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uie monographs 1

LIFELONG EDUCATION AND SCHOOL CURRICULUM

R. H. DAVE

UIE monographs 1

LIFELONG EDUCATION A N D SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Interim Findings o f an Exploratory S t u d y on School Curriculum, Structures and Teacher Education in t h e Perspective of Lifelong Education

by R. H. DAVE

1973

Unesco Institute for Education, Hamburg

The Unesco Institute for Education is a legally independent entity. While the programmes of the Institute are established along the lines laid down by the General Conference of UNESCO, the publications of the Institute are issued under the Institute's sole responsibility; UNESCO is not responsible for their content.

@ Unesco Institute for Education, 1973 Feldbrunnenstrasse 70 D 2000 Hamburg 13 Federal Republic of Germany

Contents

Foreword 3

Introduction 7

1. Concept-Characteristics of Lifelong Education New Significance of an Old Idea Identification of Concept-Characteristics Some Concept-Characteristics Conclusion A Theoretical and Operational Franework f o r Lifelong Education (Insert)

2. Implications o f the Concept of Lifelong Education for School Curriculum

Introduction Clarification o f Terms Nature and Scope of Implications Methodology o f Deriving Implications Some Illustrative Implications

A. Objectives B. C o n t e n t C. Learning Processes and Materials D. E v a l u a t i on Procedures E. System Structure F. Other Aspects

Immediate and Long-term Measures Conclusion

3. Implications f o r Research and Other Activities Natu,re of the Field o f Study

Complexity Universality New Meaning and Function Consequences for Other Sub-systems o f Society

1 1 1 1 13 14 25

29 29 29 31 31 33 33 36 3 8 40 42 43 44

49 49 49 50 50 51

Conceptual Studies Psychological Aspect Philosophical Aspect Sociological Aspect Physiological, Demographic and Other Aspects Motivation and Educability Vertical and Horizontal Integration Other Areas General Remarks

S c o p e and Delimitation Evaluation of Existing Curricula and Practices Planning New Curricula Teaching and Learning Procedures Evaluation Comprehensive Case Studies C a s e Studies of Innovative Practices Teacher Education Other !.reas

Other Activities Development of Materials Documentation Clearing-house Function CO-ordi nati on of Activities Perlodical Appraisal and Monitoring Function

Operational Studies

Conclusion

53 54 55 55 56 5? 58 60 60 61 61 62 63 65 67 69 71 72 73 7 4 7 4 75 75 76 76 77

Pppendix: Design of the Study 81

Foreword

The Governing Board of the Unesco Institute for Education decided in its 24th Session held in March 1972 that the Institute, under its long-range programme, should work on school curriculum in the perspective of lifelong educatiop. The Board selected this theme in recognition of the importance and priority attached to it by UNESCO. T h e Board also felt that if the aspirations of lifelong learning are to be realised, school programmes and curricula nust be suitably modified. The idea of lifelong education seeks to embrace education in its totality. It implies vertical articulation of different stages of education as life advances from infancy through to old age. It also irrplies horizontal integration of different aspects of education for the fullest development of hcman potential. In this context, it is necessary to carry out research and developmental programmes to find out what the implications of the concept of lifelong learning for school education are and what changes would be required in the structure and functions of schools to meet the demands of a rapidly changing society.

According to the preceding remarks, the intention and approach of the UIE in entering the field of lifelong education has specific features of an operational nature. The task-oriented purpose of the UIE provided the main justification for its involvement in an area which i n recent times has been either directly or indirectly a frequent subject of study, discussion and publication. Furthermore, the concentration within this area on the substantive aspects of educational activity, as is the curriculum, allows the identification of the type of service which the U I E intends to render within the existing almost unlversal agreement that lifelons

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education is the principle o f educational organisation best suited t o the individual and collective needs o f the immediate and more remote future.

In pursuance o f the resolution o f t h e Governing Board, t h e Institute designed its first study on the Concept o f Lifelong Education and its Implications f o r School Curriculum. This was planned as an exploratory study with the purpose of identifying and systematising t h e apparently not always coincident hut y e t complementary statements currently made about lifelong education, and in order t o work o u t a conceptual basis o f general consensus from which a sequence of research projects and studies could b e developed. T h e methodological approach used f o r this study, despite its apparent simplicity, i.e. literature survey followed by dialogue with professionals familiar with the areas, proved t o be a source o f wealth and a testimony t o the need for more mation Bbout this subject. It w a s felt that t h e ideas and materials obtained during the study should b e disseminated form of a series o f monographs instead o f holding them over the final report is published. T h e chief purposes of prepar such monographs are:

nfor-

n the unti 1 ng

1. to s h a r e the ideas with other researchers concerned t o

2. t o acquaint educational workers such as educational admi- generate m o r e thinking in this area,

nistrators, curriculum planners, and teacher educators with t h e tentative findings o f t h e exploratory study, and

t h e benefit o f the project. 3. t o obtain, if possible, their comments and criticisms f o r

This is t h e first monograph in this series and it is hoped that it serves t h e intended purposes.

O n this occasion I w o u l d l i k e t o thank all those w h o have con- tributed so generously t o this task, offering their time, advice, knowledge, experience and even. notes. Thanksfo these scholars, the ideas contained in this document have a origin and a r e the result o f an unusually h national co-operation. My appreciations are former Director o f the Institute and o n e o f the idea of long-range planning o f the Inst

truly international gh degree of inter- d u e to Or. Kobayashi, the originators of tute's programmes in

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the field o f lifelong learning and school education, w h o provided valuable help in planning and initiating the study. Finally m y thanks are due t o Or. Dave, who, after producing such a clear and convincing conceptual description o f lifelong education, w a s able,

n the many other activities of t h e concept practically viable with t h e examples which he identified f o r imple-

despite his involvement Ins ti tu te, to render the large number of practica mentation and research.

M. D i n 0 Carelli Director

Introduction

The report o f the International Commission on the Development of Education, published by UNESCO in August 1972, is an important landmark in education. T h e Edgar Faure report, perceptively en- titled Learning To Be, triggered world-wide interest when it was presented by Ren'e Maheu, Director General of UNESCO, first to its Executive Board in September 1972 and then t o the General Confe- rence in October 1972. Since then, Member States all over the world have been busy examining t h e recommendations of t h e Inter- national Commission.

of t h e report pertains t o lifelong education. It states: It is interesting to note that the very first recommendation

We propose lifelong education as the master concept f o r educational policies i n the y e a r s l t o come for both developed and developing countries. Strikingly enough, the International Commission has vlewed

this idea as the "master concept" for technologically advanced as well as less advanced countries. In t h e comment that follows this recommendation the Commission asserts:

T h e various applications of this idea will o f course differ greatly, W e may even say ... that it could be applied in as many different ways as there are countries in the world ... But w e remain convSnced that the question of lifelong education, the decisions t o take and t h e paths t o follow in order t o achieve it are t h e crucial issues of our time, in all countries of t h e world, eyen in those which have y e t t o become fully a w a r e o f this idea.

UNESCO: Learning To Be, The world of Education Today and To- morrotf. Paris: U N E S C O 1972, p. 182.

"Ibid,, p. 182.

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Even before the Edgar Faure report recommended the concept of lifelong education as the chief guiding principle for future developments in education, this idea was very much in the air and was increasingly gaining acceptance. As a matter of fact, only a few months before the Edgar Faure report was released, the Unesco Institute for Education decided to develop its long-range plan of work in the field of lifelong education and its implications for school programmes and curricula. This decision was primarily in recognition of the significance attached by UNESCO to the construct of lifelong education in developing its policies and priorities.

term basis, it was amply clear that it would be necessary to undertake a t the outset a basic study in order to delineate the concept o f lifelong education and to initiate the process of identifying its implications for school education as well as for research and other similar activities. An exploratory study was therefore planned to answer these needs. A design document describing the objectives, procedures and other aspects of the study is given in the Appendix.

Right at the planning stage it was decided to circulate tentative findings of the project among interested individuals and institutions through a series of monographs without waiting for the publication o f the final report. Accordingly, the present monograph has been prepared to disseminate s o m e interim outcomes of the inquiry.

T h e second monograph is an outcome o f the literature study and will contain abstracts of a few pertinent publications besides a bibliography. T h e third monograph will include papers and notes prepared by the members of a Consultative Group.

the present monograph has been divided into three sections. The fiPst section deals with the clarification o f the concept of lifelong education. This concept, when vielCd i n its multiple manifestations, appears to be very complex and ebmprehensive. T h e functions o f lifelong education, its relationship with the

When the Institute decided to work in this field on a long-

Two other monographs will be published in the next few months.

Following the three major objectives of the exploratory study,

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existing stages and types of education, its coverage, scope and prerequisites - all these have to be viewed i n a n analytico-integrative manner in order t o unfold the multidimensional meaning of the idea. In attempting to do this, a number of characteristics have been tentatively formulated and presented in this section. A partial framework indicating sequence and interlocking between different theoretical and operational dimensions of lifelong education is also given at the end of the f i r s t section.

Based on the concept-characteristics of lifelong education, some illustrative implications for school programmes and curricula have been worked out. They appear in the second section of t h e monograph. In order t o realise the aspirations of lifelong education, it is imperative to translate the idea into operational processes and programmes o f learning f o r different phases and facets of life. School education being a basic stage o f learning, a beginning has been made to concretise the idea by way of formulating some examples of operational implications. They pertain to school objectives, selection and organisation of curriculum content, learning and teaching procedures, and pupil evaluation. A f e w illustrative implications for teacher preparation and system-structure have also been given, since they are closely related t o school curriculum. Once such implications are worked out fairly exhaustively, one can move towards their systematic implementation.

T h e third section is devoted t o suggestions for research and other activities in the field of lifelong learning and school education. A general feeling about the urgent and pressing need for research in this field has been variously expressed by those concerned with the development and implementation of t h e idea of lifelong education. This need has been examined further in this section and several specific research areas have been identified under both conceptual and operational types of studies. A f e w examples o f the kinds of questions that await empirical, descriptive o r reflective inquiry have also been given. In addition, other activities such as development of materials, co-ordination, and clearing-house function have been briefly mentioned. One of the objectives of analysing research needs is t o identify suitable

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studies and other related activities for the Unejco Institute for Education with the purpose of dev.eloping its long-range programme and launching cross-national research. It is also, however, felt that other research organisations and individual researchers might undertake such studies either independently or in collaboration with the Institute.

Comments and suggestions o n any o f the three sections o f the monograph are earnestly solicited from fellow educators and researchers. T h e comments will not only be helpful in this exploratory investigation but will also provide a means o f establishing contact with individuals and institutions interested in this field and whose collaboration could be sought in one 'form or another by the Unesco Institute f o r its future projects and programmes. For its long-range programme, it is necessary for the Institute t o develop an international network o f personnel and institutions engaged in research, development and other activities related t o lifelong learning, school education, teacher education and related aspects. Therefore, any suggestions on any aspect of the study will be highly appreciated.

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1. Concept - Characteristics of Lifelong Education

N E W SIGNIFICAKCE OF AN OLD IDEA

If one fathoms the ancient literature of different civilisations, one soon discovers that the idea of lifelong learning is indeed a very old one. And one could argue that lifelong learning w a s always going on in one form or another without it developing into an educational principle and often without it being a conscious act. This is because learning is natural for human beings a t any stage in life, and there is always a need to learn something new as long as one is active and alive,

The need to continue learning throughout life stems from various forces. For example, one of the mainsprings of lifelong learning is the change in social roles that every individual is confronted with right from infancy to old age. Another mainspring of lifelong learning is the physiological growth and change occurring a t different stages of life. There are several other factors - social, economic, cultural and those pertaining to the inner, personal life - that necessitate acquisition o f new skills, knowledge and attitudes, and relearning or even unlearning of what was acquired before. These forces have been operating from time immemorial, and they continue to operate perennially, in- fluencing all human beings in developed s~ well as developing countries. In consequence, some form of tilelong education exists, whether it is consciously recognised or n.t, in all societies. But a t the same time i t is clearly evidc - that i t has not been equally effective everywhere in produc-+ 7 a desired quality of life.

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During recent years, the idea o f lifelong learning has attained a new significance and wider acceptance a t a conscious and conceptual level. T h e concept o f lifelong education is under critical examination o n a global scale and is growing into a major educational principle.

One of the reasons f o r this phenomenon is that f o r the f i r s t time in human history there has emerged a world-wide realisation, appreciation and concern about t h e quality o f life of all people, no matter which part o f the globe they inhabit. There are a l s o other significant reasons associated with this phenomenon. T h e changes occurring during t h e life-span o f an individual today are much m o r e profound and rapid than ever before. T h e explosion of knowledge in science and unprecedented advancements in technology have created a pressing need for recurrent learning both in general and in vocational aspects o f life. Many o f the spectacular technological innovations in transport, communication, agriculture, medicine, textiles and other fields a r e being diffused rapidly and they call f o r t h e acquisition of new knowledge, skills, and values. T h e far-reaching changes that are coming about in quick succession in economic, social, ecological and political life call f o r a high degree o f adaptability t o new situations. T h e increasing r a t e o f obsolescence o f knowledge and skills witnessed in practically all areas o f human endeavour also demands continuing intellectual growth. O n account of these and other similar factors and forces, lifelong education has attained more significance than e v e r before.

T h e construct o f lifelong education is viewed as ‘a solution t o meet t h e growing demands o f the modern world. It is also perceived as a potent i nstrument t o keep up and accelerate all-sided development by t h e creative participation o f individuals in a changing society. Above all, it is viewed as a means o f attaining t h e highest form of self-realisation.

