COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS of 20 December 1996 on a strategy for lifelong learning (97/C 7/02)

I. INTRODUCTION

1. In today's information society, the world is entering a period of widespread change. The pace and scope of change means that steps to update and renew knowledge and skills are more important than ever before.

2. In this context, existing attitudes to and structures for education and training are being challenged by many factors: the need to promote greater personal responsibility for acquiring new knowledge and skills; the need to promote individuals' personal development; the development of the information society; the evolution of knowledge and skills, especially the new qualifications needed for the future; the need to meet the diversity of demand for initial and continuing education and training; changes in the world of work and in society generally, including new types of jobs, reorganization of working time and new patterns of work-related learning; increased labour market flexibility and the integration of individuals into society and their active participation in the process of democratic decision-making and the principle of sustainable development.

3. Lifelong learning is essential to meet these challenges and it requires cooperation and involvement by all of the relevant interests, in order to enhance competitiveness, combat unemployment, bring about the full and active participation of all people in society and improve innovation in every sector in economic and social life.

4. Lifelong learning is an evolving concept and today it includes both the formal and the non-formal learning environments. New participants and partners are involved and so roles and responsibilities must be redefined and positive attitudes to lifelong learning should be created both in individuals and in society generally. Moreover, the promotion of liefelong learning, also, requires an appropriate contribution by the social partners.

5. The White Paper on Growth, competitiveness and employment stressed that education and training will undoubtedly make a contribution to the renewal of growth, the recovery of competitveness and the restoring of a high level of employment. This is confirmed in the conclusions of the European Councils in Essen and Cannes, in 1994 and 1995 respectively. The European Council in Florence, in 1996, underlined the need for education and training systems in the European Union to adapt profoundly. Moreover, it stressed that 'the social partners should be encouraged to take initiatives in order to enhance the integration of young people, of the long-term unemployed and of unemployed women into the labour market, to promote lifelong training and to develop flexible work organization and working time`.

6. The White Paper on Education and training, 'Teaching and learning - towards the learning society` states that the society of the future will be a learning society and 'education and training will increasingly become the main vehicles for self-awareness, belonging, advancement and self-fulfilment`. This was further emphasized by the Council in its conclusions on the White Paper of 6 May 1996 (1).

7. The European Year of Lifelong Learning has made a valuable contribution to raising awareness and promoting the concept of lifelong learning for all. The Council of Europe, Unesco and the OECD have, individually, advanced activity and thinking in this field. In addition, many Member States have put in place policy frameworks which recognize the importance of lifelong learning. It is appropriate therefore, that the Council of the European Union should make its own distinct contribution to the active realization of a strategy for lifelong learning. This should take account of the European Union initiatives already undertaken and ongoing in this field as well as drawing on the rich diversity of experience, work and thinking in Member States.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to these considerations as well as to:

- the provisions of Articles 126 and 127 of the Treaty,

- the principle of subsidiarity enunciated in Article 3b of the Treaty, and

- the need to comply with the financial perspectives set for the European Community,

HEREBY ADOPTS THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS:

II. PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING A STRATEGY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING

The principles underpinning a strategy for lifelong learning are derived from the fundamental aim of education and training to serve individual, cultural, social and economic well-being and to enhance the quality of life for all citizens. In this respect, the development of a strategy for lifelong learning should be informed by the following principles:

- lifelong learning initiatives should strike an appropriate balance between personal, cultural, civic and social dimensions, and economic and employment concerns. In addition, they should also include democratic principles and human rights values,

- each stage of education and training should contribute appropriately to the continuum of lifelong learning,

- lifelong learning should be based on a wide range of learning opportunities, allowing all individuals to progress in their education according to their social, cultural and economic interests and needs,

- initial education and training are fundamental to lifelong learning and should include, in addition to the core basic skills of literacy and numeracy, a broad base of knowledge, skills, attitudes and experience that will encourage and support learning throughout life,

- lifelong learning should aim to promote individual abilities, enhance employability, make the best use of available human resources talent as well as contribute to the promotion of gender equality, the elimination of social exclusion and the promotion of active participation in democratic society,

- lifelong learning requires the development of flexible and innovative approaches to education and training, including family involvement, in order to promote a sense of inquiry, initiative and motivation of individuals in the learning process,

- lifelong learning demands that individuals, as learners, develop an increasing responsibility for their own education, training and personal development and in this regard appropriate guidance or counselling should be available to adult learners,

- the continuum of lifelong learning should have as a central objective at all stages the promotion of equality of opportunity,

- collectively, individuals, institutions, enterprises, regional authorities, central governments, the social partners where appropriate, and society in general should, within their own areas of responsibility create conditions for and engender a positive attitude to lifelong learning in all its aspects and minimize obstacles to participation in education and training and other learning activities.

