European strategies in lifelong learning: a critical introduction

Abstract

Lifelong learning and education is a key concept for the development of adult education as an area of practice and theoretical consideration. In recent decades, meanwhile, the idea of lifelong education and learning has been central to the guidance of various international organisations of many countries. Lifelong learning is currently widely accepted in terms of its benefits, thus the meanings it can contain are rarely questioned. This book proposes three models for analysing public adult education policies, the democraticemancipatory model, the modernisation and state control model, and the human resources management model. The models guide the critical discussion on the EU policies for the adult education and training sector. This analysis also contains references to national adult education policies. The book further describes the proposals presented by UNESCO since the 1970s with respect to lifelong education and lifelong learning. The underlying purpose of this approach is to identify and interpret other meanings which the idea may contain today. This option is intended to help students and other people who may be interested in this topic to question ways of looking at a priority issue in contemporary public policies.