school.

10. A four-part teaching program emphasizing respect for each other and developing life skills.

11. Three reasons to learn: to acquire knowledge and skills in a particular field and to find out how to do it faster, better and easier; to develop general thinking abilities; to develop individual attitudes.

12. Finding places outside school which favor learning.

13. Open mind and clear expression of thoughts.1

The above mentioned actions should concern mostly schools of all types and levels. However, one should remember that the need and perspective of creating a learning society are a challenge also for lifelong education, which should become both the way and an indispensable element of this society.

Accepting the mentioned civilization changes and most of all the need for the development of knowledge society and knowledge-based economy one should realize that contemporary systems of education will be influenced by two forces:

• first of all they must adapt to higher and higher requirements of the knowledge society;

• secondly, they must take into consideration the fact that schools no longer have a monopoly on transferring knowledge and they must compete

1 G. Dryden, J. Vos, Rewolucja w uczeniu siq, Poznan 2003, p.85 and following.

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with information media and also the market sector where companies are becoming producers and mediators of knowledge.1

A strategic importance of lifelong education has been emphasized by European Union institutions since 2000. Attention was paid to the role of education in the knowledge-based economy and the following goals were determined (Stockholm, March 2001):

• improvement of quality and effectiveness of education systems in the EU;

• facilitating widespread access to systems of education;

• opening systems of education to the environment and the world.2

Continual social and economic changes, unpredictable future cause

that it is no longer possible to outline one’s course of life in youth and then realize it. It also cannot be assumed that a given level of education is finished but instead it should be treated as a starting point for further levels of education, as an element of a lifelong learning process. According to A. Toffler it can be assumed that persons who will have to live in superindustrial societies must master the skills in three basic areas: learning, establishing contacts with other people and making choices.3

Thus, it can be stated that lifelong education for everyone is one of the necessary actions which should become a priority for governments, general societies, private sector and, maybe most of all, for every citizen. As F. Mayor puts it the problem of education for everyone throughout their whole life will be the main challenge of the 21st century and the main goal will be to restore a man the possibility to decide about their own fate. On account of this education for the future should first of all include the most affected, those who do not have access to knowledge due to lack of means or unfavorable circumstances. Include the excluded, reach those left alone - that is the goal.4

It is also necessary to be aware that becoming a learning society requires a significant increase of expenditure on education not only of children and teenagers but also lifelong education of adults in the whole period of their professional activity.

1 Zarzqdzanie wiedzq w spofeczenstwie uczqcym siq OECD, Radom 2000, p.11.

2 Edukacja w Europie: rozne systemy ksztafcenia i szkolenia - wspolne cele do roku 2010, Warsaw 2003, p.4

3 A. Toffler, Szok przyszfosci, Warsaw 1988, p.357.

4 F. Mayor, Przyszfosc swiata Warsaw 2001, p. 375.

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To sum up, it is worth reminding once again that the changes taking place around us are continual in nature. Their pace causes that:

• future cannot be treated as an extension of the present; what worked in the past does not have to and probably will not work in the future; enterprise of the future,

• an individual must be ready for constant reorganization, what was stable earlier must be replaced with flexibility;

• only those who will master the ability to use knowledge and will be ready for changes will have a chance on the job market.1

Already mentioned P. Drucker clearly emphasizes that it is not work but knowledge that nowadays is becoming the main source of affluence. A transition from the ‘work society’ to ‘knowledge society’ can be observed. If this is the case then one should agree with the authors of the White Paper on Education and Training that it is education that is going to become the main carrier of identity, affiliation, social promotion and personal development. Both the institutionalized education as well as the informal. In a modern society there are three integral elements that are important on the way to becoming a learning society i.e. social integration, development of suitability for employment and personal development.2

1 See K. Illeris, Trzy wymiary uczenia siq, Wroclaw 2006, p.234; W. M. Grudzewski, I.K. Hajduk, Kreowanie w przedsiqbiorstwie organizacji inteligentnej, in: Przedsiqbiorstwo przyszfosci, Editors. W.M. Grudzewski, I.K. Hajduk. Warsaw 200, p.75.

2 Nauczanie i uczenie siq. Na drodze do spofeczenstwa uczqcego siq, Warsaw 1997, pp. 17-19.

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