III. A FRAMEWORK OF AREAS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT The successful conversion of the concept of lifelong learning into a living reality for citizens in Europe would represent a new landmark in the development of education and training in the European Union. The way forward involves a clear understanding of lifelong learning, a willingness to set new goals, as well as fostering the motivation to engage in lifelong learning processes. The following inter-related areas for development are among those which could be considered:

- Challenges for the school system,

- Economic and social considerations,

- Local community development through education and training,

- Continuing education and training,

- Pathways and links between general and vocational education,

- Access, certification and accreditation,

- Teachers and adult educators,

- The role of new technologies.

A framework of possibilities for further development in each of these areas is set out in more detail in the Annex to these conclusions.

The Council takes the view that the further development of lifelong learning strategies in the Member States, within their own constitutional, organizational and policy framework, is of central importance and requires ongoing attention. Accordingly, it calls on succeeding presidencies, at their discretion, to accord priority to giving the issues raised in paragraphs A to H of the Annex to these conclusions more detailed consideration and where appropriate to present further draft conclusions or other draft texts to the Council.

The Council also calls on the Commission to encourage, within the Socrates and Leonardo Da Vinci programmes, the exchange of information and experience on different approaches to lifelong learning throughout the Member States.

Finally, the Council considers that lifelong learning is an evolving concept and that these conclusions in no way preclude the examination of other issues and areas for development which may arise in the future.

(1) OJ No C 195, 6. 7. 1996, p. 1.

ANNEX

The Council takes the view that development under the areas identified in Part III of these conclusions forms a necessary part of the development of lifelong learning. Some possibilities for further development under each area are set out hereunder:

A. Challenges for the school system

The first educational environment which the child experiences is its own family. The significance of this experience, whether in a positive or negative sense, educationally, is well documented. Therefore, positive early intervention strategies are very important as is pre-school education for all children, especially for children at risk.

It is essential that initial education gives a broad base of knowledge, skills, attitudes and experiences that will support further learning throughout life. Each level of schooling should incorporate a lifelong learning orientation into its content and processes. Also, closer links are needed between the school and the local community, including the world of work.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- pre-schooling, particularly for children at risk together with home/school/community partnerships and parental/community education,

- early identification of pupils with learning difficulties coupled with appropriate remedial measures,

- increased efforts to combat functional illiteracy and innumeracy and to improve communication skills, including the improvement and diversification of the learning and teaching of languages,

- initiatives to promote success at school,

- sustained support for improvement and reform - curricular and pedagogic, as well as managerial and administrative - together with appropriate in-career development for all concerned,

- provision of quality guidance and counselling services and information, including appropriate and well-devised information programmes targeted at those most in need of them,

- promoting the use in schools of multimedia tools, as resources permit, and the promotion of their use to improve pedagogical practices therein,

- promotion of more partnerships between schools and the wider community, including the world of work.

B. Economic and social considerations

In an era of economic change, the problem of unemployment is one of the most serious issues facing European society. Employability is determined by a variety of factors, one of which is the level of educational qualifications. Some of those who leave school with inadequate qualifications fail to secure employment and face the prospect of permanent exclusion from active participation in society. Education and training measures have an important role to play in preventing unemployment and meeting the effects of structural change. Accordingly, the unemployed and those threatened by unemployment should become a particular focus for lifelong learning initiatives in conjunction with measures to promote success at school.

For those in employment the concept of the enterprise as a learning environment and the implications of this for work organization and time management could be further developed on the one hand while the participation of the social partners, where appropriate, in the implementation of lifelong learning should be reinforced on the other.

The nature and quality of initial education and training provided for young people needs to be of the highest quality and should be supported by partnership between public and private sectors on a range of issues including the transition from education and training to the world of work.