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IDENTIFICATION OF CONCEPT-CHARACTERISTICS

T h e concept o f lifelong education in its new perspective is not y e t fully and universally operationalised and it is still in a process o f evolution. In order to develop it further and proceed towards its application, it appears essential to identify various characteristics o f the concept in somewhat m o r e precise terms through literature study and other techniques and then to visua- lize practical implications of the concept-characteristics for different stages and aspects of education. T h e present exploratory inquiry is therefore focussed on the identification of concept-characteristics by means of literature study and consultation of knowledgeable personnel, and t h e derivation of implications for educational programmes for t h e stages of childhood and adolescence.

Identification of concept-characteristics is an analytico- integrative process. It is necessary to analyse t h e concept and identify its facets to view it more clearly. A t the same time, the construct should be viewed in a comprehensive form with its characteristics interconnected in many ways. In adopting such a technique for the study of the concept, these interconnections are bound t o bring in a certain amount o f duplication and partial overlap among individual statements describing the concept-characteristics. But as long as such an overlap proves helpful in clarifying the concept for practical application and use, one can afford t o tolerate it.

From literature study, personal consultation and interpretation of material, a number o f concept-characteristics have been tentatively identified. There is no one way of organising and sequencing them. They are therefore presented below without any particular consideration of t h e order in which they appear. More- over, t h e present list is by no means exhaustive as the search for more characteristics and better ways o f organising and describing them has still t o be carried further.

SOME CONCEPT-CHARACTERISTICS

1 ,. The three basic term8 upon which the meaning of the concept $8 baaed are rrtifefr, "ZifeZong" and "education". The meaning attached to these terms and the interpretation given to them targety determine the scope and meaning of tifetong education.

These terms that constitute the composite term "lifelong education" require detailed elucidation. T h e terms "life" and "education" a r e themselves very comprehensive and multidimensional. T h e variation in the meaning o f these terms in different societies and a t . d i f f e r e n t times results in various modalities in the operational meaning o f lifelong education. Also, the view held regarding t h e relationship between education and learning is very crucial. T h i s determines the differences, if any, between lifelong education and lifelong learning. T h e term "lifelong" is very significant a s it indicates the time-span o f learning. Lifelong education begins with the beginning o f life and ends with the end of life. It subsumes all stages and aspects o f human development and the varied roles that individuals have t o play at each stage.

2 . Education does not terminate at the end of format schooting but it is a tifetong process. Lifetong education covers the entire life-span of an individuat.

Education should no longer be treated as synonymous with formal schooling, a s is often d o n e in practice, perhaps inadvertently. Furthermore, formal education acquired during childhood and youth is not adequate t o save oneself from professional as well as cultural obsolescence during the later period in life. T h e need f o r extending t h e process o f socialisation throughout the period of life in a planned manner is becoming m o r e acute, Extension o f education throughout t h e life-span has a l s o become essential t o reduce t h e inter-generational gap that has emerged as a rather new problem in a swiftly changing society. There is also a problem o f t h e intra-generational g a p which is the consequence o f unequal educational opportunities and other factors. This can also be taken care o f t o a large extent by making education open

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and non-terminal. This is not to say that formal education does not stop till the last day of the individual's life. This only implies that the attitude and habit of lifelong learning are to be inculcated in people and a learning environment is to be generated in the society so that it is transformed into a learning and growing society. Forrral learning is not going to be continuous, but i t is the access to learning at any time in the life of an individual according to the felt need that really matters.

3. Lifelong education is not confined to ai?ui-t education but it encompasses and unifies all stages of education - pre-primary, primary, secondary and so forth. Thus it seeks to view education in its totality.

It is often stated that lifelong education begins when formal education in school or university is corrpleted and that it is for adults alone. There is a historical reason why lifelong education is viewed by some as a programme o f continuing learning during adulthood. However, the view that lifelong education includes all stages of education is now widely accepted.

4. Lifelong education includes both forma2 and non-formal patterns of education, planned as t.eZ.1 as incidental learning.

Education a;cording to this element of the concept is no longer confined to institutionalised learning. It includes all stages, aspects and situations of personally and socially desired learning and thus attains the widest possible meaning. Out-of-school education is an integral part of total education. In essence, this concept includes the whole continuum of situations for purposeful learning ranging from well-planned and institutionalised learning to non-institutionalised and incidental learning.

5. The home plays the first, most subtle and crucial rcle in initiating the process of lifelong learning. This continues throughout the entire Zife-span of an individual through c process of family learning.

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T h e interactions between the members of the family constella- tion, the home management, the life style of t h e family and other factors constituting the educational environment in the home are very important in lifelong education. In fact, the home, a primary social institution, becomes an educative agency which initiates the learning process and continues it throughout the lifetime of an individual w h o finds himself in different roles and configura- tions a s time passes.

6. The community aZso p2ays an important role in the system of lifelong education right from the time the child begins to interact with it, and continues its educative function both in professiona2 and genera2 areas throughout life.

T h e term "community" is very comprehensive. It includes neighbourhood, peer groups, kinship groups, socio-cultural and political groups, professional groups, trade unions, and so forth. It also includes industries, commercial enterprises, public administration and all other places of work w h e r e the individual continues t o learn i n a planned or incidental manner. Similarly, religious institutions, and organisations f o r social welfare are included under t h e community. T h e media f o r mass communication such as newspapers, r a d i o and TV are also a part o f the community that have a vital share in t h e process o f lifelong education. T h u s t h e whole r a n g e o f social structures is brought into play in providing a vast variety o f learning systems for every member of t h e community t o develop himself and participate creatively in t h e development o f others.

7. The institutions of education like schooZs, universities and training centres are of course important, but onZy as one of the agencies for lifelong education. They no longer enjoy the monopoZy for educating the people and can no longer exist in isoZation from other educative agencies in the society.

Thus formal schooling is only a part of total education and, as such, i t has t o b e integrated with o t h e r educative agencies

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and activities. The aspirations of lifelong education cannot be fully realised without eliciting the active participation of a variety of potentially educative agencies existing outside the special institutions established for education such as the school. This position calls for the reinterpretation of the role of the specially contrived system of education including schools, universities, and other institutions of formal education vis-a’-vis other educative agencies. Such an analysis is important for identifying the relative and complementary functions of the so- called formal and informal systems of education in the perspective of lifelong learning.

8. Lifelong education seeks continuity and articulation along its vertical or longitudinal dimension.

Each stage of human life involves learning so that optimum growth and a sense of fulfilment for that stage in life are attained. It further attempts to prepare for the next stage(s) and for accomp professional 1 culation along

ishing a higher quality of personal, social, and fe. To achieve these purposes, continuity and arti- the vertical dimension of education are essential.

9. Lifelong e ucation also seeks integration at its horizontal and depth dimensions at every stage in life.

For any particular stage in life, integration between the physical, intellectual, affective and spiritual aspects of life is necessary for full development of personality. Such an integration is also required for performing personal, social, and professional roles i n a harmonious manner and for taking care of all tasks ranging from the simplest to the most complex ones in an optimally effective manner.

10. Contrary to the elitist form of education, lifelong educatioy: is universal in character. It represents democratisaticn of education.

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Education, according t o the new construct, is no longer t h e prerogative o f a few. Equality of access t o education for all is provided a t any stage in life, t h e chief criterion o f elicibillty being one's capacity t o profit from it. During the past several decades the main effort the world o v e r was t o universalise primary education. In the new educational scene, efforts will have t o be made t o universalise lifelong education. In these efforts lie the seeds of democratisation o f education and the consequent fulfilment of an important human right. This ideal might call f o r a different strategy for technologically less advanced countries compared t o that o f t h e others.

11. LifeZong education is characeerided by -its fZexibiZity and diversity in content, Zearning tooZs and techniques, and time of learning.

A system o f lifelong education breaks away from a monolithic, uniform, and rigid system o f education. It allows learning t o take place a t one's own pace and time and according to one's own areas of interest. It responds t o the diverse needs and circumstances o f individuals. As knowledge expands and new skills develop, diversity in the content and form of learning increases and the process of learning becomes individualised and self-directed. As o n e acquires skills and understanding about one's own learning, one moves towards self-learning and self-directed learning. Even in the programmes o f group learning, which will be needed for specific purposes, the individual participates t o an increasing degree in deciding the content and tools o f learning. Rigid entry r e q u i r e ments, formal certificates, and such other things that come in t h e way o f allowing individuals t o pursue their new interests and develop t h e i r full potentiality .are .to.be..repl.a-ced.by .a Ple-xible, unrestrictive, and open educ.ation system.

12. Lifelong education is a dynamic approach to education which attows adaptation of materials and media of learning as and when new developments take place.

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Lifelong education is geared to the needs of a changing society. It is sensitive to change and absorbs new developments in the content of learning as well as in educational technology. I t enables individuals to adapt themselves to the changing world and also prepares them for creative participation in the process of change. This characteristic is closely connected with the qualities of f 1 exi bi 1 i ty and diversity of 1 ifelong education.

13. Lifelong education allows alternative patterns and forms of a c q u dr i zg i c a ti o 7' .

This characteristic is again intimately linked with the characteristics of flexibility, diversity, and dynamism. In order to make lifelong education a practical reality, alternative ways of acquiring education are necessary in place of the full-time, institutionalised and teacher-centred form of learning. Recent developments like own-time learning, sandwich programmes, evening classes, week-end courses, newspaper courses, correspondence courses, open universities, radio and TV courses, video-taped lessons, computer-aided instruction and a host of others are examples of alternative patterns of education. Alternative learning strategies such as independent individualised learning by programmed instruction and other techniques, formal and guided learning in small groups on projects, informal learning in small groups like study circles or in large groups like community meetings, and combinations of various learning strategies are examples of alternative forms of acquiring education. Thus, creation of a variety of educational arrangements, application of different learning strategies and adoption of new technologies of communication to suit the educational needs - both known and un- known - of the individual and the society characterise the concept of lifelong education.

14. Lifelong education has two broad components: generat and professional. These components are not completely different from each other but are inter-related and interactive in nature.

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On account of scientific, technological and other advancements, many professions a r e directly influenced in o n e form or another. S o m e other professions are indirectly influenced by these changes. Consequently, new learning is required f o r maintaining professional efficiency. New job-skills have t o b e inculcated, new attitudes formed and new understandings acquired as and when such changes come about. But the socio-economic, political and sci-tech changes also influence everyday life, generate a new culture in the society, produce new value systems, change the extent and pattern of leisure, influence life-expectancy, alter life-roles, and so forth. All these call for t h e development of new life- skills, the modification o f beliefs and attitudes from time t o time, and the updating o f information almost continuously in one aspect of daily life or another. Hence, lifelong education in the general and cultural domain is essential. T h e quantum and quality of such .education depends upon various factors like social and geographical mobility, economic development, and socialisation of technology. Thus, for proper adaptation t o the ever-modernising world and for creative participation in a rapidly changing society, both general as well as professional types of lifelong education are becoming increasingly necessary. These may be acquired in a formal or non-formal, planned or incidental manner as the case may be.

15. The adaptive and innovative functions of the individual and the society are fulfilled thaough lifelong education.

Lifelong learning, in its varying levels o f complexity, has always existed since the dawn o f the human race for t h e fulfil- m e n t of an adaptive function. Man, a t any point in history, required continuation of learning on account o f biological and internal changes occurring in h’im during his life span as well a s environmental and external changes that brought new life problems for adaptation and survival. Any amount of formal education during childhood and y o u t h w a s never sufficient t o take c a r e of t h e adaptive function throughout life. T h e process o f lifelong

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learning in some form was therefore always operative. Such learning was often unconscious, incidental and problem-oriented. Some societies created various customs, traditions and life-styles to acquire lifelong learning in a more natural and effortless manner. The rapid and incessant changes o f the present time have simply accentuated the need for lifelong education since life problems have become more complex and certain problems demand a systematic and multi-disciplinary approach to tackle them. Consequently, a global consciousness has grown for the.need o f every individual to adapt to social, economic, political, industrial and ecological changes apart from physiological and psychological ones. Adaptation to external forces calls for adjustment in the inner life. Hence, lifelong education is aimed a t self-realisation, self-fulfilment, and the fullest development of personality. For this purpose, a passive adaptation is obviously not enough, The process requires innovative and creative participation in the enhancement of cultural, professional, and personal growth. T h e ideal of lifelong education, viewed in the context of the modern world, greatly emphasises the innovative function besides the adaptive one.

16, Lifelong education carries out a corrective function: to take care of the shortcomings of the existing system of education.

The present system of education is under serious criticism for its lack of relevance to life, for its lack of meaningfulness for the young, for producing disinterest in learning, for its isola- tion from the community, for its examination-ridden character, for its indifference to out-of-school experiences and so forth, Lifelong education is expected to act as a corrective measure by merging school and out-of-school education in a horizontal continuum, by linking education in the h'ome, school, and society in a vertical continuum for fullest possible human growth, by making all education participatory as well as preparatory, by paying full regard to the individual's needs, problems and levels

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of growth, by reforming the outmoded system o f examination, graduation and certification, by stressing learning rather than teaching, and so on.

17, The uZtimate goal of'lifelong education is to maintain and irnprovs the quality of life.

