Lifelong learning seen as key to national survival

"Lifelong learning" has become something of a catchword that risks losing its meaning, but for Prof. Kenneth Wain, creating a "learning society" is a question of national survival.

Prof. Wain has been appointed chairman of a new committee set up to develop a draft national policy and strategic plan for lifelong learning.

"I really think Malta`s future depends on having such a strategy, because the consequences are not simply having more academically qualified people, but raising the general level of learning of the population," he said in an interview.

"If we are going to be able to survive economically, culturally and politically in the kind of fast changing world we live in today and can anticipate for the future, the strategy is going to be absolutely necessary."

Economically, he explained, it would make Malta more competitive; culturally, it would affect how the Maltese perceived this rapidly changing world, as well as the country`s cultural product; and politically, modern democracy required well-informed citizens capable of keeping up to date with local, regional and global developments.

The working committee, appointed by Education Minister Louis Galea, will formulate its draft policy and plan after examining the EU`s initiatives and other international policies and practices in the area, as well as consulting major stakeholders.

It will also make recommendations on a National Resource Centre on Lifelong Learning, devise a plan of action, and report back to the minister by the end of the year.

The other members of the committee are Alfred Mallia, Anthony Macelli and Ivan Borg.

Prof. Wain has written a book on the philosophy of lifelong learning and more recently was a key figure in the drawing up of another major educational initiative - the new national minimum curriculum.

Giving the background to the establishment of the committee, he said the EU had adopted the concept of lifelong learning as a key to organising its educational policies and structures.

Following the 2000 Lisbon summit, the European Commission had produced a memorandum on the subject and had asked for feedback from all member and candidate states. Malta had sent its response after a process of national consultation.

From the consultation it had emerged that the country needs to think hard about lifelong learning and create an operational plan for putting in place the appropriate policies and structures. The committee was appointed to do this.

"I consider it to be an even bigger job than drawing up the national curriculum, as it involves education from cradle to grave," said Prof. Wain.

"Our starting point is the idea of creating a learning society. I think the national curriculum will help us in this respect because there is already a broad consensus about aiming for this kind of society, and this will give us a political framework within which to work."

Prof. Wain said the term `lifelong learning` was more than a mere slogan. It had been coined out of necessity, for a world that was changing very rapidly especially in the fields of technology and science, communication and information.

"The change expresses itself in many different ways, in the economy, the workplace.... The idea of lifelong learning arose from the perception that the only way you can survive the change is by learning for life, because what one knows is very quickly outdated. Education as something connected only with schooling is out."

Although the term had been around for much longer, in the 1990s the realisation hit home that to have an efficient workforce people needed to be able to constantly adapt to new working conditions.

"In the kind of civilisation we are living in today, you can`t afford to ever stop learning. As a professional you will easily find yourself out of date, as a worker you may find yourself deskilled..."

But the economic dimension is not the most important one for Prof. Wain. "From a social point of view, in a fast changing society the element of risk becomes a very important part of people`s lives. People risk their jobs, their relationships... Unless people learn how to cope with the obstacles this type of society creates for them, they will have problems."

When asked, he said Malta lagged behind in the field. "We are still at the beginning. There are a lot of initiatives taking place in adult learning and we have a good educational system. But I don`t yet think that as a country we have sensitised ourselves to the implication of lifelong learning to the extent that is taking place in other countries. People are not very aware of the need for it, and I think the state has so far not taken any initiative at all at this level."

In fact, one of the key questions that needs to be answered is to do with the contribution of the state: "What kind of model should we go for: should the learning society be driven by the state; should the state take a back seat and encourage private initiative; or should it be based on a partnership between the state and non-formal agencies?"

However, one thing that certainly could not be allowed to happen, he added, was to leave lifelong learning entirely up to business, because otherwise the whole thrust would be towards the economy.

"We want a strong social thrust and the state is important in order to support this.

"We need to create a civic culture of learning, to foster among ordinary people the idea that learning is important and valuable.

"I believe a lot of learning initiatives should be organised around communities. I am not talking about formal initiatives like courses, but turning occasions where the community gets together - the feasts, the market places - into occasions to learn."

When asked, he said a lifelong learning strategy would target everyone, pensioners included.

"We cannot afford to have a big section of the population which has decided to stop learning and are regarded as a burden. Learning should not stop when you`re 60. We have to attack that stereotype.

"The curriculum is an excellent start - it already predisposes students to start thinking in this way. Being able to learn for life is not natural for everybody. It requires certain skills and attitudes, and the school is where they are cultivated. Today, learning how to learn means being able to use the internet, access databases... there are a whole range of skills."

Taking the EU debate as a case in point, he said one still found a lot of people complaining they don`t have enough information.

"The internet is full of it, but it is only available to a small percentage of the population. In a learning society, ideally, that percentage would be much higher."

The committee could not answer all the questions, he said, but would suggest a plan for going forward, provide direction, and make proposals that other institutions could take up.

"We also want to create a framework for discussion, a context for debate. We need to create a clearer idea in people`s minds of what we`re talking about."