To seek to cope with the challenges posed by economic and labour market factors, a range of measures is called for, some of them building on and sustaining existing initiatives supported by the European Union. They may include:

- developing specific measures for the long-term unemployed and for young people seeking their first job,

- providing for a more ordered transition within schools and from school to initial vocational education and training opportunities, especially for school leavers with no or inadequate qualifications,

- providing initial training programmes of high quality focused on knowledge, skills and competences required in contemporary life, designed in attractive formats aimed at building confidence and positive attitudes among participants and taking into account the need for more broad based knowledge and skills in the labour market,

- encouraging active partnerships between education and training institutions and working life in order to create new bridges and routes between education, training and employment,

- expanding the provision of new learning opportunities in areas such as literacy, numeracy, personal development, gender studies and customized training programmes aimed at addressing the skill requirements of new employment opportunities,

- developing the role of the workplace as a learning environment in order to facilitate the continuing development of the knowledge, skills and competences of the workforce.

C. Local community development through education and training

Lifelong learning should take a broad holistic approach to the development of the individual and the local community. Education and training can contribute to local community development by involving local communities in actively promoting lifelong learning opportunities and nurturing a culture of lifelong learning for members of those communities.

Empowering local communities to assume more responsibility for their education and learning should enable them to become learning communities. This is important for the continuing social, cultural and economic development of the individual and the local community. It is also important to enable local communities to cope more effectively with the rapid changes occurring in society. Finally it is important in promoting active participation in the political and democratic process by all citizens.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- exchanging information and experience on the practice and approaches to local community development through education and training in different Member States,

- the concept of the school as a local community resource and of the local community as a significant educational resource should be fully discussed and explored,

- the potential for learning within the informal setting of the family and the extended family merits examination,

- the construction of pathways from non-formal local community education and training to formal education and training is important.

D. Continuing education and training

Continuing training requirements are increasing and diversifying for both businesses and individuals.

The critical role of employers, worker associations and unions in the development of continuing education and training programmes has to be recognized and provided for. In no other area of education and training is the requirement of a partnership between all the elements in working life, and between working life and education and training, so paramount. The establishment of such linkages is likely to have significant implications both for the organization of work and also for the organization of education and training delivery, and certification and accreditation.

Renewing the vocational skills and professional qualifications of adults should become an important aspect of the mission of universities and other higher education institutions within their capacities. It is very important in terms of the technological capacity and competitiveness of the European Union and it should be an integral part of the concept of lifelong learning.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- improving the developing collaboration between education and training providers, the social partners, where appropriate, and government in the identification of upgrading and in-service priorities and in agreeing a strategy whereby these priorities can be met,

- developing human resources strategies in the workplace which better identify the training needs of the workforce so that they can adapt to new workplace situations. Such strategies should include measures to support workers who are retraining/upgrading their skills both on and off-the-job,

- encouraging investment in education and training,

- further developing the role of higher education institutions in lifelong learning, taking into account the diverse needs for continuing education and training among adults and in working life,

- providing courses in higher education to meet the needs of adult learners in terms of area, content, duration and methodology and taking account of the abilities of those concerned,

- creating new forms of pathways between work and education, and

- developing general adult education provisions in order to enhance personal development, participation in society and the possibility of employment.

E. Pathways and links between general and vocational education

In recent years, new bridgeheads of contact and liaison have been established between many schools and firms. Maximum support should be given to such trends and appropriate liaison fostered between the educational and industrial/economic sectors.

The profound changes in modern employment have made early specialization less relevant and diminished the gap between general and vocational education and training. A closer relationship is being formed between them. Efforts to ensure equality between them have increased significantly; however, further work is needed to promote this and ensure parity of esteem for vocational education and training.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- fostering a closer relationship between general education and vocational education and training in order to meet the demands of a fast-changing working life,

- ensuring that the teaching and learning process for all subjects be promoted by the active engagement of students within a style of pedagogy which is inspiring and which initiates the student into the values and traditions of the subject area in question, and - providing greater opportunities for meaningful work experience for students, and exploring possibilities for its certification and accreditation.

F. Access, certification and accreditation

Lifelong learning requires structures within education and training which are more flexible, more fluid and more learner centred than has been the case previously. This includes not only the establishment of more accessible training and academic routes at all levels of these systems and throughout life but also the creation of acceptable mechanisms for assessing and validating this learning in order to guarantee standards and ensure quality.

Effective certification instruments, integrated within a clear philosophical and practical framework for lifelong learning, could contribute to the elimination of educational inequality and could also contribute to recognizing educational achievement irrespective of the learning context.

