Embracing a Culture of Lifelong Learning Contribution to the Futures of Education Initiative Report | a Transdisciplinary Expert Consultation

Embracing a culture of lifelong learning Contribution to the Futures of Education initiative Report | A transdisciplinary expert consultation The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn. Alvin Toﬄ er Dear world leaders, dear brothers and sisters. Education is not a privilege. Education is a right. Education is peace. Malala Yousafzai Published in 2020 by UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning The designations employed and the presentation Feldbrunnenstraße 58 of material throughout this publication do not 20148 Hamburg imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever Germany on the part of UNESCO or UIL concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its © UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. ISBN 978-92-820-1239-0 The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning Layout and design: Ulrike Köhn undertakes research, capacity-building, networking and publication on lifelong learning with a focus on adult and continuing education, literacy and non-formal basic education. This publication is available in Open Access under Its publications are a valuable resource for the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-SA education researchers, planners, policy-makers 3.0 IGO) licence (http://creativecommons.org/ and practitioners. While the programmes of UIL licenses/bysa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of are established along the lines laid down by the this publication, the users accept to be bound General Conference of UNESCO, the publications by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access of the Institute are issued under its sole Repository (http://www.unesco.org/open-access/ responsibility. terms-use-ccbysa-en). Table of contents Foreword 4 Acknowledgements 6 Summary of recommendations 8 Introduction: The futures of education from a lifelong learning perspective 10 Towards a vision of lifelong learning by 2050 12 Creating an enabling environment 16 Key messages 20 Conclusion: Towards a culture of lifelong learning 38 Sources 40 Annex 1: A selection of implementation measures 44 Annex 2: Participants in the consultation 52 Embracing a culture of lifelong learning – Contribution to the Futures of Education initiative Foreword David Atchoarena For half a century, inspired by the seminal have to be moved further up the policy agenda, work of UNESCO, the international education beyond the fields of education and labour market community has recognized the transformative policies. power of education and the value of learning throughout life for individuals, communities and At the time of writing this report, the COVID-19 societies. For decades, policy-makers have been pandemic has caused major disruption in striving to place lifelong learning at the heart of education systems and in people’s lives. While their education agenda. acknowledging that the impact of COVID-19 on communities has been severe, we also recognize Today, making lifelong learning a reality remains an opportunity to rethink how learning can better an aspiration. Many countries are still struggling contribute to creating more sustainable and to meet basic education needs. Millions of people, inclusive societies in which people are able to some of them in the richest economies, face engage as active and global citizens. financial and other barriers that exclude them from learning and prevent them from fulfilling The expert consultation that provided the basis their potential. for this report was conducted by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL). It reviewed We are emerging from a period characterized by existing barriers and explored how to boost an excessive focus on the vocational and skills participation and make provision fairer and dimensions of lifelong learning. Recognizing more open and participatory. This report also the complexity and multi-dimensional nature contributes more broadly within the framework of the challenges faced by humanity calls for of UNESCO’s 2019 Futures of Education initiative the restoration of a holistic vision of learning to rethink education, knowledge production and throughout life. As we anticipate further learning from a future-oriented perspective. disruptions caused by the effects of climate change, demographic shifts and the substantial Finding solutions to ‘grand challenges’ requires transformation in the labour market due to the collaboration across disciplines. UIL therefore fourth industrial revolution, lifelong learning will opted for a transdisciplinary approach to examine 4 Embracing a culture of lifelong learning – Contribution to the Futures of Education initiative lifelong learning in all its dimensions and in Further details on selected policy measures are relation to sustainable development issues. Twelve offered in Annex 1. experts took part in the exercise, including five women and seven men from Africa, the Arab I truly hope that the important work started States region, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, North during this transdisciplinary consultation will America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. inform the reflections of the UNESCO-established They produced a rich collection of innovative International Commission on the Futures of ideas and specific recommendations for action. Education and that the ideas and measures It has been a real privilege to work with such a proposed will inspire action in policy-making, committed and experienced group, motivated by research, teaching and learning practices in the belief that building sustainable and inclusive Member States, and help them to embrace societies requires that everyone – regardless of a culture of lifelong learning. gender, age, background or circumstance – can access the learning that best fits their needs and those of their community. David Atchoarena is Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning The vision of the future shaped by the group provides an understanding of what a lifelong learning society would look like, including the overarching values and principles, as well as the key implementing mechanisms required to sustain such a scenario. After setting out this vision, the report outlines the main features of the policy environment needed to make lifelong learning the concept governing education policies and to offer people real opportunities to learn throughout life. The final chapter includes a set of key messages, each complemented by specific action points. 5 Embracing a culture of lifelong learning – Contribution to the Futures of Education initiative Acknowlegdements This report is the product of a highly collaborative Special thanks go to Nele Fischer for her advice working and learning process that took place and support in crafting the methodology for the during a transdisciplinary online consultation consultation and in facilitating the discussion on the ‘Futures of Education: A lifelong learning and processing its outcomes. contribution’. It builds on the engagement of international experts who discussed the potential Within UIL, the finalization of the report benefited of lifelong learning not only to transform the greatly from the attentive editing of Paul Stanistreet, field of education, but also to create a more assisted by Cendrine Sebastiani. sustainable, healthy and inclusive future. Thanks also go to UNESCO’s Education Research We would like to express our special gratitude and Foresight Programme for supporting the to Daniel Baril, S.H. Annabel Chen, Julieta Fierro consultation and guiding its articulation with Gossman, Walter Leal, Precious Lunga, Tonic the work of the International Commission. Maruatona, Eduardo Mendieta, Sunny Xinchun The contributions of Sobhi Tawil, Noah Sobe Niu, Jim Ogg, Neil Selwyn, Abla Sibai and François and Keith Holmes are acknowledged with Taddei, without whom this publication would appreciation. not have been possible. 6 Embracing a culture of lifelong learning – Contribution to the Futures of Education initiative 7 Embracing a culture of lifelong learning – Contribution to the Futures of Education initiative Summary of recommendations This report presents a future-focused vision of the free availability of educational resources – an education, which demands a major shift towards a ‘educational commons’ – and open technology, culture of lifelong learning by 2050. It argues that while strengthening learning opportunities the challenges humanity faces, those resulting through transformed educational institutions, re- from the climate crisis and from technological and invented (public) spaces for learning and revitalized demographic change, not to mention those posed workplace learning. Legal foundations and by the COVID-19 pandemic and the inequalities it mechanisms – acknowledging lifelong learning has exacerbated, call for societies that understand as a human right – must ensure the recognition, themselves as learning societies and people who validation and accreditation of learning outcomes identify themselves as learners throughout their acquired in different contexts, democratizing lives. the negotiation of individual and social learning demand. Realizing this vision requires a learner-centric, demand-led approach to education that enables This vision can be realized only through an learners of all ages and backgrounds to co- enabling environment. Securing basic needs design actively and use any learning process and a strong social fabric are key to fostering and its outcomes to achieve their full

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