Lang zullen we leren – 20 jaar Cevora
Symposium
10/12/10, Square Brussels Meeting Centre
Current trends and challenges in
Europe’s lifelong learning area
Prof. Dr. Sandra Bohlinger M.A.
Professor of Education
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The core ideas of lifelong learning
LLL covers
all learning activities throughout life (fl, nfl, ifl)
within personal, civic, social or employment related contexts
Background: shifts in e + t and in labour market demands View of the educational process:
From: Education is an input-based learning process expressed in terms of
workload, content and lenght of studies (semesters, years etc.)
To: Education is an outcomes-based learning process expressed in terms of
knowledge, skills and competences achieved by the learner
View on the degree:
From: Proof of participation and successful completion of a programme
To: Recognition of achieved learning outcomes / prior learning
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Overall aims of lifelong learning
Employability
Ability to progress towards or get into employment, to stay in employment and to
move on in the workplace
Knowledge and skills must be economically valuable
Developing personality
Personal fulfilment
Holistic understanding of learning processes
Active citizenship
Participating actively in democracy and society
Inclusive education
Lifelong learning is key to employability and social inclusion ensuring
that qualifications and skills meet changing demands in the workplace
and in daily life
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The emergence of a lifelong learning policy
Global trends shaped policies on learning (UNESCO, OECD, EU)
Emergence of a European LLL policy:
1993: Delors report on growth, employment and competitiveness
1995: White Book on „Teaching and Learning”
1996: European LLL year
2000: LLL Memorandum + Lisbon agenda
2001: communication on „Making a European area of lifelong learning a reality”
2002: Copenhagen declaration: European strategy for enhanced cooperation in
VET
2006: ‘Key competences for lifelong learning’ (Recommendation of the European
Parliament)
2010: Bruges Communiqué on enhanced European Cooperation in VET (2011-
2020)
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Lifelong learning in a nutshell
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Benchmarks
5 benchmarks for 2010 5 benchmarks for 2020
No more than 10% early school
leavers;
Decrease of at least 20% in the
percentage of low-achieving pupils in
reading literacy;
At least 85% of young people should
have completed upper secondary
education;
Increase of at least 15% in the number
of tertiary graduates in MST, with a
simultaneous decrease in the gender
imbalance;
12.5% of the adult population
participate in lifelong learning.
at least 95% of children between 4
years old and the age for starting
compulsory primary education
participate in early childhood
education
the share of early leavers should be
less than10%
the share of low-achieving 15-years
olds in reading, mathematics and
science should be less than15%.
the share of 30-34 year olds with
tertiary educational attainment
should be at least 40%
an average of at least 15 % of adults
should participate in lifelong learning
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Progress towards meeting the 5 2010 benchmarks
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Lifelong learning – main messages
LLL is a reality for the majority of people in DK, SE, IS, FI, UK, NL
Participation above average in BE, DE, ES, FR, AT, SI and NO
Some countries have coherent + overarching LLL strategies (DK, FI, SI,
UK-Scotland)
Close to 10% of adults have participated in LLL within a four weeks
period
Almost 60% of young people (5-29 year-old) participate in education
Secondary enrolment rates are above 85% in nearly all member states
and well above 90% in 8 countries (FR, LT, NL, CZ, SI, FI, SE, UK)
HE enrolment is over 50% in nearly all member states and above 80% in
4 countries (DK, EL, FI, SI) reaching levels near or above the level of the
US (82%)
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Participation of adults in LLL Source: LFS database, October 2009)
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Students in IVET at ISCED level 3 (as % of all students in education at ISCED level 3)
50,3
72,9
52,3
74,2
48
57,5
3233,9
30,9
43,8 44,2
59,4
12,6
34,8
26,3
62,1
24,4
50,1
67,1
77,1
46,2
30,7
64,8 64,5
72,3
67,9
56,8
31,4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
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Participation in job-related/non job-related edu. + training
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% of employees participating in CVT courses
33 34
40
15
59
35
30
24
14
33
46
29 30
15 15
49
16
3234 33
21
28
17
50
38 39
46
33
29
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
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Who is falling behind?
Slow progress in combating early leaving from education and training /
drop out prevention. PL, CZ, SK and FI already perform well with a share
of early leavers below 10%
The probability that a young migrant is an early leaver is more than
double than that for a national (26.8% vs. 13.6%)
Participation of adults in LLL is not equally available to all groups of
adults; rates are higher among the youngest (25 to 34 years old), the
most educated and the employed
Main obstacles to participation in nfL / adult education is family
responsibilities, conflicts with the work schedule, costs of training and
lack of employer’s support
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Who is falling behind? % of 18-24 years old with less than
upper secondary education and not in e+t
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Education + Training 2010 - main policy initiatives
an integrated policy
framework
ICT for innovation and
LLL
promoting
multilingualism
developing lifelong
learning strategies
enhanced
co-operation in VET
and adult education
removing obstacles to
mobility
higher education
reform
European Institute of
Technology
developing school
education policies
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Education + Training 2011-2020 - The Bruges Communiqué
making IVET a more
attractive option
fostering innovation,
creativity and
entrepreneurship
intensifying co-
operation between VET
policy and other policy
areas
fostering excellence in
IVET and CVETrealising inclusive VET
improving quality
assurance and
comparability
enabling access to
training and
qualifications
greater involvement of
stakeholders
making good use of
EU support
internationalisation of
IVET and CVET +
fostering mobility
co-ordinated
governance of
instruments
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Key priorities
Realising the shift to learning outcomes
Validation and recognition of prior learning
Qualifications frameworks and credit point systems
Fostering mobility, permeability and access to LLL
Applying Guidelines and referring to the CQARF
Anticipation of skills needs
Providing a better linkage between
learning + qualifications the labour market
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Why is the shift to learning outcomes a key priority?
Anticipated benefits:
Focussing on students: Individual learning process is at the core of
attention
Recognising student achievements outside of the formal learning
setting
Enhancing students’ employability
Promoting transferability, permeability, mobility, quality and
transparency
Widening participation and access
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The linkage between LOs, QFs and RPL
Political tools
Assist in reading and comparing learning outcomes and qualifications
Expected to provide impetus for modernisation initiatives in education
systems (VET and HE)
NQFs: development and classification of qualifications, related to
learning levels and descriptors, scope: all learning achievements and
pathways, bindingness (~ 120 worldwide)
Meta frameworks / regional frameworks: relate NQFs, to create
confidence and trust, defines basic principles, voluntary basis (EQF,
SADCQF, CQF)
Validation systems and initiatives: assessment and certification of ifl + nfl
(with regard to fl + qualifications); scope: all learning achievements,
voluntary basis
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Preconditions to implement a QF and
a validation system
Describe all qualifications that can be obtained and all forms of
learning suited for accreditation in terms of learning outcomes
Depict all qualifications in a hierarchy or continuum to identify
learning levels
Assess all qualifications independently of the form or provision,
curriculum, and teaching methods via which they were acquired
Modularise all qualifications, assign them to different levels with the
same descriptors and describe them in terms of learning hours
(learning units)
Employ benchmarks to accredit and assess all types of learning
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Driving forward the agenda
(National) legal frameworks for LLL, QFs, RPL etc.
Assessment of LOs and prior learning: methods and criteria
Gathering relevant, reliable and comparable data (particularly: ifL)
Scope, acceptance and impact of LLL, QFs and RPL (and similar
political tools)
Financing and acceptance
Black box issues:
the impact of LLL on improving qualification systems, labour markets and individual
employability
How to identify, recognise, validate and assess learning achievements outside of
the formal learning setting
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Happy Birthday, Cevora!
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