Key principles such as access, flexibility, progression, mobility, quality, transparency and recognition could be considered in the development of such certification instruments.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- developing more flexible instruments for certification and accreditation,

- paying particular attention to finding ways of accrediting prior experience, achievement and learning, and disseminating good practice,

- improving access to higher education,

- encouraging higher education institutions to respond specifically to the needs of adult students through the development of appropriate courses in the widest possible range of disciplines, and by providing appropriate guidance services,

- paying particular attention to disseminating as widely as possible attractive information on the opportunities for lifelong learning and developing further the potential of public libraries and broadcasting services in this regard and in lifelong learning generally, and - providing accredited programmes outside of traditional institutional settings, with the aid of new technologies and distance education and training approaches.

G. Teachers and adult educators

The quality of the teaching force and its adaptability and motivation to change remain central to lifelong learning. It is essential for teachers that their initial education is complemented by a well-targeted induction programme, where necessary, and supported by regular access to effective in-career development.

The distinctive nature of adult education requires that educators and trainers working in this field adopt a different philosophical and methodological approach. A well supported and effective adult education sector is essential if its role in the spectrum of lifelong learning is to be fully realized.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- ensuring the availability of high quality training and retraining of teachers and adult educators,

- supporting a policy of good quality initial, induction and in-service education for teachers and adult educators,

- recognizing the distinctiveness of the role of the adult educator and specifying the core knowledge attitudes and skills required, and

- providing for professional movement between the education sectors, supported by in-service provision.

H. The role of new technologies

The availability of new technologies has increased the options available to those delivering and undertaking education and training programmes; as a result, new technologies are now an important part of such programmes. The harnessing of the potential of new technologies in order to support, assist and stimulate the lifelong learning process presents a direct challenge to educational planners and practitioners. Part of this challenge is to ensure that new technologies do not give rise to further inequalities as between individuals or regions leading to a greater sense of exclusion.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- equipping education and training institutions with the range of new technologies, as resources permit, which can provide new and effective options for teaching and learning and developing the necessary methodologies for their pedagogical application,

- developing better initial and in-service teacher training in the use and application of multi-media tools,

- exploring how distance education can be best utilized and promoting its development, and - disseminating data and exchanging experience on best practice in the use of educational technology.

COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS of 20 December 1996 on a strategy for lifelong learning (97/C 7/02)

I. INTRODUCTION

1. In today's information society, the world is entering a period of widespread change. The pace and scope of change means that steps to update and renew knowledge and skills are more important than ever before.

2. In this context, existing attitudes to and structures for education and training are being challenged by many factors: the need to promote greater personal responsibility for acquiring new knowledge and skills; the need to promote individuals' personal development; the development of the information society; the evolution of knowledge and skills, especially the new qualifications needed for the future; the need to meet the diversity of demand for initial and continuing education and training; changes in the world of work and in society generally, including new types of jobs, reorganization of working time and new patterns of work-related learning; increased labour market flexibility and the integration of individuals into society and their active participation in the process of democratic decision-making and the principle of sustainable development.

3. Lifelong learning is essential to meet these challenges and it requires cooperation and involvement by all of the relevant interests, in order to enhance competitiveness, combat unemployment, bring about the full and active participation of all people in society and improve innovation in every sector in economic and social life.

4. Lifelong learning is an evolving concept and today it includes both the formal and the non-formal learning environments. New participants and partners are involved and so roles and responsibilities must be redefined and positive attitudes to lifelong learning should be created both in individuals and in society generally. Moreover, the promotion of liefelong learning, also, requires an appropriate contribution by the social partners.

5. The White Paper on Growth, competitiveness and employment stressed that education and training will undoubtedly make a contribution to the renewal of growth, the recovery of competitveness and the restoring of a high level of employment. This is confirmed in the conclusions of the European Councils in Essen and Cannes, in 1994 and 1995 respectively. The European Council in Florence, in 1996, underlined the need for education and training systems in the European Union to adapt profoundly. Moreover, it stressed that 'the social partners should be encouraged to take initiatives in order to enhance the integration of young people, of the long-term unemployed and of unemployed women into the labour market, to promote lifelong training and to develop flexible work organization and working time`.

6. The White Paper on Education and training, 'Teaching and learning - towards the learning society` states that the society of the future will be a learning society and 'education and training will increasingly become the main vehicles for self-awareness, belonging, advancement and self-fulfilment`. This was further emphasized by the Council in its conclusions on the White Paper of 6 May 1996 (1).

