Lifelong Learning

The concept of Lifelong Learning has been with us for quite some time now but its importance cannot be over-stressed. We are living in an age where the acquirement of new and up-to-date information has become a necessity in all aspects of everyday life. We are blessed with such learning tools as the Internet and computer software and it is absolutely essential that we exploit their potential to the utmost. On a utilitarian level, we must remember that the day of a job for life is long past. This means that workers have to remain mentally alert throughout their lives because changing jobs and re-training are now an integral part of one’s working life. The crucial point of all this is to teach students in primary schools the skills necessary to learn how to learn by themselves. This is the basis upon which Lifelong Learning is built.

Prescribed Texts At University

One of the main aims of Lifelong Learning is the autonomy of the learner himself/herself. Yet, incredibly, in our highest learning institution, i.e. the University of Malta, we still have some lecturers who prescribe texts to be mentioned in assignments and who penalize students if they do not use them and use, instead, other, equally-relevant texts. Students are sometimes criticized because some lecturers complain that they expect to be spoon-fed knowledge and information and then some lecturers are themselves so narrow-minded that they cannot trust students to find the relevant texts by themselves. Okay, so you are a lecturer who has a favourite book to recommend to students? No problem, recommend it! However, leave students free to use the texts they prefer when constructing their arguments in assignments. Is this the intellectual liberty we are so proud of flaunting? Intellectual liberty, my foot!

Critical Education

Lifelong Learning also necessitates being critical, critical not in the negative sense of being always negative in one’s approach but rather in always questioning the knowledge and information received in order to avoid being intellectually manipulated by the transmitter/s. For example, I have always found it incredible how so many people swallow hook, line and sinker whatever is broadcast in a news bulletin or whatever they read in their favourite newspaper. People need to be more questioning in their reception of knowledge and information. I remember that when I was on an Adult Education course in Jerusalem, in 1998, one of the courses which the Israelis provided for their adult learners was precisely one on a critical comprehension of the news.

Education For Leisure

Great advances have been made, over the years, in adult education provision in Malta. Where I feel that we can advance even more is in the area of education for leisure. It is pathetic that we still see so many Maltese, some even not so old in age, who waste hours hanging around in public squares and outside other public meeting-places such as clubs, doing absolutely nothing except staring at passers-by and chatting to others standing or sitting near them. Courses in leisure pursuits are already offered by the Education Division and other entities such as Local Councils. We must continue striving towards increasing their quantity and quality so that less Maltese will waste their leisure time and will, instead, use it in a more worthwhile manner. Our adult education system is something that we should be proud of but we cannot sit on our laurels. Let’s make it even better!