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Enquiry Abstract In the light of the global challenges facing us, lifelong learning emerges as one of the keys to improving the quality of life and our survival in the 21st century. It is no longer sufficient to have a sound initial education: one must continue to acquire new knowledge and skills to benefit from the new opportunities that advances in science and technology bring, and to cope with the threats and difficulties of life in the modern world, The evidence confirms that investing in additional education pays off for both individuals and nations, in terms of income, employment, productivity, health and other benefits. Moreover, providing formal and non-formal opportunities to learn throughout turn out to be a crucial factor in the struggle to eradicate poverty and to educate for sustainable development. But adopting the principle of lifelong learning does demand a new vision, one that shifts the emphasis from education to learning, one that breaks down the lock-step, silo-mentality that makes it difficult for learners to move from system to another, from one level to the next; one that moves to a more seamless and user-friendly system and that recognizes the diversity of ways in which individuals acquire new knowledge and skills in the information age, and the contributions being made to facilitating learning outside of the formal system. In particular, if progress is to be made in reducing poverty, ensuring development is sustainable and in facing the challenges posed by climate change, governments and the international community will need to meet their commitments and take the steps needed to make lifelong learning for all a reality. Speaker Prof. Colin Power was Deputy Director-General of UNESCO from 1999 to 2000 and Assistant Director-General for Education from 1989 to 1998. As such, he was responsible for the overall policy and management of the education programmes of UNESCO, playing a central role in all of its major initiatives, such as International Literacy Year, Education for All and the International Commission on Education for 21st Century, and in the UN’s struggle to alleviate poverty, to defend human rights, to protect world heritage sites, and to promote education for sustainable development and a culture of peace and non-violence. Prof. Power began his career teaching science and mathematics before taking up an academic post at the University of Queensland where he is an Adjunct Professor at the University and Alumnus of the Year 2002, and for ten years was Professor of Education at Flinders University of South Australia. He is author or co-author of 13 books and over 250 published works on education, learning and development. Currently he is Chair of the Commonwealth Consortium for Education and Director of the Eidos Institute (an international research network and think tank on social policy issues). |