T h e meaning of t h e term "quality o f life" depends on the value system of a society. It depends upon the political system, concept of the good life, social beliefs and traditions, economic situation, and many other factors. While there are still many differences regarding the notion of the good life and differences in the living conditions in various parts o f the world, it is clear that the human community on this "spaceship earth" has in many respects come closer than ever before. This is on account of the new means o f transport and communication, the emergence of international organisations and several other factors. It is true that some countries are struggling hard t o achieve a basic mini- m u m level of economic growth t o improve t h e sub-standard life of their people whereas some others have a problem of effective utilisation o f increasing leisure. Amidst this stark reality of the present day world there exists a universal need f o r peace, a desire t o counteract the dehumanising influence of technology, and an urgent necessity t o prevent pollution o f air and w a t e r which are a common and limited property of all people on this planet irrespective of t h e territorial boundaries of individual countries. These and many other factors like t h e population explosion and the indiscriminate exploitation of limited natural resources play a major role in carving o u t a common core o f values repre- senting the quality o f human life o n this globe. T h e r e are o f .

course some variations in certain aspects of life in different parts of t h e world, but ultimately, the personal and social good of all people has t o be achieved and enhanced. Lifelong education, in its ultimate analysis, aims a t this lofty ideal.

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18. There are three major prerequisites for lifelong education, namely, opportunity, motivation, and educability,

Adequate opportunity for both formal and non-formal learning in professional as well as general sectors is an important prerequisite. For many kinds of learning a rich educative environment in the home, community and educational institutions is necessary. Here learning must be as natural and effortless as possible. Apart from incidental learning, a variety of provisions in the form of paid study leave, in-service programmes, on-the-job training, etc. will be necessary to create ample opportunities for learning a t any time in life. Once the opportunities are created, the individuals must have a desire to learn. Lifelong education becomes more and more self-education and self-directed education as the person develops himself from stage to stage. P strong will to profit frorr educational opportunities for all-sided developvent is therefore an essential ingredient for making lifelong education a practical reality For this, lifelong education should consider the felt needs of the individuals. The process of education itself should further motivate the learner to continue learning. Educability is the th rd major prerequisite to achieve the aspirations of lifelong education. Educability is the readiness to profit from learning opportunities, It includes skill in the techniques of learning, ability to plan and implement one's own programme of learning, ability to utilise effectively different tools and media of learning, ability to carry o u t independent learning with self-reliance and confidence, ability to profit from inter- learning in a group or inducted learning o f a formal system, ability to select from and take advantage o f a variety of learning strategies and situations, ability for self-evaluation of progress, and so forth. Education, in one sense, becomes a process for the enhancement of educability, and in the other, utilises educability for producing recurrent learning a t different stages of life and in diverse areas of growth.

23

19. Lifelong education is an organising principle for all education.

A t a theoretical level, the construct o f lifelong education provides an organising principle for all education, since it e,ncompasses all levels, forms and contents of education. As a principle, this concept deals first o f all with life, where the individual, society and t h e physical environment are considered.* It then deals with development and change throughout the life period, and these include different stages of human development; different aspects o f development such as physical, intellectual, social, vocational, etc; and general a s well as uni.que roles that every individual has t o play in different situations and at different times in t h e life-span. In order t o accomplish optimum development and. change by educational processes, different foundations and contents of education are considered. All these complex considerations w h e n put together in a cohesive manner provide a theoretical framework f o r lifelong education.

20. At the operational level, lifelong education provides a total sustern of all education.

Ultimately, t h e theoretical concept o f lifelong education when operationalised provides a comprehensive system o f education. This new educational arrangement encompasses all learning systems for the full life-span o f every individual. From an operational point of view therefore, lifelong education is conceived a s a system of education. T h i s should be t h e system o f all education because o f the all-embracing nature o f the concept. T h e system o f lifelong education draws its guidelines from its theoretical framework. An operational framework of the system o f lifelong education includes a w h o l e complex o f goals; assumptions; formal and non- formal patterns of education in the home, school and community; educational management including planning, structures, organisation, finance, etc.; and the entire technology o f education including objectives, curriculum, learning strategies, means and

24

media of learning, evaluation procedures and s o on. A theoretical cum operational framework should provide a total perspective f o r lifelong education,

C O N C L U S I O N

In t h e foregoing pages some twenty characteristics of the concept of lifelong education are enumerated. They pertain t o different facets of the concept such as functions and goals,. qualities, spread, structure, strategy, system, etc.

characteristics employed here has been found t o be useful in defining a complex concept like lifelong education in a.comprehensive manner. Instead of working out a single sentence definition, the technique provides scope for fuller and multidimensional description of a complex idea, Such a method has also been found profitable in concretising and specifying t h e concept in terms of its elements which is perhaps the first s t e p in moving towards its practical application. P f t e r . a l 1 , o n e of the chief purposes of identifying the concept-characteristics is t o translate this abstract but apparently promising idea into everyday practice. It is hoped that the concept-characteristics such as t h e ones ennumerated here would b e helpful in translating the concept into reality.

T h e technique of identification and formulation of concept-

A s stated earlier, the catalogue of concept-characteristics presented here is not exhaustive. This is only a f i r s t exercise to 9 comp shou stat them

nerate a dialogue and discussion s o as to a rrive a t a m o r e e t e and refined list o f concept-elements. This exercise d also lead to further clarification regarding t h e m o d e of ,ig concept-characteristics and a rationale f o r sequencing although one might feel that there may not be j u s t one way

of doing this.

for different levels and areas of education as well as f o r different aspects of educational technology. T h e process of eliciting implications is made easier a s these characteristics describe

T h e concept-characteristics are useful in deriving implications

25

the concept in a more concrete, speciPic and y e t comprehensive manner. F o r example, i f educability is one of the prerequisites of lifelong learning, the implication o f this characteristic is that enhancement of educability rather than acquisition of a large number of specifics in particular subjects should become an important objective of education during childhood and adolescence. Similarly, if education d o e s not terminate with formal schooling, then the curriculum f o r school education should not be studded with adult experiences often meaningless to the child, in t h e name o f preparing him f o r adult life. Thus it is possible t o interpret one or more concept-characteristics and work out a variety of implications f o r a total education system or any part of it in order t o make lifelong education real and practicable. T h e concept-characteristics can also be used for establishing the rational validity of an educational implication. Quite often o n e hits on an implication o f lifelong education rather intuitively. Such an implication c a n be checked and validated against concept-characteristics. It appears that the process of identifying concept-characteristics, deriving practical implications and validating them provides a methodology for t h e operationalisation and application o f the concept o f lifelong education.

Following the thinking involved in the process o f identifying concept-characteristics, it is possible to develop a comprehen- s i v e th3oretical and operational framework for lifelong education such a s the one proposed a t t h e end of this section. Such a concomitant outcome is possible on account of the f a c t that the concept-characteristics call f o r a minute analysis o f the concept o n t h e o n e hand, and simultaneously m a k e it possible t o view their interconnections and coherence on the other. Consequently, it becomes possible t o begin t o perceive a total educational model in a concrete, concise, and manageable form. Evidently, the time has now come t o g o beyond the initial phase o f working only a t t h e conceptual level o f lifelong education. In doing so it appears that concept-characteristics and their multiple use for operationalisation o f the concept merit research, reflection and developmental work. T h e phase of operationalisation should

26

not only put this ideal into practice, but also test out and refine the concept-characteristics for further application,

GENERAL REFERENCES

Adiseshiah, Malcolm S. LifeZong education, Document no. 7, Inter- national Educational Year Special Unit, Paris: UNESCO, 1970,

AIEPA, Lifelong Education. Report of the Meeting of Experts held in August 1970. New Delhi: Asian Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, 1970.

Bloom, Benjamin s. Compensatory Education for Cultural Deprivation. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1965.

Bloom, Benjamin S. StabiZity and Change in Human Characteristics. New York: Wiley, 1964.

Coombs, Philip H. T h e WorZd EducatioraZ Crisis. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968.

Council of Europe, Permanent Education. A Compendium of Studies. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 1970.

Dave, R.H. "Towards a Theory of Educational Extension". Teacher Education 10, no. 4 (1966). New Delhi: National Council of Educational Research and Training,

Greenough, Richard. "Adult Education and National Developvent". Unesco ChronicZe 18, no. 4 (l?72), pp. 131-134.

Hartung H, Pour une Bducation permanente. Paris: Fayard, 1966. Houle, C.O. "Continued Professional Education in the USA". Life-

long Learning - A Symposium on Continuing Education edited by F.W. Jessup. Oxford: Pergamon, 1969.

Convergence 1, no. 4 (1968), pp. 12-21.

Follow-up". The School Review, June 1968, pp. 109-209.

Harper & Row, 1970,

Education. Oxford: Pergamon, 1969.

UNESCO, 1970.

HusGn, Torsten. "Lifelong Learning in the Educative Society".

Hus'en, Torsten. "Talent, Opportunity and Career: A Twenty-six-year

Illich, Ivan. DeschooZing Society. World Perspectives. New York:

Jessup, F.W., ed. Lifelong Learning - A Symposium on Continuing L e Veugle, Jean. Initiation a' Z'kducation permanente. Paris:

Lengrand, Paul, "L'Education des adultes e t le concept cation permanente", Convergence 3 , no. 2 (1970).

Lister, I. I' T h e Concept of Deschooling and the Future ry Education". Mimeographed. Amsterdam: European Cu F,oundation, 1971.

de 1"edu-

of Seconda- tural

27

Maheu, Ren8. "Pour une education permanente". Convergence 1, no. 1 (1968).

Mead, Margaret. CuZture and Commitment: A Study of the Generation

Schramm, W. e t al. The New Media: Memo to EducationaZ Planners. Gap. Garden City, N.J.: Natural History Press, 1970.

Paris: UNESCO International Institute f o r Educational Planning, 1967.

Wilhelmsen, Leif J. "Cultural Activities i n Lifelong Education". Convergence 1, no. 4 (1968).

Wroczynski, Ryszard. "Lifelong Education as a Result o f the Scien- tific and Technological Revolution". Society and Leisure, no. 1 (1972). Prague: European Centre f o r Leisure and Education.

28

A THEORETICAL AND-OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK

FOR LIFELORG EDUCATION

- Means of Knowledge in

Foundations Communication: diff. fields of study, - of verbal, non-

Educa t ion verbal, new e.g. sciences, aids, etc. SOC. sciences,

langs., etc.

LIFE Its components

-

-

LIFELONG Deve 1 o pmen and Change stages and aspects of growth, an general an unique lif roles at different points in the life- span

I t Development of

and obsolescence of the known

1 ’ Cultural stock new know 1 e dge of human know 1 edge

EDUCATION To accomplish deve 1 o pmen and change throughout life : Foundat ion Content ani Means of El

Formal s - Professional --L

An

- Assumptions underlying - - - Lifelong Education \

\

Guiding Principles for Dew

goals, assumptions, guiding principles , forms of learning

\ 11 Learning on-f ormal

Sit uat ion- structure s of learning

# ~- eloping the System of L.E. - !,

Manage- ment of Lifelong Ed.

Learning Systems: Home,School,Community

i

Techno- logy of Lifelong Ed.

Educational \

Management \

Stages of Development , e.g. childhood, young adulthood, etc.

Educational Technology

Life Roles : General A Unique

7 A, 7

t 1 1

Development, e.g. physical, intellectual, social, vocational,

I I > I I >

System Finance L - Evaluation Planning Organisation

- System Struct. i

for diff.Stages Administration Manpower Res e arch & Aspects of Ed i SUPPlS -

l r

System of Lifelong Education I

I 3bjectives for Ciiff, Stages & Aspects of Ed.

General Learning

I - I I Learning Learning Strategies and Media and Guidance Processes Materials , -

I L

Goals of Lifelong Education

I

Evaluation I Evaluation rll

I I

1 1 i I

fizzxq internal Eval. rzzz-l

* The sign

& means interaction between two entities, and the sign

means interaction among all entities.

2. Implications of the Concept

of Lifelong Education for School Curriculum

INTRODUCTION

The idea of lifelong education has recently emerged as a significant organising principle for all education. This section deals with implications of this concept for school curriculum, T h e chief purpose of working out implications is to take further strides towards the practical implementation of the concept school programmes.

The first logical step in deriving the implications is to the concept and identify its specific characteristics, A pre

n

study imi -

nary exercise of identifying and enumerating concept-characteristics of lifelong education has been carried out as reported in the previous section. The present section is devoted to the implications of the concept for school curriculum and is based on several steps covered so far in this exploratory study,

CLARIFICATION OF TERMS

The term "curriculum" is used in a broad sense to cover the entire school programme. It includes objectives defined at dlfferent levels of specificity, planning and implementation of curriculum, teaching-learning processes and materials, and evaluation. Since the school structure is very intimately related to the school programme, the former is given special consideration along with the latter. Other related aspects like teacher preparation and administration are also considered where necessary. Both macro

29

and micro aspects of the curriculum are included. T h e tern! is deliberately viewed in a wider s e n s e s o that it provides enough flexibility f o r this exploratory kind of study,

secondary levels of education. Depending upon the notions of school and schooling that may emerge in the context o f lifelong education, the terms include the institutions, organisations and programmes that provide systematic base-line education during the periods o f childhood and adolescence.

Yet another term that needs clarification is "lifelong education". This is a very comprehensive idea which includes formal as well as non-formal learning extended throughout the life-span of an individual t o attain t h e fullest possible development in personal, social, and professional life. It includes all desired learning that occurs in a planned or incidental way in the home, educational institutions , community, and place of work. Lifelong education encompasses all stages and aspects o f education in an integrated and articulated manner. In this context, school education that generally corresponds with t h e period of childhood and adolescence is a part o f lifelong education. T h e idea of lifelong education is characterised by flexi bi 1 i ty , diversity , universality, and dynamism. It therefore presupposes t h e existence of alternative arrangements for acquiring education, and t h e adoption of a variety o f learning strategies, tools, and techniques t o suit the varying educational needs and interests of individuals at different points in time. Lifelong education is designed t o help the individual and the society t o fulfil their adaptive and innovative functions. It also acts as a corrective measure for the existing system of education. T h e ultimate a i m - o f lifelong education is t o improve the "quality o f life" in a positive spiral. T h e construct acts as an organising principle for all education and provides direction f o r t h e development and modification o f t h e total system o f education. Thus it becomes essential t o work out implications o f this concept f o r school programmes and curricula which form an integral part o f t h e total system of education.

