The Learning Age

 

In the preface to the Green Paper ‘The Learning Age’ (DfEE,1998) the new focus on lifelong learning is encapsulated by Tony Blair ‘…education is the best economic policy we have’ and lifelong learning grew out of third way politics.  The European Commission White Paper (1995) identifies challenges of the impact of the information society, globalisation and technology and the need to up-skill in response.  The White Paper suggested in response that focus should be placed on building employability and knowledge of the information society. Also, five actions were advised: encourage the development of knowledge learning, encourage schools and businesses to collaborate, combat exclusion, aim for proficiency in three community languages and treat equally training and capital investment. Field (2002) argues formulations of lifelong learning have failed to produce enough in the way of practical policies of implementation.

The Memorandum on Lifelong Learning (CEC, 2000) is based on the beliefs that everyone is motivated and able to learn and that this should be encouraged in a variety of ways; but this excludes a great many of society and social exclusion was an issue highlighted in the European Commission White Paper (1995). Schuller and Field (2002) explore and contrast the concepts of human capital and social capital based on key ideas that a nation’s competitiveness depends on the skills of the labour force; governments are being forced to expand its policies on lifelong learning as education in its current form needs to be modernised and become more efficient to deal with globalisation and emphasis is placed on the individual to take responsibility for their own learning. Coffield (1999) criticises many of these beliefs. He argues that the concentration on human capital ignores the relevance of other forms of capital including social capital and that the economic models of change informing lifelong learning strategies are crude and questionable. Coffield (1999) also argues that lifelong learning policy deflect attention from more difficult issues such as inequality and states policy development is a form of social control because of the way in which it emphasises the need for individuals to change.