Conceptions of Life-long Learning - Essay Example

Introduction. While analyzing lifelong learning, two words demand primary attention. Longworth, (2003,p11) s that it is firstly, lifelong’, learning form ‘cradle to grave’ and does not simply relate to the adult part of our lives or the continuous professional development of the acquisition of skills. Secondly it is ‘learnin’, “doing things in a different way, creating an out and out focus on the needs and demands of the learner”. Over the recent years we have witnessed a change in the way life-long learning has been perceived. This is documented mainly by factors such as globalization and economic acceleration and the change in work environment that ensued. The new “knowledge based” economy is defined by the World Bank (Report, 2003, p1) as that which relies “primarily on the use of ideas rather than physical abilities and on the application of technology rather than the transformation of raw materials or the exploitation of cheap labor”. This is a new determinant that propagates the idea of life-long learning. This change is bound to have an effect on the choice of an individual’s vocational education and training methods. We witness a contradiction and a replacement of the traditional view of life-long education of what Longworth (2003,p33) sees as being “about the development of the whole person” with that of its contemporary view of what Bagnall (2000) calls as ‘economic determinism’. This need has come about with the emphasis laid upon the currency in paid employment and an unavoidable need to sustain one’s employment and currency in the growing face of change. This paper shall argue that there is an imbalance in the view of lifelong learning and that the need for life-long learning changes with the change in time, industrial circumstances and that it also relevant to economic carve. But we shall argue that the traditional conception of lifelong learning as being a mode of personal fulfillment also holds an important role in setting the real purpose of life-long Education while this view is given less importance in today’s world. A balanced outlook between that individual and social obligation of life-long learning is desirable and this shall be the perspective of the paper while not forgetting that the use of these two perspectives as the purpose and end of the life-long education depends upon individual and circumstances. The change that has come about in the view in Lifelong learning however, shall be exemplified with the change in education system, policies and globalization that have been witnessed in Saudi Arabia in contemporary times. This paper will focus on my professional experience in Saudi as secondary teacher since 1998 and will draw the case of the shift in education system to be driven by economic focus to support the argument of this paper. Conceptions of Life-long Learning. The concepts of life-long learning that have been formed incorporate different dimensions, that are relative to individual views and social and economic objective. Bagnall (2000) points out three different progressive sentiments “that have importantly formed, underpinned and shaped lifelong learning advocacy and theory over the last four decades: the individual, the democratic and the adaptive”. The most popular concept of life-long education, however, is stemmed through the adaptive progressive sentiment which holds the transformational view of lifelong education with response to cultural change. “It seeks liberation form deprivation, poverty and dependence, through adaptive learning” (Bagnall, 2000, p.27). Appropriate knowledge and skills ensures job security which further supports social prosperity. This is viewed to be possible by adapting to changing cultural context. Human intellectual resources constitute what Field (2002 p.1) calls a new “grey capital to be set along-side the more familiar resources of land, labor and capital. Human capital, uniquely, is a resource that anyone may use and renew, entirely sustainably, throughout each individual’s lifespan”. This view is based on what Bagnall (2000) terms as ‘economic determinism’, that “educational change is largely and ultimately driven, framed or determined by consideration of cost and benefit as measured through the economy”, and that “it ensures the construction of work as an increasingly fragmented, changeable, ephemeral, uncertain cultural engagement, calling for constant re-education, especially during periods of unemployment”. But there is more to life-long education than just its economic importance. Tennet and Morris (2001 p.46) in their assessments of lifelong education in Australia remark, “Disciplinary boundaries are breaking down with increasing importance being placed on the application of knowledge to problems in the workplace and in community life, problems which invite multidisciplinary or trans-disciplinary solutions”. This is in contrast with the individual progressive sentiment of lifelong learning which Bagnall (2000 p.25) calls it as “programmatic commitment to individual growth and development”. The individual is given the due position of the consolidator of directing the need of lifelong learning and that transformation is not propelled by the need of changing economic direction. However, a more balanced view of lifelong learning would be the combination of both individual and economic focus on knowledge and skills based on individual and organizational needs. Singh and Nayak (2005, p.215-216) argue that “it is a mistake…to stress to much the economic significance of lifelong learning…a society which has achieved a fair measure of affluence…can afford to take a more liberal view, and recognize that education is, quite