T h e terms "school" and "school stage" refer t o the primary and

-30

THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF IMPLICATIONS

Some implications of the concept of lifelong education may be more relevant to the primary stage, some others to the secondary stage, and still others to both. It is conceivable that some of the implications relevant to the school stage are also applicable either to the pre-school period of.develcpment or to later learning during youth and adulthood,

Each implication should normally belong to a particular aspect of curriculum such as objectives, learning processes, evaluation, etc, Some implications may however be related to more than one such aspect. It is assumed that the classification and organisation of iwplications under different aspects of curriculum should facilitate the process of actual ivplementation of the findings in school programmes.

should prove useful to curriculum planners, teacher educators, practising teachers, administrators, research workers and others concerned with school and out-of-school education. They may also prove useful to some extent to those concerned with other sectors o f education. Even parents, community workers, and others may profit if the implications are presented to them in an appropriate form. The implications would normally be in the form of principles and guidelines for the development and modification of school programmes, Hence they should be specified and organised properly for their effective use by curriculur workers, school educators, and others concerned.

The implications derived from the concept of lifelong education

METHODOLOGY OF DERIVING IMPLICATIONS

As mentioned before, the first logical step in deriving implications of the concept of lifelong education is to study the concept itself in all its perspectives and identify its characteristics in concrete and specific terms. This step has already been taken and some twenty concept-characteristics have tentatively been

31

located. These are reported in detail in the first section and summarised in this section when clarifying the term "lifelong education".

T h e next step involves multiple approaches to arrive a t implications o f t h e concept f o r school programmes and curricula. One approach is t o consider individual characteristics and elicit the implications o f each for various aspects of school curriculum. This is a simple, rational approach, although, in practice, there may not be a neat one-to-one relationship between a concept- characteristic and the implications derived from it. Another, somewhat m o r e complex approach is t o consider more than one concept-characteristic and derive implications from different clusters. This requires imagination, experience, and understanding o f interconnections among different characteristics. This is also basically a logical approach where, f o r every implication so derived, there is a justification based on two o r m o r e concept- characteristics. A third approach is t o propose implications for school curriculum intuitively. T h e s e are often based on a gestalt of t h e concept. In this approach the concept-characteristics are useful in establishing t h e rational validity o f t h e implications identified intuitively. Rational validation is important a t this stage for accepting, modifying o r rejecting an intuitively identified implication. T h e present study has revealed that the implications obtained from literature and personal consultation are sometimes based on the gestalt o f the concept; they are often intuitively identified, and hence need further treatment f o r purification and refinement. Evidently, there are advantages as well a s limitations in any o f these approaches. It is therefore desirable to adopt an eclectic approach t o obtain as many implications a s possible f o r different aspects o f school curriculum. Besides, a m u l t i p l e approach technique provides m o r e scope for exploring different possibilities o f obtaining curriculum implications.

T h e third majbr s t e p is t o classify and organise t h e implications f o r t h e use of curriculum planners, teacher educators, and others concerned. A s s t a t e d earlier, the implications may be

32

organised under different aspects of school curriculum for professional workers in education. For others, such as parents or political leaders, a different type of presentation is obviously necessary.

SOME ILLUSTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

It is beyond the scope of this section to present all the implications that can be obtained for different aspects of school programmes and curricula. Nor is it possible to describe ful the process of deriving the implications or their rational validation, as the case may be, without making this section unduly long. Hence, only a few examples o f curriculum implic are enumerated here to' initiate discussion on this practical

Y

tions

aspect of the study. The illustrative inplications are presented under major aspects of school programmes and curricula.

A. Objectives

Objectives provide guidelines for the selection and organisation o f content, learning processes, evaluation, and school organisation. Derivation of implications of lifelong education for school objectives is therefore very crucial. A few examples of the implications for educational objectives are given below:

1 ) Awareness of t h e need for lifeLong learning a) T h e learner develops an increasing awareness of the

modern world, the rapidity of changes occurring in all walks of life, the phenomena of expansion and obsolescence of knowledge, and o f changes in life-roles as well as physiological conditions a t different stages of 1 ife.

education but a first systematic step towards lifelong learning.

b) H e realises that school education is not the end of

33

c) He develops an understanding o f his personal responsibility f o r progress in life by acquiring new knowledge, skills, and attitudes from time t o time.

later life f o r his personal growth and that of society. d ) He realises the importance o f continuing learning during

2) Enhancement of educability While every human being has some basic potential t o learn, this has t o be developed and cultivated properly through school education so that he can benefit maximally from learning opportunities throughout life and also share his enlightenment with others.

Instead of emphasising specific learnings in different curriculum areas, a programme of lifelong education implies a special stress on the enhancement o f educability during the basic stage o f formal education. T h e specifications o f this objective are listed below as illustrations: a) T h e learner develops competence to profit from different

learning strategies such as learning under t h e guidance o f a teacher, learning without a teacher, inter-learning in small groups, exchanging teacher-learner roles in different situations, independent individual learning, etc. H e develops flexibility in adapting alternative learning strategies.

b) H e develops basic learning skills such as purposeful reading, keen observation, listening comprehension, verbal and non-verbal communication, etc.

c) He also develops basic intellectual skills such as rea- soning, critical thinking, interpretation, application, and methods of inquiry.

d) He is able to use a variety o f learning media, materials and aids, such as textbooks, work books, general reading books, newspapers, radio, TV, programmed lessons, etc., with e a s e and discrimination.

e) He develops skill in identifying his learning needs and becomes’ competent in planning, conducting, and evaluating his study.

34

3 ) Exposure to broad areas of learning a) The learner is exposed to a number of areas of knowledge

and skills that may provide a broad basis and wide choice for the pursuit of further learning,

different disciplines of knowledge instead o f their contents only.

c) He develops mastery over essential elements of individual subjects of study including basic terms and vocabulary of a given subject, major concepts and principles, etc. rather than a large number of specific details.

d) He acquires skill in adopting the tools of learning and specific methods of inquiry in different subjects.

e) He begins to identify his interest in different aspects of knowledge and activities in relation to general and professional life.

f) He makes a personal commitment to progress in physical, intellectual, social, cultural, and professional aspects of life and equips himself adequately with the coping skills and creative abilities required for future growth.

b) He acquires familiarity with the nature and structure of

4) Integration of school and out-of-school experiences a) The learner perceives learning i n the school and outside

the school as interconnected and mutually reinforcing, b) School learning helps him to profit more from the educa-

tional opportunities available in the home and the community, and vice versa.

c) As his school education advances, he becomes increasingly competent to participate in the intellectual, social, and cultural activities in the family. He not only gains more

y but contributes more to from other members of the fami them.

d) He begins to participate in va neighbourhood and community as progresses.

ious activities of the his school education

e) He develops understanding about himself and his life role in the context o f the home, the community, and the world of work.

35

These are examples o f overall objectives of school education with specific reference t o lifelong learning. On similar lines, objectives of different curriculum areas or subjects at different stage o r grade levels could be formulated. S o m e o f these will b e common objectives that will cut across various learning systems such as the home, the mass media, the youth club the church or the fair. Incidently, such objectives can serve as valuable binding threads f o r integrating in-school and out-of-school learning.

B. Curriculum Content

Curriculum content is another important aspect of the school programme f o r which implications of t h e concept of lifelong education must be considered. Given below are some examples o f implications of this concept for the selection and organisation of curriculum content.

1) T h e curriculum areas o r subjects o f study should be selected in such a manner that they provide a wide basis and choice f o r further education both in general and professional fields. T h e subjects should provide a basic framework f o r adult learning.

2) Special stress should be given t o t h e instrumental subjects a t the school stage. A c a s e in point is the study o f lang- uages. A high d e gree o f mastery should be acquired in one language t o develop communication skills f o r further learning. A r e a s o n a bly good command over a second language is necessary t o widen t h e scope of ut 1 earning.

3) While selecting subjects and organ nature of individual subjects m u s t Subjects like science, civScs, and changes in respect o f their conten

lising more sources o f

sing their content, the be taken into account. economics undergo quick and need frequent up-

dating. Other subjects like music and art have certain elements, especially t h e skills involved, which by themselves a r e permanent in nature, although innovations d o take place in these subjects as well.

36

4) In the process of selection and organisation of content, the emphasis should be shifted from specific bits of knowledge which quickly become obsolete, to those aspects which constitute the structure of the subject, key concepts of the curriculum area, and tools and methods of inquiry specific to the subject. In other words, the curriculum areas or subjects should be designed in such a way that they provide tools o f inquiry, basic starting points and practice grounds for acquiring the methods and tools of 1 earning.

with educative experiences in home, community, and work situations. The content should be organised, where possible, in terms of the real problems of the community. These problems may draw on knowledge from different disciplines of study. For example, the study of traffic problems or ch?nges in the natural environment may have a bearing on community needs and may become an inter-disciplinary programme. The members of the community can also be drawn into the study so that the curriculum content becomes community- based and participatory rather than just preparatory to passing conventional examinations.

6) The curriculum content should have an appropriate mixture of work and study. Academic study should be inter-related with work situations wherever possible, They may either be real or simulated and should provide adequate learning possibilities so that the learner forms a habit of using work as a potent means for the enhancement of learning. Thus, the subjects of study should not be confined to those that are print-bound; rather the curriculum should provide enough opportunities for learning through those curriculum areas that involve manual activities.

fine arts in general that include non-verbal as well as the so-called non-scholastic activities, apart from manual ones, should also be given due place. T h e total curriculum should

5) The content of school curriculum should have vital links

7) Similarly, those curriculum areas like music, drawing, and

37

have a balance of verbal, manual, and non-verbal areas o f study in place of undue emphasis on verbal studies as is often the case.Even in the predominantly verbal areas of curriculum such as social studies and science, non-verbal and manual activities should be given appropriate weight. A t t h e secondary stage, greater flexibility should be built into the curriculum by providing freedom for the learner in planning and conducting his own study units, choosing curriculum areas and problems o f study, selecting suitable learning strategies, and s o forth. Each subject of study selected f o r inclusion in the curriculum should be examined in terms o f the possibility of its acquisition and applicability a) in the home, school and community; and b) during pre-school age, school age and post-school age. For example, the study of the first language has a substantial home-based component during the pre-school age. But the study continues practically throughout life not only in t h e home and the school but also at the place o f work and in the peer group, Likewise, the curriculum in health, hygiene and nutrition education can attain its goals only when integrated efforts are made in the home and the community alongside the school. In f a c t what is required is the home and societal curriculum and not j u s t the school curriculum t o achieve the objectives. Similarly the acquisition potential for subjects like science or mathematics lies largely in the school but their applicability extends t o daily life outside the school.

C. Learning Processes and Materials

Learning processes vary among students, teachers, and school systems. They are also very sdbtle and intangible; Consequently, it becomes difficult t o work out t h e implications of lifelong education in terms of specific learning processes. However, an attempt a t certain general implications regarding learning materials and processes can be made, such a s those illustrated below.

38

1) Adequate emphasis should be placed on self-learning by the individual student right from the beginning of formal education. The learner should thereby develop self-reliance in respect of his own education and acquire confidence i n independent lear ing besides mastering basic skills and techniques of s e f-learning. As he proceeds from level to level, he libera es himself from the formal system of education rather than becoming a slave o f it, Ideally, formal schooling should culminate in making every learner his own teacher,

2) Similarly the techniques of inter-learning should be used frequently so that every learner interacts with his peers and others in varied situations. As a result, he should be able to play the roles of a leader or a follower, a te or a learner, depending on particular circumstances.

vidually a t the initial stages and for certain defined contents of study. The need for guided learning should

3) There will be a need for guided learning in groups or

cher

ndi -

however, become less and less as the learner advances in age, educability and maturity. Guided learnivg for individuals should aim a t removing specific deficiencies diagnosed by means of formal or informal testing. While the volume and frequency of guided learning may become less after obtaining adequate initial education, it will not be totally eliminated. Guided learning, which is relatively more formal, should continue during one's working career and beyond for professional retraining as well as for general and cultural advancement. The pattern of guided learning will change when periods of education, work, and retirement that exist today in a rigid chronological sequence will be intermingled in a new design for life. Hence, a sound basis for utilising life should be

4) As the learner responsi bi 1 i ty ning and organ

he skills of guided learning during later formed during the school stage. advances in years, he should be given more and allowed to take the initiative in plan- sing his own education so that he develops

39

skill and confidence i n self-directed learning. Furthermore he should not only s o l v e t h e problems identified by others, but locate and pose problems himself, around which he can pursue mu1 tidisciplinary studies either independently o r in a group.

. 3) T h e problems o f study should have an element of reality and relevance t o the learner's needs a s f a r as possible. F o r this, a variety of community activities and out-of-class observations of social and natural phenomena should be planned. Contemporary problems of the society, t h e home, the world and the physical environment should be used t o develop such activities. In addition to teachers, parents and other members of the community may be used as resource personnel f o r planning and implementing such activities. In other words , a close link between t h e home, the school, t h e media of mass communication and t h e community should be established in order t o realise the new objectives o f school curri cul um.

carry o u t guided learning, inter-learning and independent individual learning in different curriculum areas. Concei- ving learning aids i n a larger sense, they should encompass t h e inexpensive and easily available materials in the environment, as well as the more sophisticated ones like radio, TV, teaching machines and computers, depending upon their availability. Alternative aids should b e used t o accomplish the same goals wherever feasible s o that the learner develops flexibility in using different learning aids o u t of those available t o him.