7. The European Year of Lifelong Learning has made a valuable contribution to raising awareness and promoting the concept of lifelong learning for all. The Council of Europe, Unesco and the OECD have, individually, advanced activity and thinking in this field. In addition, many Member States have put in place policy frameworks which recognize the importance of lifelong learning. It is appropriate therefore, that the Council of the European Union should make its own distinct contribution to the active realization of a strategy for lifelong learning. This should take account of the European Union initiatives already undertaken and ongoing in this field as well as drawing on the rich diversity of experience, work and thinking in Member States.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to these considerations as well as to:

- the provisions of Articles 126 and 127 of the Treaty,

- the principle of subsidiarity enunciated in Article 3b of the Treaty, and

- the need to comply with the financial perspectives set for the European Community,

HEREBY ADOPTS THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS:

II. PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING A STRATEGY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING

The principles underpinning a strategy for lifelong learning are derived from the fundamental aim of education and training to serve individual, cultural, social and economic well-being and to enhance the quality of life for all citizens. In this respect, the development of a strategy for lifelong learning should be informed by the following principles:

- lifelong learning initiatives should strike an appropriate balance between personal, cultural, civic and social dimensions, and economic and employment concerns. In addition, they should also include democratic principles and human rights values,

- each stage of education and training should contribute appropriately to the continuum of lifelong learning,

- lifelong learning should be based on a wide range of learning opportunities, allowing all individuals to progress in their education according to their social, cultural and economic interests and needs,

- initial education and training are fundamental to lifelong learning and should include, in addition to the core basic skills of literacy and numeracy, a broad base of knowledge, skills, attitudes and experience that will encourage and support learning throughout life,

- lifelong learning should aim to promote individual abilities, enhance employability, make the best use of available human resources talent as well as contribute to the promotion of gender equality, the elimination of social exclusion and the promotion of active participation in democratic society,

- lifelong learning requires the development of flexible and innovative approaches to education and training, including family involvement, in order to promote a sense of inquiry, initiative and motivation of individuals in the learning process,

- lifelong learning demands that individuals, as learners, develop an increasing responsibility for their own education, training and personal development and in this regard appropriate guidance or counselling should be available to adult learners,

- the continuum of lifelong learning should have as a central objective at all stages the promotion of equality of opportunity,

- collectively, individuals, institutions, enterprises, regional authorities, central governments, the social partners where appropriate, and society in general should, within their own areas of responsibility create conditions for and engender a positive attitude to lifelong learning in all its aspects and minimize obstacles to participation in education and training and other learning activities.

III. A FRAMEWORK OF AREAS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT The successful conversion of the concept of lifelong learning into a living reality for citizens in Europe would represent a new landmark in the development of education and training in the European Union. The way forward involves a clear understanding of lifelong learning, a willingness to set new goals, as well as fostering the motivation to engage in lifelong learning processes. The following inter-related areas for development are among those which could be considered:

- Challenges for the school system,

- Economic and social considerations,

- Local community development through education and training,

- Continuing education and training,

- Pathways and links between general and vocational education,

- Access, certification and accreditation,

- Teachers and adult educators,

- The role of new technologies.

A framework of possibilities for further development in each of these areas is set out in more detail in the Annex to these conclusions.

The Council takes the view that the further development of lifelong learning strategies in the Member States, within their own constitutional, organizational and policy framework, is of central importance and requires ongoing attention. Accordingly, it calls on succeeding presidencies, at their discretion, to accord priority to giving the issues raised in paragraphs A to H of the Annex to these conclusions more detailed consideration and where appropriate to present further draft conclusions or other draft texts to the Council.

The Council also calls on the Commission to encourage, within the Socrates and Leonardo Da Vinci programmes, the exchange of information and experience on different approaches to lifelong learning throughout the Member States.

Finally, the Council considers that lifelong learning is an evolving concept and that these conclusions in no way preclude the examination of other issues and areas for development which may arise in the future.

(1) OJ No C 195, 6. 7. 1996, p. 1.

ANNEX

The Council takes the view that development under the areas identified in Part III of these conclusions forms a necessary part of the development of lifelong learning. Some possibilities for further development under each area are set out hereunder:

A. Challenges for the school system

The first educational environment which the child experiences is its own family. The significance of this experience, whether in a positive or negative sense, educationally, is well documented. Therefore, positive early intervention strategies are very important as is pre-school education for all children, especially for children at risk.

