THE LIFELONG LEARNING STRATEGY IN GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
Jorma Ahola
17.8.1999
The programme of Paavo Lipponen's II government
Education and science policy
Finland's development as a civilised nation and the country's competitive ability can be promoted through raising the level of knowledge of the entire population.
In accordance with the principle of lifelong learning, equal educational opportunities are the right of everyone, irrespective of place of residence, age, language, or financial status. It is the task of education policy to prevent marginalisation and respond to the challenges of ageing.
Connections between working life and studies acquire increasing importance as requirements for occupational skills change and the stress of coping at work increases. This is why the government emphasises the role of adult education in securing new know-how and vocational mobility. Individual educational solutions will be designed for the long-term unemployed. Decisions on the development of voluntary vocational adult education will be made once the working group has finished its work.
The development of education and research carried out at universities between 1999 and 2004; a proposal for a government decision prepared by the Ministry of Education, currently being circulated for comment
Introduction
In accordance with the principle of lifelong learning, equal educational opportunities are the right of anyone permanently resident in Finland, irrespective of place of residence, age, language, financial status, health, disability, or ethnic origin.
1.1 Principles of national education
Everyone has the right to continuous self-development, the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, and development into an ethically and morally responsible member of society and mankind. All citizens have the right to basic security in education, including the right to education in accordance with curricula, a sufficient number of options, free tuition, and a safe learning environment.
It is the government's task, through social policy, to provide people with equal opportunities for obtaining information and knowledge and for growing into capable and tolerant citizens who will follow democratic principles. This is best achieved by guaranteeing educational opportunities for all citizens irrespective of place of residence, age, language, or financial status. Built on the principle of lifelong learning, these actions will be carried out in cooperation with the labour market and other central actors in society.
1.2 Information and know-how society
A genuine information society must be accessible to all citizens. Progress must not lead to inequality and social exclusion. This is why we need discussion on lifelong learning, the use of new learning methods and technology, and the services of the information society as part of necessary services. Finland's development as an information society requires support for each citizen's information society skills and equal access to information networks.
2.1 Basic security in education
Basic security in education emphasises the importance of citizens’ rights and opportunities in all education, from pre-primary education to the support of lifelong learning.
An adequate supply of education will be guaranteed in order to meet the need for know-how and education among the adult population, to increase the employment rate, and to promote social well-being and social cohesion.
2.3 Information society
The growing know-how requirements will be met by developing the opportunities available to libraries, open university, open polytechnics, liberal education and other education providers to offer education and training leading to information society skills.
An extensive training programme for the education services personnel will be implemented. The aim is for at least half of the education services personnel to reach the required level of skills during the planning period.
2.5 Lifelong learning
A high level of education, learning skills, and safeguarding the various means of continuous education and their availability for adults will be adopted as a key objective which concerns the entire population. This also means that the financial basis of education must be revised so as to promote the objectives of educational policy which emphasises lifelong learning.
Education and training will be developed towards providing young people entering the job market with the comprehensive skills required for occupational mobility and with better learning skills. Another objective is to raise the basic educational level of the entire age group.
The development of learning skills will be established as a key objective at all levels of the educational system. In initial education, senior secondary school and initial vocational education this objective will be included in the outline of the reformed curricula.
The need for general education and skills among adults will be met by the versatile provision of liberal education and voluntary adult education. Links connecting education and training to working life and forms of support will hopefully motivate the adult population and enable them to acquire vocational training and continuously update their occupational skills. Educational and cultural services improving the quality of life among the retirement age population will be increased.
The assessment and recognition of know-how will be developed so that young people and adults will be able to integrate the skills they have obtained in earlier employment, civic action, or other activities with their studies.
A network-based, real-time interactive information and guidance service for public use will be established to serve as tool for those engaged in study-related guidance and counselling activities.
2.7 Quantitative supply and advance planning of education
The quantitative supply of education aims at meeting the needs for education and training and general education of the entire population with a view to balanced regional development and the changing needs of society and working life.
The supply of adult education leading to polytechnic degrees will be increased.
Initial vocational adult education organised in different institutions, polytechnics and universities is to be allocated some 80,000 study places annually. In educational institutions offering liberal education, the number of study places on offer in education and training corresponding to needs for general education and culture, learning skills and basic information society skills will total some 25,000 annually.
Adults will be offered wider opportunities to complete their university degrees.
15-20% of the supply of degree-oriented education will be targeted at the needs of adult education students with varied educational backgrounds.
2.8 Structural Fund Programmes
Funds received through the European Structural Fund will be targeted at the following measures:
- Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training, and strengthening the relationships between education and working life. Actions focus on e.g. new opportunities for adaptation through voluntary education offered to the adult population by increasing the standard of know-how and learning competence, and on the development of interactive guidance and counselling services concerning education opportunities targeted at individuals, enterprises, and education providers.
- Developing knowledge capital to support entrepreneurship, the development of working life, and utilisation of research results. Actions focus on e.g. the development of the employees’ know-how through apprenticeship training and other work-related forms of education and training or voluntary education, and on promoting the function of universities and educational institutions to serve as support and service organisations in the development of working life and the work community and in regional development.
2.9 Evaluation of education, training and research
In general education, vocational education, and adult education, evaluation will focus on study results, the effects of new educational legislation, and the realisation of its objectives.
3.1 Pre-primary education
To consolidate the foundation of lifelong learning, pre-primary education will be developed so as to level out social differences and differences in learning competence.