6) A variety of learning aids should b e used by students t o

D. Evaluation Procedures

In the context of lifelong education, evaluation pnocedures must be considered in terms o f their psychological, pedagogical, and social functions and consequences. Further, the new objectives that emerge from the ideal o f lifelong education will obviously

40

be the reference-criteria for designing a suitable programme of evaluation. Some guidelines and issues related to evaluation procedures in the perspective of lifelong education are enumerated below as illustrations.

1) The tools and techniques of testing should be focussed on evaluating the extent of educability developed by individual students. Instead o f testing merely the level of growth at a particular point in time, it will be important to appraise the competencies developed for attaining further growth through later learning in formal and non-formal settings. This will include evaluation of competencies like mastery in learning skills, facility in adopting alternative learning strategies, ability to identify learning needs and so forth.

in order to make it an integral part o f self-learning and self-directed education in later life.

achievement rather than just measure it for the purposes of classifying students or issuing certificates to them. Eva- luation of educational achievement should be improvement- oriented.

4) The programme of evaluation for certification and graduation should be revised. It should be reviewed in the light of the needs o f the individual, the society and the educational institutions when a programme of lifelong education begins to operate in full measure. The validity and tenure of certificates and credits should also be reviewed i n the context of the total programme of lifelong education.

5) In order to ensure the progressive rather than the regress- ive influence of evaluation on lifelong education and in order to ensure the formative rather than selective function of evaluation, a differential evaluation system should be developed, thus enabling every learner to discover his strengths, and his chances of success in some areas of study,

2) Appropriate emphasis should be attached to self-evaluation

3) The chief purpose of evaluation should be t o improve

41

thereby building u p a positive attitude towards future learning.

6) In place o f a unifonm and single-track system o f evaluation, a flexible scheme should be devised which may have several alternatives and their combinations such as full self- evaluation, internal evaluation, internal cum external evaluation, accumulating credits f o r the units studied, and comprehensive evaluation o f a summative character. An appropriate alternative should b e chosen according to particular needs of individual aspects of learning.

7) Curriculum evaluation should be made an integral part o f t h e total evaluation programme so that the antecedent factors .

o f educational achievement like curriculum plans, materials , and processes can be constantly examined and improved.

E. System S tructure

F o r t h e effective implementation o f curricular changes emerging from the concept of lifelong education, it is m o s t essential t o bring about major changes in the structure and organisation of the present school system. What is still m o r e important is t o change our whole attitude towards the school and the process o f schooling. S o m e examples indicating the directions o f change a r e cited below.

1) T h e s y stem o f school education is a part of the total educational continuum and not a segregated and insulated entity. There should not therefore be a sharp break between different stages o f education. T h e movement from o n e stage t o another should be a s open and unrestricted as possible.

2) There may b e a need t o provide univevsal, basic education during the period o f childhood and adolescence picking up the thread of initial learning that occurs informally during the pre-basic stage o r pre-school age. T h e rest o f education may be treated as post-basic education. Structur- ally, therefore, there are two major categories besides t h e pre-basic stage: basic and post-basic education. T h e school

42

system, in a new sense, should be chiefly responsible for providing basic education. This presupposes that appropriate arrangements for post-basic education according to the concept o f lifelong learning have been made.

3) Instead of increasing the period of compulsory education as knowledge expands and the society becomes more complex, the period of basic education should be restricted to a certain minimum, and opportunities for further learning according to the varying needs of the individual a t different stages of life should be created.

4) School education does not become a terminal point but only a phase i n the total learning programme. T h e structural elements that produce the attitude that education ends with schooling should be modified.

5) In place of a single model for providing base-line education to all children, multiple models and alternative methods for performing the same task should be found in order to de- formalise the school system, to merge school and out-of- school learning and to reduce the rising costs o f education where there are financial constraints. Evening schools, part-time schools, mini-schools, correspondence courses and open plan schools are some examples of such alternative structures and methods.

F. Other Aspects

In the process o f deriving implications for the school curriculum, corresponding implications for several other aspects of school education such as teacher preparation. guidance, administration, and finance also emerge. Although i t is beyond the scope of the present study to work out implications for these aspect-s in detail, certain consequences that are identified while working on the central theme need not be ignored and excluded. T o illustrate the point, a few concomitant implications pertaining to teacher preparation are cited here.

43

1) T h e teacher, as an adult, should demonstrate and s e t an example by his own natural behaviour how he himself carries o u t lifelong learning.

by becoming an animator for group work and individual studies, by acting a s a co-learner in certain situations, by acting as a co-ordinator o f learning activities, by becoming a facilitator of self-learning at appropriate points, and so forth.

3) T h e programnc of teacher preparation should be changed t o equip the teacher with skills and attitudes necessary t o handle the new school programme effectively. T h i s would include greater mastery over the application o f a variety o f instructional strategies, learning techniques, teaching aids, evaluation procedures, etc.

the concept o f lifelong education and its consequences for school programmes and curricula. This theme should therefore be a part of the pre-service and in-service programme of teacher education.

5) T h e institutions f o r teacher education should a l s o simultaneously modify their own programmes and practice t o create an environment reflecting the characteristics o f lifelong learning.

2) T h e teacher will have t o change his role in the new system

4) As a f i r s t step, the teacher should b e familiarised with

IMMEDIATE A N D LONG-TERM MEASURES

T h e task o f operationalising lifelong education at t h e school stage is not over w h e n t h e relevant implications are identified. The next phase is t o bring about necessary changes in all pertinent aspects o f t h e system. This is no doubt a stupendous task demanding intensive efforts over a long period of time. However, it appears that there are a f e w implications, such as the incorpo ration of some new instructional objectives and t h e adoption of certain learning strategies intended t o increase independent

44

learning and inter-learning, which can be put into practice to a large extent without any delay, Certain implications do not require any extra cost or special preparation, What they d o require is a firm decision and the will to act. They can therefore be implemented as immediate measures to move towards the ideal of lifelong education. Then there are other implications which can be implemented only when an adequate arrangement for lifelong learning during the post-adolescence period has been made, the existing system o f graduation and certification altered, certain research and development programmes carried out, and other prerequisites met. The implementation of these measures will require simultaneous action on various fronts. Of course one does not start from scratch, but still this implies the formulation of a sound strategy and a long-term plan o f action including a preparation phase followed by a total or stage-wise implementation phase as the case may be. Thus, the process of implementing this complex but vital innovation in education and life demands a multi-pronged strategy, starting from those points where immediate implementation is feasible and moving on to others which require the creation of new infra-structures in the system o f education and the society a t large, for successful realisation of the aspirations of lifelong education.

it is important to appreciate and study a few educational innovations that are quite in line with the concept o f lifelong education. The Peruvian reform focussed on linking education with social reform through a network of educational nuclei is notable in this connection, Also, the development in Cuba of a complementary, informal system of education, parallel to the school system. is a significant attempt to integrate the school with the community and the world of work. Similarly, the community schools that exist in the United Kingdom, USA and some other countries reflect several characteristics of lifelong education. Other isolated schools and school-groups in different parts of the world have also successfully tried out innovative practices and programmes. These innovations generate confidence in this new movement on the

In order to facilitate and hasten the process of implementation

45

one hand, and on the other, provide concrete guidelines f o r the development of valid strategies f o r large-scale implementation of the ideal of lifelong learning a t the school stage.

CONCLUSION

This section presents certain tentative outcomes of the study on the concept of lifelong education and its implications for school curriculum. It is focussed on the practical part of the study which covers derivation o f curriculum implications based .on the conceptual analysis given in the previous section.

certain terms and t o the methodology o f deriving curriculum implications from concept-characteristics, a number of specific examples of implications are given. It is beyond the scope of this section t o list all implications so f a r identified through multiple approaches and t o work o u t their justification f o r rational validation. However, a f e w illustrative implications under different aspects of the school programme are presented with a view t o initiating a dialogue and discussion on the operational aspect o f lifelong education in this field. T h e implications are classified under six categories, namely objectives, curriculum content, teaching-learning processes, evaluation procedures, system structure, and other related aspects.

A look a t the examples o f implications mentioned in this section shows that these statements are largely in the form of specific guidelines and principles pointing t o the modification of the operational and structural aspects of schoc-1 programmes. T h e implications stated under the category of objectives a r e seemingly different from the rest. This is because objectives by definition a r e guiding stars for t h e rest of the school programme, T h e s e implications can therefore b e more directly introduced in a curriculum plan. For o t h e r implications, further operational steps a r e necessary in t h e form o f developing specific curriculum content, devising new learning activities or constructing new evaluation instruments.

After a brief presentation pertaining t o the clarification of

46

Some implications require developmental programmes f o r devising necessary materials and tools before they can be implemented. Some others need empirical research t o solve several problems inherent in them. Still others require training and orientation programmes for teachers and other educators. In any case, it may be worthwhile to begin with small-scale experimental try-outs o f different operational ideas t h a t emerge from t h e concept o f lifelong education.

in the existing syitrri o f school education w i t h o u t any elaborate preparation, others can be implemented only w h e n an adequate mechanism for lifelong education during t h e post-school period is established and other similar pre-conditions a r e fulfilled.

While some implications can be put into practice imrrediately

It is howe and school tions that concept of to plan ou principles

er reassuring t o note that a f e w isolated institutions systems have already introduced significant innova- are in line with one or more characteristics of t h e lifelong learning. They can provide useful guidelines

of lifelong education a t the school stage. dependable strategies f o r w i d e r implementation of the

GENERAL REFERENCES

Adiseshiah, Malcolm S. Lifelong Education, Document no. 7, Inter- national Educational Year Special Unit. Paris: UNESCO, 197C.

Block, G.H. Mastery Learning: Theory and Practice. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1971.

Bloom, Benjamin S. Compensatory Education for Cultural Depriua-

Bloom, Benjamin S. Stability and Change in Human Characteristics.

Cortright, Richard. "The ,Interaction of A d u l t Education and

tion. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1965.

New York: Wiley, 1964.

General Education". Paper prepared f o r t h e UNESCO Third World Conference on Adult Education, Tokyo, 1972. Mimeographed.

udies. Council o f Europe. Permanent Education, A Compendium of S Strasbourg: Council o f Europe, 1970.

Dave, R.H. "Taxonomy o f Psychomotor Domain". Deuelopments cational Testing edited by Karlheinz Ingenkamp. London University o f London Press, 1969.

in Edu-

47

Dave, R.H., P.M. Patel, ed. Educational Evaluation and Assessment. New Delhi: National Council o f Educational Research and Training, 1972.

Filipovic, Dragomir. "Permanent Education and Reform of the Educa- tional System in Yugoslavia". Convergence 1, no. 4 (1968).

Goodlad, John 1. School, Curriculum, and the Individual. Waltham, Toronto, London: Blaisdell Publishing, 1966.

Goodlad, John I., ed. Behind the Classroom Door. Worthington, Ohio: Jones, 1970.

Houle, C.O. "Continued Professional Education in t h e USA". Lifelong Learning - A Symposium on Continuing Education edited by F.W. Jessup. Oxford: Pergamon, 1969.

Convergence 1, no. 4 (1968), pp. 12-21.

Follow-up . The School Review, J u n e 1968, pp. 109-209.

Harper & Row, 1970.

Education. Oxford: Pergamon, 1969.

programmes scolaires. n.p.

UNESCO, 1970.

UNESCO, 1970.

Education". Mimeographed. Amsterdam: European Cultural Founda- tion, 1971.

(1968).

Convergence 1, no. 4, (1968).

Husin, Torsten. "Lifelong Learning in t h e Educati.ve Society".

Husin, Torstfn. "Talent, Opportunity and Career: A Twenty-six-year

Illich, Ivan. DeschooZing Society. World Perspectives. New York:

Jessup, F.W., ed. Lifelong Learning - A Symposium on Continuing

Landsheere, Gilbert de. Une Mdthodologie de la construction des

Lengrand, Paul. An Introduction to Lifelong Education. Paris:

L e Veugle, Jean. Initiation d l'&ducation permanente. Paris:

Lister, I. "The C o n c e pt o f Deschooling and t h e Future of Secondary

Maheu, Ren'e. "Pour une 'education permanente'. Convergence 1, no. 1,

Wilhelmsen, L e i f J. "Cultural Activities in Lifelong Education".

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3. Implications for Research and Other Activities

It is amply evident from literature study in the field o f Lifelong Education and School Curriculum that very little research has s o f a r been carried out in this area. On the other hand, there is much evidence to show that the pressing need f o r research and other activities has been clearly recognised and expressed in literature and discussion. In view o f this situation, one of the tasks undertaken as a part of the present explcratory study j s t h e identification o f areas and problems o f research, as well as other activities such as the development o f materials and the co-ordination of programmes and projects. While activities like developmental and co-ordination work are important in their own right, research activity assumes prime significance at this stage of evolution o f the concept for obvious reasons. Therefore, various aspects o f research in this field are considered here in more detail. Other activities are also considered, but only briefly.

NATURE OF T H E FIELD OF STUDY

In order to formulate suggestions for research, it is i m p o r t a n t t o take into account from the outset t h e nature of the field o f study itself. For this, at least f o u r important features of the concept of lifelong education must be emphasised:

1. C o m p l e xity

Lifelong education with vertical , hor

is a very comprehensive zontal and depth dimens

and complex idea ons. It encom-

49

passes the total system of education, formal and non-formal , general and vocational, initial and recurrent. It therefore calls f o r a multi-pronged and flexible approach not only f o r research but also for the development of materials, and t h e implementation of new programmes.

