To support of a life long concept of giftedness and learning
Definition of lifelong learning
A practical definition of lifelong learning was formulated by the European Commission [2000]: 'All activities that are developed throughout life to improve knowledge, skills and competences from a personal, civil, social and / or employment perspective'.[European Commission] [2000]. Memorandum for Lifelong Learning. Brussel: [w.n.].
In his book 'Globalization, Lifelong Learning and the Learning Society: Sociological Perspectives', Jarvis gives a slightly different definition:' The combination of processes throughout the life of the human being [genetic, physical and biological] and mind. [knowledge, skills, attitude, values, emotions, beliefs and senses] - experiences social situations, the perceived content which is then transformed cognitively, emotively or practically [or through any combination] and integrated into the individual person's biography resulting in a continually changing [or more experienced] person' [2007, quoted in: Dr. T. van Dellen:Lifelong learning in Nederland: wat is het en waarom? [What is it and why], in: Handboek Effectief Opleiden, 2011].
Lifelong learning starts at the beginning of learning. The building stones for a mindset of lifelong learning are set at the start of education
Why lifelong learning?
Lifelong learning is formulated as a mission and a strategy of the European Commission in the so called Lissabon agreements [2000]
The mission is to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustained economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.
Lifelong learning is the core element of the strategy, central not only to competitiveness and employability but also to social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development.
That means that lifelong learning for the European Union is connected to both social-economic [competitiveness and employability] and social-cultural [social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development] goals.
The European Commission itself identified later some problems with the strategy. If this lifelong learning is applied to merely higher or upper-middle class people the risk of widening the cultural gap in society is imminent.
So it is important to emphasise the other need for lifelong learning: besides a topdown strategy of all kind of measures to promote lifelong learning an intrinsic motivated strategy of self-employability, personal empowerment and social-critical thinking with as a goal change of behaviour for all contexts and situations. This behavioral change originates inlearning processes in which knowledge, skills, values, competence and culture [more or less simultaneously] are acquired.
It is important therefore that
- educators promote awareness of lifelong learning
- educators enhanceawareness that we learn all the time and in all situations
- learning should be holistic and inclusive
- educators attribute to awareness that we could learn and develop own talents during life [never to late]