Knowledge-based society
Photo: Andrew Paterson
Learning from cradle to grave" is an age-old maxim. Human beings continue to learn throughout their lives from surrounding environments and experiences, and acquire necessary knowledge and life-skills for survival through informal and non-formal education. So, the concept of lifelong education is not a new discovery. But the conceptual framework of lifelong education/learning has undergone a tremendous change since 1970s.
The Unesco-International Education Commission Report (Faure), 1972, laid stress on two fundamental ideas -- lifelong education and the learning society -- and appealed to all nations of the world to reorganise their educational systems so that all agencies in a society become providers of education, allowing the citizens take advantage of the opportunities leading to lifelong education and learning society.
The idea was further strengthened by the Unesco appointed Education Commission Report, (Delors) 1996. The report, enunciating the vision of education for the twenty-first century, stated: "The concept of learning throughout life is the key that gives access to the twenty-first century. It goes beyond the traditional distinction between initial and continuing education. It links up with another concept, that of the learning society, in which everything affords an opportunity for learning and fulfilling one's potential."
The sixth International Conference and Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) 2009, held at Belem in Brazil, affirmed that " 'lifelong learning from cradle to grave' is a philosophy, a conceptual framework and an organising principle of all forms of education based on conclusive, emancipatory, humanistic and democratic values, and that it is all encompassing and integral to the vision of a knowledge-based society."
Moreover, the demands of globalisation and the immense potential of information and communication technology (ICT) have put a premium on flexible and lifelong learning opportunities, enabling learners to adapt to demands for new knowledge and skills. As such, lifelong learning (LLL) now encompasses informal, formal and non-formal education. Lifelong learning is no longer confined to adult education, literacy and other non-formal education programs. Synergy is the key word in LLL. Transformation of the education system has to embrace the entire system to fully realise the power and potential of LLL.
The National Education Policy 2010 is the first step towards achieving the goals of education and human resource development as enunciated in Vision 2021 of the present grand alliance government and the election manifesto 2008 of Bangladesh Awami League. The policy has covered almost all aspects of formal education and provided guideline for implementation of some areas of education system.
The highlights and key features of the education policy recommendations are:
-Universal primary education up to grade 8;
-Multiple delivery mode in basic education with common core curriculum and standards;
-Literacy and non-formal education;
-Quality improvement in tertiary education;
-Student assessment to discourage rote learning;
-Teacher's status, incentives and training;
-Governance and management measures;
-Enhanced education resources.
There are other Vision 2021 goals pertinent to educational development, namely, building digital Bangladesh through extensive use of and capacity development in digital technology, creating gainful employment opportunities for millions of skilled workers, and ensuring equal status for women in all spheres of society and the state.
So far so good, but the national education policy 2010 did not mention anything with regard to lifelong learning leading to learning society and ultimately establishing a knowledge-based society. In other words, the paradigm shift in education for the twenty-first century and the accumulated knowledge and international wisdom in this respect remained outside the purview of the education policy formulated for the country.
The chapter on literacy and non-formal education (chapter 3) of the education policy would have been the proper place to define lifelong learning and learning society. The policy statement on literacy and non-formal education in chapter 3 of the national education policy emphasised a literacy program to eliminate adult literacy by 2014. Non-formal education is seen as a means of providing a "second chance" to those who drop out of formal schools and appears to be separated from the "literacy campaign."
The chapter is also sketchy with regard to strategic planning and implementation procedures for launching a program for eliminating illiteracy (51% of the population above age 15) from the country by 2014. The guidelines provided for the literacy program are also very general in nature and repeat the previous efforts made in removing illiteracy from the country with little success.
But the absence of the concept of and provisions for lifelong learning according to the needs and motivation of citizens and skill and knowledge requirements of the society, leading to a learning society, is no doubt an unfortunate lacuna in the national education policy.
It can, however, be redeemed to some extent by taking literacy and non-formal education as integral components of widely available lifelong learning opportunities through a nationwide network of Community Learning Centres (CLC) with support from local governments and active involvement of community organisations, NGOs and other stakeholder. This network should be connected with the spread of digital information technology.
These community managed learning opportunities can be the vehicles for lifelong learning along with the formal education sector. Otherwise, the good intention of the government to eradicate illiteracy from the country by 2014 -- the basic condition for laying the foundation of lifelong learning leading to learning society -- may remain elusive.
The International Forum of Lifelong Learning, held in Shanghai on the occasion of the WORLDEXPO 2010 in China, was organised to "strengthen the momentum for lifelong learning into practical action for building lifelong learning system." Besides identifying the key measures for further development and promotion of lifelong learning, the Forum report stressed that "lifelong learning is not an option any longer, and it is not just a necessity, it is an obligation that has to be made collectively by all."
The national education policy implementation committee recently constituted by the government has been entrusted with an important responsibility. We believe that the committee will rise to the occasion and prove worthy of the trust reposed on them by the government and fulfill the aspirations of the people. Along the way, the committee is expected to find reasonable space and opportunities for accommodating the conceptual framework of lifelong learning leading to learning society with the ultimate goal of establishing a knowledge-based society. And, hopefully, the enlightened future generations will build a truly democratic and secular society in Bangladesh based on equity, equality, human dignity, truth and justice.
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