2. Universality

T h e idea of lifelong education has attained universal popu- larity and has, in consequence, acquired global dimensions in a relatively short period o f time. It has y e t to b e applied in full t o most educational and social systems, but its appeal as a promising construct and its acceptance as a plausible solution is indeed world wide. I t implies, among other things, ‘that research and other activities are not t o be confined t o individual countries but should be carried o u t a t the international level. In other words, the activities should be designed t o match t h e geographical spread o f t h e idea. A t the same time, t h e nature o f studies should vary from t h e reflective, descriptive and hypothesis-generating type t o t h e highly quantitative and experimental type. T h e r e should also be basic studies f o r guiding decision-making a t various levels. In order t o implement various decisions, task-oriented and instrumental research will likewise be necessary. A l l t h i s implies that t h e work in this field will vary i n its nature and purpose, and will range from small- scale, well-controlled laboratory studies t o broad and comprehensive inquiries a t t h e national and cross-national levels.

3. N e w Meaning and Function

T h e old idea o f lifelong learning is in t h e process o f acqiiring a new orientation a s a result o f contemporary developments in many aspects o f life. T h e new meaning o f this concept has t o b e properly identified i f i t is t o fulfil t h e developmental needs o f individuals and societies,

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and help meet the challenges o f the modern world. It follows, therefore, that the concept should be studied in all its dimensions, that it should be tested out in real situations, and that its new meaning and function should be fully grasped by carefully examining the interplay between its theoretical and practical aspects. It also follows that new research strategies and new implementation procedures m u s t be thought out where necessary t o s u i t the new orientation o f this idea.

4. Consequences for Other Sub-systems of Society

T h e introduction of a programme of lifelong education is bound t o have certain consequences f o r other sub-systems of society which should be given careful consideration w h e n planning for research, developmental projects and other activities. For example, t h e changes in the present formal system o f education in accordance with the aspirations o f lifelong education will bring about major changes in the labour market. T h e age-structure, learning needs, and overall composition o f the labour force will be drastically changed. Yet another consequence results from the fact that lifelong education goes far beyond t h e arena of the existing formal system of education. It includes t h e home which provides a unique situation-structure of learning and serves as a crucible in which a variety of inter-generational interactions occur, These interactions form a very significant part of education not onlr for children but also f o r parents. In consequence, the role of the parents and life- style of the family will be greatly influenced. T h e r e will also be repercussions on different facets o f the community such as work-places, trade unions, social and cultural organisations (besides educational institutions), religious institutions, m a s s m e d i a and so forth. Educational institutions themselves will be affected i n many respects, and t h e need for creating new structures or learning systems o f all varieties, rangtng from highly structured and formal t o

51

almost entirely unstructured and felt. T h e s e examples point t o the lifelong education has t o extend formal system of education.

nformal ones, will s o o n be f a c t that research work in uch beyond t h e realm o f t h e

These major features o f lifelong education point t o the enormous range o f problems f o r research. They provide a general basis for developing specific research activities in t h e m o r e focussed field of s-chool education.

study is school education and, in particular, school programmes and curricula. However, the home and the community, as other learning systems, cannot be totally neglected since they interact with school learning, In f a c t t h e traditional concept o f the school itself changes w h e n seen from t h e standpoint of lifelong learning. T h e school, in t h e new concept, has many organic links with the home and t h e community, which break the barriers between in-school and out-of-school learning opportunities. This perspective o f school education widens the field o f research considerably.

t h e nature and scope o f the field of study. They are:

It is true that our direct field o f interest in the present

To sum up, there are three crucial factors that determine

1) t h e features o f the concept o f lifelong e d u c a t f o n

2) t h e school programmes and curricula as t h e field

3) the new relationship o f t h e school with t h e home

viewed in the context o f research,

o f immediate interest, and

and the community. These factors should provide further help in identifying more specific areas and problems o f research.

It is not intended t o prepare an exhaustive catalogue Of tesearch studies that can be undertaken in this field, even i f this w e r e possible. What is aimed a t is the initiation o f m o r e concrete thinking by stating as examples a variety o f research projects and other activities. T h e s e may in the first place b e useful t o t h e Unesco Institute f o r Ed'ucation f-or developing its future programmes t o b e conducted either independently or in

52

collaboration with other institutions and individuals. It is hoped that these suggestions will also be of some help t o other organisations. institutions and research scholars in under- taking research and developmental projects on their own. They should a t least provide a more concrete basis for discussing the need and significance for research in the field o f lifelong learning and school education.

There are many ways of organising these research suggestions for the purpose o f presenting them here. However, in view of the fact that the field of study has both a conceptual character and a practical orientation, the suggestions have been presented under two broad categories, viz., 1) conceptual studies, and 2) operational studies. It is, of course, recognised that s o m e studies cut across the boundaries between the t w o categories. Further, the studies o f one category invariably have implications f o r the other. This division is therefore made f o r practical purposes only.

CONCEPTUAL STUDIES

T h e construct of lifelong education is s o fundamental and far- reaching that it calls f o r a reexamination of practically all aspects o f the theory of education. Educational science or the theory of education is normally developed for the formal stages o f institutionalised learning. This is a rather narrow conception. It does not cover in a systematic manner either the total life- span or the different patterns and forms o f learning that prevail in the home, the place of work and the community at large.

Traditionally, the theory o f education is based on psychology and philosophy. T h e significaEce o f the sociological foundation has only lately been realized. No doubt these aspects are of prime importance. But several others such as demographic, ecological, physiological, economic and anthropological aspects also seem t o be relevant in deriving basic ideas f o r developing lifelong education. Therefore a series o f careful studies t o draw relevant implications from these disciplines is also necessary. It may b e

53

possible to carry out initial studies within individual disciplines, but at some stage a multi-disciplinary approach will have to be adopted, in order to arrive at a well-synthesised and coherent theory o f lifelong education. Some studies may be reflective and interpretative in character whereas some others may require experimentation to test out hypotheses for arriving at valid relationships and principles that may provide guidelines to the operational aspects of lifelong education.

Psychological Aspect

Educational psychology is one area in which considerable progress has been made and voluminous work has been produced on various psychological facets of education for different stages of growth. It is now necessary to review important constructs o f educational psychology for different stages o f human development so as to obtain an integrated vertical view of learning throughout the entire life-span. Such a study can provide basic-information for the vertical articulation of curriculum, instructional materials, learning processes, etc. Similar studies may provide guidelines for horizontal integration in learning, which is another important characteristic of lifelong education. Furthermore, motivation is one o f the three major prerequisites of lifelong learning, the other two being opportunity and educability. While a good deal of work has been done in the area o f motivation, new questions have arisen in the context of lifelong education. How can children be motivated to ensure continuance o f appropriate learning throughout their life? How far does the teacher's own motivational level f o r learning influence that o f the children? How can the home provide motivation to a22 members of the family for lifelong learning? What kind of motivational dynamics should prevail in a "learning society"? These and many more such issues will have to be tackled through psychological research so as to evolve a theoretical base for lifelong education.

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Philosophical Aspect

Similarly the philosophical foundation of lifelong education will have t o be studied and reconstructed. Lifelong education is itself a value which should be integrated into an internally consistent value system. It is purposive in character and its final goal is t o improve the quality of life. T h e philosophy o f life explicit or implicit in a given society determines the modality of lifelong education. In one sense, the concept of lifelong education places a great responsibility on the individual t o attain the highest possible quality of life throughout his life-span. How f a r this is justifiable and practicable is one important facet of study. But lifelong education is equally concerned with the social good. Is it possible t o achieve t h e social good and simultaneous’ly attain the highest form o f self-realisation? If so, w h a t principles should govern the design and development of the practical aspects of lifelong education? All these points require systematic study so t h a t philosophical guidelines can be evolved for t h e development of lifelong learning in a harmonious manner.

Sociological Aspect

T h e sociological aspect of lifelong education is no less significant. Lifelong learning is concerned with the different roles of the human being w h o has to act at various times as child, parent, sibling, friend, learner, teacher, worker, life partner, and so on. Several of these roles have t o be performed concurrently, and role changes occur - as time passes. T h e roles associated w i t h t h e individual vary in the home, in t h e community, in t h e place of work and so forth. T h e individual has t o move from o n e s t a g e of development t o the next and respond t o social expectations a t each stage. T h i s i n f a c t Is o n e o lifelong education is based. thelr interactions and confl gical foundation o f lifelong as well a s empirical studies

the mainsprings on which the idea of The knowledge of different roles, cts m u s t be developed into a sociolo- education by means o f interpretative

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Physiological, Demographic and Other Aspects

Basic ideas and guiding principles need to be derived on similar lines from demographic, ecological, physiological, anthropological, economic and other relevant aspects. The ideas and implications derived from these aspects may i n some cases be of a different order than those derived from psychological, sociological and philosophical aspects, nevertheless they are as important as the latter in providing a firm theoretical foundation for developing the structures and programmes of lifelong education. It is not possible to elaborate on all these new aspects here for want of space. Some details are, however, given below for the physiological and demographic aspects.

The physiological or biological aspect is vital for lifelong educat$on but is hardly considered, except indirectly when d e v e l o p ing educational theory. This lacuna must be filled Soon for one can ill-afford neglecting one of the mainsprings of lifelong learning. T h e phenomenon of physiological change, occurring at different stages of the life-span, was in the past one of the factors that caused the need for lifelong learning. While scientific and technological advancement is only a recent generator of this concept, the physiological factor is as old as humanity and will continue to be of special significance in the programmes of lifelong education. I n fact physiological change is both a subject and an object of lifelong learning. Hence, this aspect requires a number o f sequential and parallel studies directed towards exploring its multiple facets. How can one prepare oneself emotionally as well as rationally for different physiological changes - including growth, maturation, and decay - that come about at different stages of the life-cycle? What preparation can be made during childhood and adolescence through schools and other situation- structures of learning? What preparations cih effectively be made at later stages of life? How do physical environments, social customs and life-styles influence physiological change? What are the modificdkions necessary for optimum functioning? How does physiologicil change interact with intellectual, social, vocational and other development? How d o physiological factors condition

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learning at different stages o f life? How d o they control and condition different types o f learning at any particular stage o f life? T h e s e are only illustrations of t h e kinds o f questions that ought to be tackled through a variety o f studies aimed a t developing the physiological foundation o f 1 f e l o n g education. S o m e questions will have to be studied in conjunction with psychological, sociological and economic aspects, and will thus require inter- disciplinary treatment.

On similar lines, the demographic aspect o f lifelong education merits systematic study. Lifelong education is f o r all p e o p l e and for all age groups. Education f o r anyone age group is linked in many ways with that o f all other age groups. Hence it is essential t o examine relevant demographic elements in order t o form a basis for t h e practical aspects of lifelong learning. T h e total population, age structure, life expectancy, and other demographic features o f a particular community o r a country should be studied from the standpoint of lifelong education t o derive basic guidelines and implications. O n account o f the unprecedented r i s e in world population during this century, changing age structures in the developed and developing countries, increasing longevity, and world-wide concern for attaining a reasonable quality of life f o r all people, the demographic aspect o f lifelong learning has gained special significance. In particular this aspect should be studied in relation t o the economics o f lifelong education.

Motivation and Educability

While analysing the concept o f lifelong education in t h e first section, three prerequisites, for putting this idea into operation, were mentioned. These are motivation, educability and opportunity. T h e last one is largely a matter o f administrative and organisational provision calling for an innovative approach. T h e f i r s t t w o prerequisites, however, require basic research followed by practical and developmental activities.

S o m e suggestions about t h e kinds of questions t o b e tackled regarding motivation have been m a d e w h e n considering t h e broader psychological aspect and are not repeated here. Questions in the

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area of educability need careful study. Educabjlity refers t o t h e skills o f learning and inter-learning. While learning t o learn is important in lifelong education, learning t o teach as well as t o learn, i.e. inter-learning, is no less significant. What are the processes o f optimal development o f educability? How can educability b e cultivated properly in the pre-school and the school stages t o ensure efficient lifelong learning? How can the pupil be taught n o t only how to learn but also how t o inter-learn? What is t h e r a t e o f growth o f educability? What is t h e relationship between educability and chronological age? What is its relation- s h i p t o intelligence, scholastic aptitude and personality traits? There a r e many such issues regarding different aspects o f educability which m u s t be examined and understood, and their practical implications worked out.

Vertical and Horizontal Integration

Ever since the term “integrated lifelong education” was mooted in o n e o f the forums o f UNESCO some y e a r s ago, quite a few educational thinkers have expressed their views on t h e meaning and significance o f vertical and horizontal integration in lifelong learning. Al- though t h e word ‘integrated” has now been dropped from the term, t h e significance o f vertical and horizontal integration is in no way reduced. T h e critical question is really how t o bring about such integration. T h i s requires fundamental research. What is the nature and process o f integration? Why is integration needed in lifelong education? Under w h a t conditions does optimum integration take place? Is integration an external environmental phenomenon o r an internal organismic phenomenon o r a combination of external and internal factors? Only when t h e phenomenon o f integration is clearly understood, can it be applied effectively t o practical si tuations.