It is essential that initial education gives a broad base of knowledge, skills, attitudes and experiences that will support further learning throughout life. Each level of schooling should incorporate a lifelong learning orientation into its content and processes. Also, closer links are needed between the school and the local community, including the world of work.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- pre-schooling, particularly for children at risk together with home/school/community partnerships and parental/community education,

- early identification of pupils with learning difficulties coupled with appropriate remedial measures,

- increased efforts to combat functional illiteracy and innumeracy and to improve communication skills, including the improvement and diversification of the learning and teaching of languages,

- initiatives to promote success at school,

- sustained support for improvement and reform - curricular and pedagogic, as well as managerial and administrative - together with appropriate in-career development for all concerned,

- provision of quality guidance and counselling services and information, including appropriate and well-devised information programmes targeted at those most in need of them,

- promoting the use in schools of multimedia tools, as resources permit, and the promotion of their use to improve pedagogical practices therein,

- promotion of more partnerships between schools and the wider community, including the world of work.

B. Economic and social considerations

In an era of economic change, the problem of unemployment is one of the most serious issues facing European society. Employability is determined by a variety of factors, one of which is the level of educational qualifications. Some of those who leave school with inadequate qualifications fail to secure employment and face the prospect of permanent exclusion from active participation in society. Education and training measures have an important role to play in preventing unemployment and meeting the effects of structural change. Accordingly, the unemployed and those threatened by unemployment should become a particular focus for lifelong learning initiatives in conjunction with measures to promote success at school.

For those in employment the concept of the enterprise as a learning environment and the implications of this for work organization and time management could be further developed on the one hand while the participation of the social partners, where appropriate, in the implementation of lifelong learning should be reinforced on the other.

The nature and quality of initial education and training provided for young people needs to be of the highest quality and should be supported by partnership between public and private sectors on a range of issues including the transition from education and training to the world of work.

To seek to cope with the challenges posed by economic and labour market factors, a range of measures is called for, some of them building on and sustaining existing initiatives supported by the European Union. They may include:

- developing specific measures for the long-term unemployed and for young people seeking their first job,

- providing for a more ordered transition within schools and from school to initial vocational education and training opportunities, especially for school leavers with no or inadequate qualifications,

- providing initial training programmes of high quality focused on knowledge, skills and competences required in contemporary life, designed in attractive formats aimed at building confidence and positive attitudes among participants and taking into account the need for more broad based knowledge and skills in the labour market,

- encouraging active partnerships between education and training institutions and working life in order to create new bridges and routes between education, training and employment,

- expanding the provision of new learning opportunities in areas such as literacy, numeracy, personal development, gender studies and customized training programmes aimed at addressing the skill requirements of new employment opportunities,

- developing the role of the workplace as a learning environment in order to facilitate the continuing development of the knowledge, skills and competences of the workforce.

C. Local community development through education and training

Lifelong learning should take a broad holistic approach to the development of the individual and the local community. Education and training can contribute to local community development by involving local communities in actively promoting lifelong learning opportunities and nurturing a culture of lifelong learning for members of those communities.

Empowering local communities to assume more responsibility for their education and learning should enable them to become learning communities. This is important for the continuing social, cultural and economic development of the individual and the local community. It is also important to enable local communities to cope more effectively with the rapid changes occurring in society. Finally it is important in promoting active participation in the political and democratic process by all citizens.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- exchanging information and experience on the practice and approaches to local community development through education and training in different Member States,

- the concept of the school as a local community resource and of the local community as a significant educational resource should be fully discussed and explored,

- the potential for learning within the informal setting of the family and the extended family merits examination,

- the construction of pathways from non-formal local community education and training to formal education and training is important.

D. Continuing education and training

Continuing training requirements are increasing and diversifying for both businesses and individuals.

The critical role of employers, worker associations and unions in the development of continuing education and training programmes has to be recognized and provided for. In no other area of education and training is the requirement of a partnership between all the elements in working life, and between working life and education and training, so paramount. The establishment of such linkages is likely to have significant implications both for the organization of work and also for the organization of education and training delivery, and certification and accreditation.