simply part of the good society, it is good in itself, an end, not merely a means to an end”. A balance is possible if we pursue education not just to follow suit with the need of the new knowledge economy, but also to satisfy the self-need of knowledge. This inclusion of both broader and narrower view of adult vocation is preferable but more often than not, there seems to be a tendency to relate the lifelong learning to the transformational view which is perpetually swayed by the changing cultural context. The effects of this objective view of lifelong learning in working lives will be discussed in the next section. While discussing the conceptions of lifelong learning, examples from Saudi education system would be useful. For instance, for a number of years the merchants and civil servants have been asking for a major reform of education to provide the economy with properly educated students. Unfortunately most of the students are overburdened by detailed and extensive religious studies (Bano, 2003 p.232 & Aldosari, 2007, p.69). That led to lack of response to the job market and produced a crowding of university graduates in the humanities. The shortage skills covered by non-Saudi workers as a result in 1992 statistic shows that one half of male Saudi of working age are in employment, compared to just over 90 per cent of non Saudi (Madhi & Barrientos, 2003) .The high rate of unemployment reached to very high percentage particularly for Saudi females whom comprise 16% of the labour force, whom are primarily employed in education and health care (United Nations Development Programme Regional - Bureau for Arab States). As consequences, the leadership took critical decision of reform the education to cover the demand of the job market, curriculum change and new opportunities in the higher education has set in place. Vocation and working lives While defining ‘vocation’ as “an impulse or calling to pursue things of personal significance”, Stevenson (2003, p.10) argues that the “purpose and function of meaning comes form engagement in activity directed at a personally important purpose or goal”. This ‘purpose’ or ‘goal’ suggests a transition from the traditional view of personal fulfillment in lifelong education, to that of the contemporary concept of the same with the emphasis on the employment’s currency and contribution to the economy. In this view, the need of education for personal gain and fulfillment is not considered. This suggests an imbalance in the view of lifelong learning as its importance is considered to be only for the economic benefit. The uncontrolled factor of diversity in population, the change in working environment and organization , the change in educational learning, and an unrestraint emphasis on a knowledge-based economy have all transformed and impacted what, when and how we undergo learning. This transformation further led to some changes in workplace practices. The growing trend of the needs for basics of computer knowledge is a concern to many manual workers and computer illiterates. For example, most graduates from local universities in Saudi enrolled in the private training and private institutions in order to re-skill themselves to response to the demands of technology skills in the job market and to be acceptable in the new job opportunities, which also includes experienced manual workers who would compete in order to sustain their jobs. This particular trend, therefore, relates to the growing importance given for developing knowledge of the technology and this is a key concept in lifelong learning Here too, the other dimension of lifelong learning is not considered. The other dimension is applicable especially for people in traditional society such as Saudi where they need knowledge of Information-technology. But they need knowledge for their self development too for knowing more about the world, its cultures and values and the way they can cope with them without breaking tradition and religious values. To illustrate, Muslim women have the equal right to males in the work place and all aspects of life as long as they do not clash with the conservative Saudi society and Islamic teachings, which are against some traditional views about equality. This side should be considered and evaluated in the purpose of lifelong learning in the new Saudi society. Carnoy (1999) argues the “most comfortable strategy in attacking the wage crisis has been educational and training reform and improvement” which in today’s scenario relates mostly to the education and training for equipping oneself with the knowledge of information technology. The need of lifelong learning is also reflected for many traditional jobs for Saudi female such as teachers and many others. Teachers in Saudi school need to be equipped with the newer technologies and methods of teaching such as using LCD, PowerPoint presentations; web based teaching and so forth. Same applies for other jobs too, which did not exist in the past. Since 2002, Saudi experienced growth in economic size which boomed in the resent years and lead to development plans for the future. The current boom has brought to the fore the creation of six economic cities , designed based on the last modern technology and are expected to provide job opportunities for1.3 million people (360,000 by 2010) of which some 675,000 will be medium-to-high-skilled jobs and 170,000 high-skilled jobs (Sfakianakis,2007,p.33). The problem, however, is that information technology is in a continual state of change. This would mean that learners need to keep on changing their preference of learning with the change of needs as Tennant and Morris (2001, p45) state, “There is a corresponding need for more rapid and frequent