T h e concept o f integration has been a matter o f great concern f o r s o m e time In t h e field of curriculum development. Many attempts have been m a d e s i n c e t h e beginning of this century t o produce ln- tegrated school curricula by breaking down the barriers between discipline-based subjects o f study. Similar attempts have been m a d e

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in specific curriculum areas like social studies and general science. T h e subject of social studies is inter-disciplinary i n nature and it is supposed t o offer an integrated approach t o the study of man and society. T h e integration of history, geography, political science, economics and other social sciences should take place in the social studies curriculum. General science a s a school subject has undergone a similar development. By drawing on relevant knowledge from physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy and other sciences, a variety o f problems o f daily life related to air, water, food, health, means o f communication and transport, flora and fauna, etc. are studied. Several integrated science programmes and projects have been introduced in the past few years, It is now necessary to examine these innovations in order t o find out how integration is extent it can be accomplished, w h a t and what problems are encountered in integrated curricula.

However, the question of integrat

brought about, to what ts essential elements are, planning and practising

on is much larger in the case of lifelong education. Here the issue is n o t confined t o accomp shing integration within the school curriculum. T h e problem is establish integration between the school curriculum, t h e commun curriculum and the home curriculum; the last t w o being largely invisible and latent. Also, apart from curricular integration, there are problems of structural articulation, organisational

i -

t Y 0

integration and s o forth. Vertical articulation implies the estab- lishment of curricular, structural and other types of linkage between the pre-school, the school and t h e post-school stages of 1 earning.

Thus, the problem area of integration demands a variety of investigations. What are t h e different aspects o f integration? W h a t is included under (a) horizontal, and (b) vertical integration? How is each type accomplished? What is t h e r o l e o f the teacher, and the individual learner in this process? What, if any, is the difference between integration, articulation and co-ordination? Answers to these basic questions will m a k e the operational work in lifelong education m o r e effective.

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Other Areas

Apart from the aforementioned areas of conceptual studies for which some specific details have been given, there are others equally important areas which for reasons of space can only be briefly touched on. For instance, basic studies on communication theory i n the context of lifelong learning merit some priority, especially on account of the development of mass communication technology and its tremendous influence on learning both inside and outside the school. Similarly, for the development of appropriate implementation strategies, the cybernetical aspects of lifelong education should be studied. A. fair amount of work has already been done on the application of cybernetics to the formal system of education, This, when expanded for all education, should provide a good insight into the ways and means of reform+ng education according to the new perspective.

Other areas and problems of basic research are bound to come u p as research, development and implementa

General Remarks

It may be observed that i n order to bui

ion programmes proceed.

d a sound theoretical basis for lifelong education, one does not have to start from scratch. Lifelong education probably provides the next higher stage i n the on-going evolution of the field of education - and as such the theoretical knowledge and experience acquired so far i n this field is of considerable value. T h e vast amount of knowledge that exists at present about the foundations of education, human development, learning processes, etc. is very relevant. Much of this should be usable subject to refinement and -reinterpretation. New knowledge will certainly have to be added to meet the challenges of the new phase of educational evolution, and to keep u p the process of innovation. T h e role and function of the conceptual studies illustrated here should therefore be viewed in this perspective.

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OPERATIONAL STUDIES

In t h e previous section various examples o f conceptual studies w e r e cited. Their findings, coupled with existing knowledge, should supply the theoretical base necessary for developing practical applications of lifelong education. Moreover, they should provide a matrix of theoretical criteria f o r validating new educational practice.

Scope and Delimitation

T h e practical aspect o f lifelong education has vast dimensions. It is concerned with learning that occurs in the home, educational and other social institutions, work places and in society at large. It is also concerned with goals, processes, concrete learning materials, mass media, etc, These facets pose a large number of operational problems that need research and development. Clearly, it is beyond t h e scope of the present study t o consider all the different kinds o f operational studies that emerge. T h i s section is therefore confined to examples of operational studies at t h e primary and secondary school level. One o f the major assumptions underlying them is that school education is an integral part o f lifelong education during the stages o f childhood and adolescence and that the former has the potential t o serve as a base for education in later life.

Even the field of school education is very extensive and so these operational studies are further restricted t o t h e substantive aspects of education, including curriculum planning, instruction, evaluation, teacher preparation, etc. M o s t o f the supportive aspects of school education such as planntng, administration and finance are considered where found essential. T h e liyitations im- posed by this approach are acknowledged, but it is also recognised that a feasible and mutually reinforcing s e t o f studies f o r a research programme could not be provided without a s h a r p focus.

T h e concept-characteristics of lifelong learning and their implications for school programmes indicate several practical issues t h a t will have t o b e resolved by m e a n s o f operational

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studies and concomitant developmental activities. It is clear that the aspirations of lifelong education will not be achieved without bringing about major changes i n substantive aspects of school education. Needs for new objectives, new curriculum plans, new procedures of instruction and evaluation, for a new relationship between the school and other societal agencies are imminent. The nature of the innovations necessary and ways of implementing them are exemplified in the operational studies illustrated here.

Evaluation of Existing Curricula and Practices

One of the high priority research projects consists of the evaluation of existing school curricula and practices i n the perspective of lifelong education. T h e present exploratory study will enume- rate concept-characteristics of lifelong education and a number of their possible implications for school curriculum. On the basis of this, reasonably valid evaluative criteria can be worked out. These criteria can then be applied to existing curriculum plans, instructional materials and processes, testing procedures and other practices i n order to find out

1) how far existing curricula meet the requirements of life-

2) what adjustments are necessary to bring them into line with

T h e study will have the nature of "presage" curriculum evalua- this principle.

tion aimed at identifying changes needed i n the existing system for the purposes of developing a systematic improvement programme. It can be taken u p at the institutional, national or international level. For example, a group of countries may plan a co-operative study under the aegis of an international agency. The first stage will require the formulation of evaluative criteria and the development of instruments necessary for carrying out national studies in the second phase by the co-operating research centres. The third and final phase will consist of the cross-national com- parison of findings. Following the general design of the national studies, other countries can carry out similar studies for their own school systems more quickly and effectively. The evaluative

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criteria, instruments and technical know-how emerging from this operational study can be provided to those countries, curriculum centres or individual schools that wish t o undertake similar programmes o f curriculun: evaluation and improvement.

Planning and Curricula

Another, obvious area of study is curriculum planning in t h e perspective o f lifelong education, This comprehensive area will need a number of investigations, some running concurrently, and others of a sequential nature. Certain studies may need replication and revalidation in different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

o f school education in the perspective of lifelong learning. T h e s e should be identified at different levels, starting from planning objectives and going on t o curricular, institutional and instructional objectives, The concept-characteristics of lifelong education will provide one significant source for this work. Several models for deriving educational objectives are available. Litera- ture containing guiding principles and examples o f w a y s o f stating objectives at different levels, techniques of specifying them and grids for their classification is profusely available. Utilising t h e available technical know-how and illustrative materia1,a s e t of new objectives from the standpoint o f lifelong learning should be systematically worked out. T h e rational validity of these objectives should first be established and then they should be applied in curriculum planning. Empirical validation should be attempted when the objectives have been translated into practice,

identified will provide guidelines f o r selecting and organising curriculum content, developing instructional materials and processes, and constructing suitable techniques and tools o f evaluation. From the operational point o f view, this project constitutes a major s t e p towards concretising t h e ideal of lifelong learning for educati,on during childhood and adolescence.

One important study needed is the identification o f objectives

Such a study is of great significance since the objectives thus

Experimental and developmental research will be necessary t o

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operationalise some of the new objectives. For instance, one of the objectives that is bound to appear, as an implication of lifelong education in o n e form or another, is the development o f competence for self-directed learning. This is one of the central ideas in lifelong learning. It will therefore be essential to find out the specific elements that constitute competence for self- directed learning, what the learning situations for developing this competence are, and how it can be evaluated. Incidentally, this particular example is a case of goal-oriented micro-curriculum. Likewise, other objectives should be studied at the micro- level either singly, or in combination with others as particular situations warrant.

identified, the next question in curriculum planning is the selection and organisation of curriculum content. This will have to be considered a t both macro and micro levels. What curriculum areas should be selected and how should they be weighted in the context o f the new goals? Will they be discipline-based or inter- disciplinary? W i l l their curriculum content be in the form of subject-content or processes or both? How will both horizontal and vertical integration be established among them? How will curriculum content be utilised f o r operational purposes? How will the school curriculum be connected with the latent curriculum operating in the home and society? How can o n e achieve a balanced mixture and fusion o f work and study? How can the curriculum be made flexible and open? These and many other issues will emerge, some of which will have to be solved by rational decisions and others by small-scale studies. In the area of curriculum planning and reconstruction, many studies based on individual elements are possible. But their findings are only useful to the extent that they contribute towards the more complex task of reconstructing a comprehensive curriculum. However complex this task, it is imperative that it be undertaken, For this, developmental-cum-experimental research-is required. It can be carried out in two ways depending ?n particular circumstances. O n e is t o undertake an experimental programme of curriculum planning in individual curriculum areas, such a5 language arts, environmental studies

Once the new objectives of primary and secondary education are

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or health education. The other is to undertake an experimental comprehensive curriculum development project for the school stage including all curriculum areas and activities. It may be mentioned, in passing, that i n both cases the techniques of formative curriculum evaluation must be used.

The experimental programme of curricululr: development in icdivi- dual curriculutr areas may be taken up as an alternative when it is not possible to tackle the whole curriculum simultaneously for some reason. In this case, based on the concept-charateristics, general curriculum implications, specific nature of the curriculum area and other relevant factors, an experimental version of the curriculum plan should be worked out in detail, If feasible, a l t e r native variants of the curriculum design should also be developed. They may then be tested experimentally to determine their efficacy and effectiveness. Similar studies on individual curriculur areas should be carried out in a small sample of schools.

The experimental project of developing a comprehensive curricu lum plan includes several additional elements in the tryout that are missing in the testing of individual curriculum areas. It w i l amount to the experimental introduction of comprehensive reforms emerging from the concept of lifelong education in all the substantive and in certain of the supportive aspects of selected institutions. The experiment will include simultaneous changes in objectives, instructions, evaluation, structure, adrinistration and other relevant components of the co-operating schools in order that reasonable and generalisable findings emerge.

T h e project should not only test curriculuv materials but should also provide significant leads on many other aspects of the innovation such as the cost factor, administrative implications of curriculum change, the role of the school in a learning society, teacher preparation, and overall management of the reform. Such information is vital for devising a programme of curriculum implementation.

Teaching and Learning Procedures

This is the central and most crucial aspect of lifelong learning.

In any research on objectives, curriculum planning, curriculum implementation or teacher preparation in the perspective of lifelong education, teaching and learning procedures occupy a pivotal position. No satisfactory progress could be achieved in research and development relating to other substantive aspects of education without simultaneously resolving the practical questions of teaching and learning.

How must one teach in accordance with the new goals of school education? What materials are to be u'sed and how? How should the animator of a learning group act? How can one let the learner learn? How can the motivational system of the learner be main- tained? How can individualised learning be promoted? How can inter-learning be initiated? A large number of such issues come up while considering practical aspects of teaching and learning.

This area has been in the focus of educational research for a long time and much of the knowledge and experience gained so far appears to be useful. However, the concept of lifelong education aims at changing the very framework of schooling as it exists today, and hence the new elements which characterise the change call for systematic study including action research. It is therefore important to identify these relatively new elements, and also those that are emphasised in the context of lifelong learning, in order to carry out operational and developmental studies. For example, o n e witnesses a special stress on linking the school with the community to integrate in-school and out-of-school learning needs, procedures and outcomes. How can this be done under differing circumstances? What is the role of the teacher in this process? What learning materials and processes should be used for breaking down the barriers between different learning systems? These questions deserve systematic investigation, There are several other new objectives that are emphasised. Self-directed learning has already been discussed before. Creating awareness for lifelong learning, and cultivating an attitude of striving f o r overall progress throughout life a r e other examples o f such objectives. It is necessary to locate these objectives and launch special studies on developing goal-oriented teaching and learning.

Similarly, operational and instrumental research on various

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forms of styles of learning is needed. A large a m o unt of research literature on self-learning has been produced in recent years. But guided learning, although practised from time immemorial i n the traditional instructional system, has not been studied specifi- cally as a learning style. Further, the concept o f t h e teacher is t o be extended to include parents and others w h o have this function during different stages of life. T h i s provides a new perspective for research on guided learning. Yet another learning style, which may be termed inter-learning, needs t o b e treated afresh. No doubt the process of learning is vital, but t h e process o f teaching is no less important f o r guided learning. T h e technique of inter-learning combines both these processes in a unique way and presupposes t h e alternation between learner and teacher roles by t h e m e m b e rs o f a learning group. Even though this learning style is prevalent and is crucial i n promoting learning w i t h i n different learning systems such as the home, the school, the place of work, little systematic work has s o far been done on it.

task, f o r it belongs to the practical art of education - often called educational technology. Many ingenious and enthusiastic teachers and researchers have developed a variety of methods that are, by coincidence, in line with the concept of lifelong education. Such innovative practices m u s t b e identified and studied., This point is developed later in more detail while suggesting several examples for case studies. In addition t o the case studies, the vast experience hitherto accumulated in this area should not be lost sight of, It should be surveyed and evaluated against the criteria of lifelong learning. This effort will m a k e the task of new research in this area easier and more manageable.

T h e process of innovation in teaching and learning is an endless

Eva1 uati on

It is seriously feared that the goals o f 1 f e l o n g e d u c ation w not be accomplished unless t h e examination systems prevalent many countries of the world are reformed. t is f e l t that the present attitude of pupils, teachers, parents and the general

1 1 n

public towards examinations, and t h e current system of grading and

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classification is likely t o be an impediment t o the growth of a new educational system organised on t h e principles o f lifelong learning. It is essential therefore to take a fresh look a t the problems of testing educational achievement, and evolve new procedures and tools f o r effective evaluation.

