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It is perhaps a season of economic gloom around the world. Eurozone crisis continues unabated; severe austerity measures and cuts in public spending in Ireland, UK, Greece, Spain and Italyâjust to name a few---are affecting access to livelihood and basic social services to millions of Europeans today. Economic forecasts for America do not look much healthier either. Big Asian economies are facing high inflation, specially in food prices.
In this era of economic distress, discourse on âlifelong educationâ may seem out of place; one may be tempted to ask about the relevance of education when survival is at stake. It is not that economic woes didnât exist in pre-industrial societies; but, the coping mechanisms in those days were meditation and reflection. Reflection on the current state of economic crisis may suggest that this is precisely the time for mainstreaming lifelong education, not only in Europe, but elsewhere too.
Where do we see such mainstreaming being explored? In its annual conference on Higher Education, Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) focused on strategies for expansion of higher education in India. Two new themes were debated in this conference earlier this month; first related to âlearner-centric approach to reformsâ. Both post_content and pedagogy choices for learners were debated, perhaps so candidly for the first time. The second area was âlinkages to societyâ, where bulk of the focus was on employment and industry. However, I raised the debate on mutually reinforcing linkages, so that âsociety and communityâ enters the institutions of higher education, as much as higher education enters society and community. Lifelong education in this perspective would entail learning and teaching opportunities for both the society/community and the educational institution and its students and faculty.
In a related development, the Planning Commission, Government of India, set up a Task force on âStrengthening Community Engagement of Institutions of Higher Education in Indiaâ , to make recommendations for the 12th Five Year Plan starting April 2012. The Task Force, first of its kind, deliberated upon existing models of community engagements in India and abroad. It specially focused on recommending the recognition and utilization of community knowledge systems in design and delivery of educational programmes. Linking research and curriculum development to co-production arrangements with community was emphasized by the Task Force. It has also recommended that a special funding stream and support to a practitioner-academic alliance be included as part of the next Plan.
New approaches to development and teaching of educational programmes are needed in regions challenged by the present economic crisis. Not only that the crisis leads to redundancies and unemployment, it also generates pressure to think afresh about economic arrangements, institutions and choices. Lifelong education thus not only prepares adults to âfitâ into an existing economic enterprise, but also prepares them to evolve new models of economic enterprises that are more sustainable in the long-term.
It is this contribution of lifelong education that we need to turn to at this juncture so that the seeds of opportunity and innovation hidden under the debris of this crisis can be recognized, sowed and nurtured.
Rajesh Tandon November 22, 2011
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