updating of knowledge and skills”. This is the tendency to what Longworth (2003, p33) calls as “short-termism”, an “unfortunate by-products of democracy”. Change in working environment and the knowledge required has a simultaneous transitional response in individual, organization and society and one cannot help ignore the emphasis of currency in paid employment as a factor influencing the life-long learning. A general trend of lifelong learning taking place as swayed by the change in skills and knowledge needed with the changing time is best documented by the growing changes in globalization and educational preferences in Saudi Arabia, a country which has been generally known for remaining backward. However, the real vocational worth and need of lifelong education must be driven by the learner’s needs and not only the organization’s. And the education is perused for lifelong not only to fulfill the mandate of changing scenario but for the purpose of learning and self-fulfillment as well. This is because there are more reasons for lifelong education than just the economy. Billet (2004) cites the negative impact of the education system driven by the language and practices of the market. He asks for readdressing the balance between the interest of the vocational and vacation education, while working to achieve common shared goals of developing vocational knowledge that is important to individuals, the communities they live in and the work places that employed them. We must know the value of life and the philosophy of living. Humans must perpetually be equipped with value systems of life and realize the cultural and ethical worth of living. This is the purpose of ‘self development’ which is ignored in the economic determinism and its emphasis. Educational Worth of Lifelong Learning. The educational worth of lifelong learning is highly relative to change as perceived and viewed by the economic-fulfillment modal of lifelong education. Conford (2002, p357) argues that lifelong learning functions “as a means of overcoming the problems being faced in an age of uncertainty where the two seeming constants are continuing change and growth in bodies of knowledge”. The needs of lifelong learning in education seems therefore to be determined by the forces of ‘demand’ and ‘supply’ which relates to both social and economic counterparts. The worth of technological leaning, for instance, increases proportionately with the increase in its demand. This means that educational endeavors are wasted when their knowledge in quickly deemed outdated when newer workplaces demand newer technological know-how’s. This trend of lifelong learning taking place as swayed by the change in skills and knowledge needed with the changing time has been documented by using examples of the growing changes in globalization and educational preferences in Saudi Arabia. Cordesman (2003, p.232) argue “what was once a rural and isolated Saudi society, has become a society that is largely urbanized…It is a society that is exposed to a wide range of electronic media and one that has become dependent on a modern, petroleum-driven economy”. The new accumulated opportunities also demanded the need of knowledge that is appropriate in the technological world. This further propelled the lifelong education. In the past, female students were discriminated against for vacation and training, (Madhi & Barriertos, 2003). Gender restrictions however, have recently begun to change. Saudi provides a new range of options and courses for learning foreign languages, information technology and administrative skills. Those who haven’t had knowledge in these areas, irrespective of their age must learn them to stay in line with the growing needs. The positive factor of Saudi, which supports the argument of this paper, is that the cultural underpinnings and emphasis of the country helps people to pursue lifelong education not only for sustaining their job with the changing times and needs, but also for the sake of self-fulfillment and rebuilding the bridge between the local culture and the globalisation to develop value for better society. Pursuing a policy of multiple collaborations with a range of countries, (Saudi Arabia looks eastwards for higher education, 2006) large portions of the students form Saudi are currently studying abroad with the U.S, UK and Canada accounting for about half of overseas enrolments. For the new industries and the whole trend of globalization that the country is up to, it will require qualified Saudi workers both male and female who posses new qualification (skills, knowledge, information) to meet working requirements of the new modern industrial cities. For example, it will require qualified Saudi workers who have both experience and the new qualification to manage and work in the King Abdullah University for Science & Technology which is newly instituted in the country. This will be a reason enough for already educated people of Saudi to pursue newer training and educational courses as a means not to lose one’s jobs and to contribute in the national development process. Life-long learning is an endeavor that experienced Saudis can not escape from, for, with their outdated skills and knowledge they will not be able to compete with thousands of other younger and newly educated people well equipped with the knowledge required for the technological revolution underway in Saudi Arabia. Liberalization of women for perusing work also entails lifelong learning for; they continuously need to be re-skilled to produce more workforces for the booming IT sector. Yet employment currency is not the only reason for lifelong education in Saudi Arabia. Lifelong learning influenced by the economic