3.2.2 Development of the pedagogic dimension and teaching content of the comprehensive school
The next reform of the comprehensive school syllabus will focus special attention on learning skills and the development of self-confidence and coping.
3.4 Upper secondary level education
Upper secondary school or vocational education is entered by some 94% and completed by some 82% of each age group. With respect to lifelong learning and coping at work, the completion of upper secondary level education must be considered as a minimum requirement.
Securing opportunities for upper secondary education for the entire age group and decreasing the number of dropouts will be set as goals. Measures will be developed to encourage the young to begin education or training and to complete their studies.
3.4.2 Initial vocational education
Initial vocational education in the form of apprenticeship training will be targeted at the adult population.
3.5.1 The university system
Because of the rapidly changing knowledge requirements of working life, advances in technology and the rapid outdating of information, graduates must be offered the opportunity of continuing education.
3.5.2 Polytechnics
The implementation of the principle of lifelong learning requires that graduates with upper-secondary level initial vocational qualifications should have better opportunities to pursue further education, that adult education in vocational institutions should be increased, that open polytechnic education should be extended, and that the role of polytechnics in the development of the work community should be intensified.
3.5.2.2 Polytechnics to reform working life
The implementation of the principle of lifelong learning requires that graduates with upper-secondary level initial vocational qualifications should have better opportunities to pursue further education and that adult education in vocational institutions should be increased. In addition, open polytechnic education should be extended and the role of polytechnics in the development of the work community intensified.
3.5.3. Developing (university) education and learning
One of the main factors contributing to prolonged studies is the cluttered first degree. First degrees, further degrees and continuing education will be developed as a whole to prevent the unnecessary widening of first degree requirements.
Degree requirements will be revised to correspond to the principles of lifelong learning, so that in each branch of education the key skills and knowledge that must be included in the first degree will be established. The amount and duration of studies will be revised to correspond to the actual workload.
3.7 Adult education
The provision of voluntary adult education will be developed so that adult education, labour market training, and personnel training will form a functional system aimed at raising the level of educational and cultural know-how, especially among the middle-aged population. With regard to the 2.5 million people in the workforce, meeting the needs for know-how connected with changes in working life will be a key task in adult education, if the necessary occupational flexibility and mobility required by these changes are to be secured. This is why the capacity of the educational system to serve working life will be strengthened further by securing the operation of adult education centres and special vocational institutions specialising in adult education. Their pedagogic facilities for offering services compatible with the skills test system will be promoted.
The calculated target volume of additional non-degree oriented education and training organised as vocational or higher education or liberal education is 100,000 study places per annum. The know-how of teaching personnel will be adopted as a focus and the role of liberal education in the implementation of the strategy of lifelong learning strengthened. Measures for securing the subsistence of an adult student during education and training will be developed on the basis of the recommendations of a working group appointed by Prime Minister's Office.
3.7.1 Development of vocational skills test system
Based on the requirements of working life, a skills tests system applicable to all know-how irrespective of how it has been achieved has been developed in vocational adult education. Basing education or training on offer on earlier knowledge has shortened the duration of studies in adult education by almost one third.
The skills test system will be extended to all branches of education.
The competitive ability of adult education centres and special vocational institutions will be secured.
3.7.2 Raising the level of skills and knowledge of adults with a weak educational background
The level of educational attainment among middle-aged people is clearly lower than among the younger generations. In 1997, 34% of 45-54-year olds in employment were without training beyond basic-level education; among the unemployed in the same age group the figure was 47%.
Concerning the implementation of the principle of lifelong learning and the flexible operations of the labour market, it is important that those with a weak educational background or outdated education have access to specialised, individual adult education services. The length of studies in adult education must be kept reasonable to prevent the time factor from deterring people from starting to study.
Adults will be provided with the opportunity to update previously completed vocational education.
The threshold of adult education will be lowered by basing studies on individual experience and limiting their duration to a moderate length.
The opportunities for adults to complete vocational qualifications or special vocational qualifications or part of them will be increased, along with other forms of studies with a positive effect on employment and capacity for continuous learning.
Those in working life will be offered more opportunities to take a skills test recognised on the labour market.
Entering and completing education will be promoted by developing information, personal counselling, the drafting of personal study programmes, course counselling, and support during studies.
3.7.3 Strengthening the role of liberal education
Education, training, and studies play an important role in maintaining social cohesion and democratic values in society. This role is emphasised by those profound changes of the social structure that are associated with adaptation to the integrating world economy, rapid changes in society and working life, regional development, advances in information and communication technologies, and demographic changes. Marginalisation and other undesirable effects can be prevented and alleviated especially by developing the provision and forms of liberal education and by extending cooperation between the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation, libraries, and NGOs.
The liberal education opportunities in the development of information society skills will be promoted to increase civic activity, community education, social dialogue, and basic information society skills.
The implementation of the lifelong learning strategy and social and regional equality and equality between age groups will be promoted.
3.7.4 General education and study services for the retirement age population
The size of the retirement age population is on the increase and the average length of retirement is also increasing. In this period there may be considerable changes in society and the ways it works, necessitating the updating of pensioners' basic skills. Learning new skills is also an important factor maintaining mental agility.
Mental agility extends the active stage of retirement, improves the quality of life, and helps to decrease the need for social help.
To promote the implementation of the principle of lifelong learning, educational services will be increasingly targeted at the retirement age population, especially by institutions providing liberal education and counselling organisations.
See also: The Joy of Learning - committee proposal 1997