Renewing the vocational skills and professional qualifications of adults should become an important aspect of the mission of universities and other higher education institutions within their capacities. It is very important in terms of the technological capacity and competitiveness of the European Union and it should be an integral part of the concept of lifelong learning.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- improving the developing collaboration between education and training providers, the social partners, where appropriate, and government in the identification of upgrading and in-service priorities and in agreeing a strategy whereby these priorities can be met,

- developing human resources strategies in the workplace which better identify the training needs of the workforce so that they can adapt to new workplace situations. Such strategies should include measures to support workers who are retraining/upgrading their skills both on and off-the-job,

- encouraging investment in education and training,

- further developing the role of higher education institutions in lifelong learning, taking into account the diverse needs for continuing education and training among adults and in working life,

- providing courses in higher education to meet the needs of adult learners in terms of area, content, duration and methodology and taking account of the abilities of those concerned,

- creating new forms of pathways between work and education, and

- developing general adult education provisions in order to enhance personal development, participation in society and the possibility of employment.

E. Pathways and links between general and vocational education

In recent years, new bridgeheads of contact and liaison have been established between many schools and firms. Maximum support should be given to such trends and appropriate liaison fostered between the educational and industrial/economic sectors.

The profound changes in modern employment have made early specialization less relevant and diminished the gap between general and vocational education and training. A closer relationship is being formed between them. Efforts to ensure equality between them have increased significantly; however, further work is needed to promote this and ensure parity of esteem for vocational education and training.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- fostering a closer relationship between general education and vocational education and training in order to meet the demands of a fast-changing working life,

- ensuring that the teaching and learning process for all subjects be promoted by the active engagement of students within a style of pedagogy which is inspiring and which initiates the student into the values and traditions of the subject area in question, and - providing greater opportunities for meaningful work experience for students, and exploring possibilities for its certification and accreditation.

F. Access, certification and accreditation

Lifelong learning requires structures within education and training which are more flexible, more fluid and more learner centred than has been the case previously. This includes not only the establishment of more accessible training and academic routes at all levels of these systems and throughout life but also the creation of acceptable mechanisms for assessing and validating this learning in order to guarantee standards and ensure quality.

Effective certification instruments, integrated within a clear philosophical and practical framework for lifelong learning, could contribute to the elimination of educational inequality and could also contribute to recognizing educational achievement irrespective of the learning context.

Key principles such as access, flexibility, progression, mobility, quality, transparency and recognition could be considered in the development of such certification instruments.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- developing more flexible instruments for certification and accreditation,

- paying particular attention to finding ways of accrediting prior experience, achievement and learning, and disseminating good practice,

- improving access to higher education,

- encouraging higher education institutions to respond specifically to the needs of adult students through the development of appropriate courses in the widest possible range of disciplines, and by providing appropriate guidance services,

- paying particular attention to disseminating as widely as possible attractive information on the opportunities for lifelong learning and developing further the potential of public libraries and broadcasting services in this regard and in lifelong learning generally, and - providing accredited programmes outside of traditional institutional settings, with the aid of new technologies and distance education and training approaches.

G. Teachers and adult educators

The quality of the teaching force and its adaptability and motivation to change remain central to lifelong learning. It is essential for teachers that their initial education is complemented by a well-targeted induction programme, where necessary, and supported by regular access to effective in-career development.

The distinctive nature of adult education requires that educators and trainers working in this field adopt a different philosophical and methodological approach. A well supported and effective adult education sector is essential if its role in the spectrum of lifelong learning is to be fully realized.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- ensuring the availability of high quality training and retraining of teachers and adult educators,

- supporting a policy of good quality initial, induction and in-service education for teachers and adult educators,

- recognizing the distinctiveness of the role of the adult educator and specifying the core knowledge attitudes and skills required, and

- providing for professional movement between the education sectors, supported by in-service provision.

H. The role of new technologies

The availability of new technologies has increased the options available to those delivering and undertaking education and training programmes; as a result, new technologies are now an important part of such programmes. The harnessing of the potential of new technologies in order to support, assist and stimulate the lifelong learning process presents a direct challenge to educational planners and practitioners. Part of this challenge is to ensure that new technologies do not give rise to further inequalities as between individuals or regions leading to a greater sense of exclusion.

A number of key areas for development may include the following:

- equipping education and training institutions with the range of new technologies, as resources permit, which can provide new and effective options for teaching and learning and developing the necessary methodologies for their pedagogical application,

- developing better initial and in-service teacher training in the use and application of multi-media tools,

- exploring how distance education can be best utilized and promoting its development, and - disseminating data and exchanging experience on best practice in the use of educational technology.