determinism is a narrow view. It should encompass a broader view of learning throughout the life as Longworth’s (2003) sixth chapter argues, “Improving access – learning wherever, whenever and however people want it”. It must develop individuals and the society in both the formal and non-formal settings and lifelong learning must be a tool to benefit both the individual and the society. This is because, people with less skills and knowledge of that kind is adversely deprived of getting jobs and though they don’t have choice but to learn new skills, its need for one’s survival in a job must not be the only cause for learning it. There are various reasons why lifelong learning can be pursued. One of such reasons is to inculcate value system in our lives by further learning cultural changes and needs in this world. Fortunately this is quite true in Saudi. Field (2006) argues that the learning society is driven by changes in wider context of individual values, social relationship and living patterns, rather than by economic factors alone. Lifelong education is also based on this model of value where we pursue continual learning in order to gain wisdom and ameliorate our value system. Changing time and its consequences of changing attitudes of value have however affected our learning and our individual and social importance of education. One way in which the economic determinism can be argued against is its non-inclusion of the value in educational worth, for the economic determinism stands against individual values and interests. Opportunity, talent, motivation, merit and value, therefore must proportionally accelerate with the values and interests that every individual wishes to propel in the best consequences for its larger social benefit. Conclusion. Changes have been witnessed in the conceptions of lifelong learning over the decades with simultaneous changes in the individual, the democratic and the adaptive learning advocacies as described by Bagnall (2000). Transformation in educational view has mostly been determined by the technological and economic revolutions that have come about in the modern times. The economic expression and emphasis that lifelong learning has, is a major view of the same and is termed as the factor of ‘economic determinism’. The merits of this view is that people will be able to sustain their job and keep track of the changing needs and accordingly undergo further education considering the current need of one’s company. People will thus, be able to not just sustain their job but also benefit the entire economy by being able to contribute for it as per the current needs. However this view has the greatest of all demerits to those people who do not have choice but to remain unchanged. The traditional view of individual progressive sentiment is described as “the endless journey of individual growth in an evolving social context” (Bagnall, 2000, p.25). This view is important as it levies importance in the growth of individuals culturally, philosophically, and value wise and aims in making the goal of education as firstly to shape the character of human behavior, attitudes and thoughts. The worth of education is determined by how it contributes by making people realize the worth of one’s life, value and philosophy. It is argued, however that the traditional view of individual development takes us no where since it can not sustain our living. Thus, there is a need of a balanced outlook of the worth of the lifelong learning where both economic and cultural worth and both individual and social benefits are derived from learning throughout the life-span. This balance is evident by the trend of globalization and educational changes that Saudi Arabia is in the process of. The educated people in Saudi peruse lifelong learning both as a means to accelerate oneself with the need of the changing economic scenario as well as for the sake of self fulfillment marked by the need of understanding value and ethics needed to live with and to cope with the change . The emphasis on currency can be balanced by pursuing learning outside the employment. The lifelong education must be emphasized not only for the economic benefit that it derives, although that remains as a major force for pursuing the same. Let it also be a source of individual fulfillment and let learning not just take place for suiting with the changing cultural times, but also for knowing the values needed to be incorporated for the demands of our life and the society. References. Bagnall, R. G. (2000). Lifelong learning and the limitations of economic determinism. International Journal of lifelong Education , 19 (1), 20-35. Carnoy, M. (1999). The Great Work Dilemma, Education, emplayment, and wages in the new Global Economy. In J. Ahier, & G. Esland, Education, training, and the future of work 1 (p. 62). Londen: Routledge. Cordesman, A. H. (2003). Saudi Arabia Enters the Twenty-First Century. USA: Praeger Publication. Cornford, I. R. (2002). Learning-to-learn strategies as a basis for effective lifelong learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education , 21 (4), 357-368. Field, J. (2002). Lifelong learning and the new educational order. London: Trentham Books Limited. Longworth, N. (2003). Lifelong Learning in action Transforming Education in the 21st Century. The USA: Kogan Page Limited. Madhi, S., & Barriertos, A. (2003). Saudisation and employment in Saudi Arabia. Career Development International , 8 (2), 70-77. Report, A. W. (2003). Lifelong learning in the global knowledge economy: challenges for developing. Washington DC: World Bank. Saudi Arabia looks eastwards for higher education. (2006, March 30). 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