Since the new concept anticipates a new pattern of evaluation, several studies will have t o b e mounted t o resolve entirely new sets of issues. F o r example, it will be necessary t o evaluate the student's educability i n place of his retention o f specific knowledge at a particular point in time. How t o d o this? How t o evaluate the skills of self-directed learning? How can evaluation serve as a device for creating a positive attitude towards self- organised learning? How t o appraise the student's competence in the use of different tools and techniques of learning? What elements should De built into t h e new evaluation system t o bring it into alignment with the flexible, open curricula and deformalised system o f school education? T h e s e questions illustrate the diversity of problems t o be tackled in this area.

In the system o f lifelong education, the role o f the evaluator is likely t o change significantly. T h e teacher will not be the only evaluator. T h e learner himself will assume greater responsibility f o r evaluating his own performance and monitoring his own course o f action a s he becomes more mature. Hence, continuous self- evaluation will become an integral part o f self-directed learning. Furthermore, corresponding t o the idea of inter-learning, a relatively new technique of w h a t may b e called participatory evaluation will have t o be developed. According t o this technique, a learning group carries o u t its own evaluation o r evaluates an individual w h o is part o f the group and participates actively in t h e process o f its evaluation. T h e purpose of participatory evaluation is not conventional classification, selection o r grading, but improvement o f performance, learning from t h e performance of co- learners and refinement o f learning skills by means of group i n t e r action. T h e participatory'evaluation system would no: only be useful t o evaluate t h e outcomes o f inter-learning but those o f other forms o f learning a s well. Evaluation by external teachers and t h e value o f the certificates given by them will also have t o

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be reviewed in the context o f the requirements o f lifelong learning. A m o r e flexible system will have t o be introduced. Thus, a large variety of innovations will be required in the organisational and technical aspects o f evaluation.

It has already been discussed earlier that new procedures of teaching and learning will have t o be devised t o match the new objectives of school education. Correspondingly, new evaluation tools and techniques will also have t o be devised for assessing t h e outcomes o f these objectives, Of course t h e substantial work done s o far on the problems o f goal-oriented evaluatior? should be valuable in this respect.

Evaluation studies can be taken up at the local, national or trans-national level depending on t h e nature of individual inquiries and the type of replication, validation or mutual support needed.

Comprehensive Case Studies

T h e literature survey carried out under the present project has shown that national case studies o f certain educational reforms that are in line with the concept o f lifelong learning are both necessary and practicable. Unlike the research fields described earlier, such as objectives and evaluation, these case studies can be designed t o study objectives, curriculum plans, teaching and learning processes, and evaluation in a comprehensive and inter- related manner. They can be made even more comprehensive by i n c l u d - ing other important dimensions such as educational planning, administration, financial commitments, teacher preparation, and the involvement of the home and t h e community. A s i m p l i c i t in case study technique, these dimensions o f education f o r the school stage (or any other stage) must be examined in depth and in t h e context o f the socio-economic, political and other aspects o f the country concerned.

Many countries have shown genuine interest in the idea o f lifelong education but have s o f a r not been able t o implement it on account of the comprehensive character of the concept. A f e w countries have, however, recently developed educational policies and

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programmes that are very much in line with t h e principles o f lifelong education.

In Cuba, f o r example, both formal and non-formal systems o f education have been significantly changed. "What is now being called informal or non-systematic education begins as soon as a person is born; it continues in t h e home and extends t o his rela- tions with t h e community which is a real trainiEg school." T h e new intra-school institutiosls are in t h e process o f evolution and their activities "transcend t h e academic sphere and overflow into the community in an original form o f participation which helps t o bring together the school community and t h e workers o r farmers o f the region".

Similarly, Peru has attespted a major change in its philosophy and practice of education. "The educational reforms drafted recently in Peru propose a thorough overhaul o f t h e system based on the principles o f lifelong education. T h e reforms bear on all educational institutions and activities in the country, both in school and out o f school. They extend well beyond the framework of a pedagogic reform and are conceived in relation t o radical structural changes in Peruvian society.'2

Similar developments a r e taking place in a f e w other countries. For example, Norway and Sweden a r e working on the idea of recurrent education which is based on the view o f education as a lifelong process. Several East European countries have been practising permanent education a t the adult level and have begun t o work on its implications for the pre-adult stage of education. The recent educational reform in Spain contains certain elements of the concept o f lifelong education. In Japan there is an attempt t o view education in its totality by integrating all purposeful learning that accrues in the home, school and community.

As these developments have great practical significance comprehensive case studies of selected countries a r e urgently needed. T h e findings should prove beneficial t o other countries and should

1 PPO6peCt8 2, no. 3 (Autumn 1972), pp. 361-368.

1

Report of the International Commission on t h e Development of Education. UNESCO, 1972, p. 182.

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also serve several other purposes related t o t h e theory and practice o f lifelong education.

The specific details of such case studies will obviously vary from country t o country depending on the nature and corltent o f t h e reform planned or implemented. However, certain important features that should be taken into account when developing research designs for individual studies are as follows:

1) Genesis o f the reform. Theoretical basis for the reform. Meaning attached to the idea of lifelong education. Principles behind the reform.

factors as antecedents of the reform. 2) Soci o-economi c, pol i tical , cultural , technological and other

3) Process of planning, enactment, if any, and implementation. 4) Problems of structural organisation, curriculum design,

examination system, teacher education, co-operation of the public, involvement o f employers, etc.

5) Solutions being tried out and their results. 6) Changes in school programmes and curricula. Their horizontal

integration with the home and the community, and vertical articulation with other sectors o f education.

parents. 7) Involvement of teachers, other educational workers, and

8) Administrative and financial aspects of the reform. 9 ) T h e degree of success attained s o f a r and the difficulties

being encountered. Gap, i f any, between the plan and its implementation and the intervening factors responsible.

10) Review of the concept-characteristics of lifelong education against the practical experience obtained so far.

Case Studies o f Innovative Practices

Of equal urgency and importance are the case studies of specific innovative practices that are closely related t o one o r m o r e characteristics of t h e concept of lifelong education and are being tried out by isolated schools or school groups. Atthough these practices are not necessarily developed strictly on t h e basis of the idea of lifelong education, they appear t o be in close

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conformity with one or more aspects of it. For example, several schools in the United Kingdom, the USA and other countries have been attempting to connect in-school and out-of-school programmes as well as programmes for various age-levels by locating them on the same premises, as in community schools. Also, there are a few schools in India which have successfully integrated programmes of work and study following the Gandhian philosophy o f Basic Educa- tion. Further, an experimental university in France is evolving techniques of self-organised learning. These are only a few examples that have been developed by different institutions which should prove immensely valuable in developing and implementing school programmes and curricula in the perspective of lifelong education. Case studies o f such innovative Dratices may not only provide tested procedures and materials but also indicate the difficulties .in introducing relevant reforms , precautions to be taken, and the type o f preparation necessary f o r the successful implementation o f innovations.

Teacher Education

Teacher education viewed in the context of lifelong education, is y e t another area of experimental and developmental research. One important change to be brought about in the school system is in the role and attitude of teachers. Teachers must, first o f all, understand the concept o f lifelong education and its implications for school objectives, instructional processes, evaluation procedures, relationship between school education and non-school learning, and so forth. Secondly, teachers should themselves become lifelong learners and set a good example to the young- sters in their charge. Third, they sfiould abandon their traditional role and become animators o f the learning process, co-ordina- tors o f learning activities, and co-learners among their pupils as well as their peers.

evolved and tried out in varied situations in order to arrive at strategies that would develop in the teacher the desired understanding, attitudes and skills in the perspective of lifelong

For all this a new design for teacher eaucation will have to be

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learning. One o f the problems of study would be: How t o modify present curricula, instructional procedures and practice teaching programmes of teacher preparation to meet the new demands of school education emanating from the concept of lifelong learning?

Similar investigations in the sub-area of in-service teacher education will also be needed. T h e content of in-service training, its time requirement, the techniques t o be used, and t h e overall strategy t o be adopted for involving all teachers i n t h e movement of lifelong education are important problems of research and development. T h e new programmes of teacher education are bound t o have many implications for teacher training institutions. Hence, the kinds of innovations necessary in these institutions should be worked gut concurrently.

Although the initial and continuing education of teachers is extremely necessary, on its own it is not likely t o be able t o sustain the reform. Other steps, related in some respects t o teacher education, will have t o be taken. For instance, the direct involvement and participation o f educational planners, administrators and other educators must be enlisted, if t h e new reform is t o be developed and organised effectively. This may, h a v e ' t o be done by well-designed orientation work adopting suitable techniques. For this purpose some pilot studies may be necessary. Similarly, ways o f enlisting the active co-operation o f parents, employers and other people w h o play a major role in establishing a learning society will have t o be devised. blso, advanced courses in the theory and practice of lifelong learning must be s e t up so as t o prepare a cadre of personnel w h o will provide fresh knowledge as well as feedback from time to time. In order t o evolve such courses systematically, certain exploratory and developmental studies will be necessary.

Other Areas

There are several other areas o f operational inquiry which cannot be described here in detail. Studies in the fields of educational planning, administration and finance are crucial in evolving a sound strategy for lifelong education. Similarly, s t u d i e s o n t h e

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likely consequences for different sub-systems o f society deserve attention. It has already been stated that certain reforms pertaining to basic and post-basic education are bound t o affect the age-structure o f the labour force and studies on the labour market are therefore necessary. Studies pertaining t o possible side- effects on other such sub-systems merit consideration.

Finally, studies with a broad sweep embracing both educational and non-educational areas -should b e given high priority. T h e example o f comprehensive national case studies, given earlier, is a case in point. A similar study at t h e level o f individuals rather than systems might be useful. It is not too difficult t o single o u t a f e w lifelong learners in various societies. They d o not always belong to the ranks of the highly educated. It appears that an examination of their work habits, attitude towards learning, general life-style, educational and occupational background, family influence, and such other aspects is likely t o provide valuable information. If such a study is conducted, people belonging t o several occupational fields (besides education) must be included. T h e point t o be emphasised is that studies cutting across a number o f areas of education and life should be undertaken t o obtain a many-sided, in-depth perspective of t h e operational aspects of lifelong learning and school education.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

S i n c e the new concept o f lifelong education is still in its formative stage, research activity assumes higher priority, But other kinds of activities are a l s o important f o r achieving the goals of lifelong education. They are therefore briefly mentioned.

Development of Materials

Needless t o say, a v a s t variety o f materials will be required t o propagate this idea and put it into practice. Certain materials like curriculum plans f o r school education, specific instructional materials, evaluation tools, and curriculum plans for teacher

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preparation will result from various experimental and developmental studies as mentioned in the previous sub-section. In addition, certain materials like readings in the theory and practice o f lifelong learning, textual material and audio visual aids f o r schools and teacher training institutions, and reference material for parents and other adults containing information about t h e significance o f lifelong learning and their roles in this movement should be developed and published,

Documentati on

The present study has shown that literature on lifelong education is being produced in all parts o f the world at a rapid rate. It is mostly in the form of papers and group reports o f symposia and journal articles. The current trend points to a substantial increase in the growth rate in the future, giving rise t o a need for documentation and translation services.

In response to this trend, the International Bureau of Educa- tion in Geneva has devoted an issue of its BuZZetin t o lifelong education (no. 185, 1972). In the course o f time, such international bibliographies need t o be regularly published, whereas national documentation centres will have to undertake similar tasks a t a country level. Collections o f theoretical literature, curriculum materials, and other relevant information should be made easily available in different parts o f t h e world. T h i s activity is of immense significance for strengthening and expand- ing research, developmental and implementation activities.

Clearing-house Function

Related t o the previous activity is the function of exchanging and disseminating information among different countries, research institutions, and implementation agencies. This function may include: t h e maintenance both o f a directory of knowledgeable personnel in lifelong learning, and o f a list o f institutions engaged in research and developmental tasks in this field; t h e supplying o f such information t o agencies on request, and

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periodical publication of newsletters and information brochures. Whether this should be done a t t h e international or national level, t h e mode o f information collection and retrieval, and other organisational details need t o be worked out. Given the present means of communication and transport, the process o f acquiring and exchanging information about personnel, projects, institutions and activtties should be organised efficiently in order t o hasten the fulfilment of t h e ideal o f a learning society at the global level.

Co-ordination o f Activities

T h e need f o r co-ordinated effort in this massive innovation, t h a t has attracted world-wide attention in so short a time, cannot be over-stressed. In this reform, t h e developed and developing countries are expected t o move ahead together, although their programmes may vary. Hence unnecessary duplication in research and development must be avoided t o s a v e material and human resources and t o expedite t h e task o f implementation. A n arrangement should also be m a d e t o ensure support and reinforcement between implementing agencies. F o r this, a suitable machinery for the co- ordination of research, implementation and other activities should b e established. A n international co-ordinating agency is urgently required. But such work is also necessary a t t h e national level, o r even a t t h e sub-national level in large countries. To begin with these tasks should be entrusted t o s o m e o f t h e existing international or regional agencies.

Periodical Appraisal and Monitoring Function

A project o f such complexity and magnitude risks being confronted with unexpected problems, and unforeseen dilemmas, and in consequence degenerating and dying o u t after t h e initial enthusiasm f a d e s away. To guard against this risk, a mechanism f o r periodical evaluation, feedback and monitoring should b e established from the outset. Machinery should be created either as part o f existing organisations o r separately t o periodically carry o u t

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critical and constructive evaluation of t h e progress m a d e in t h e theory and practice o f lifelong education, to modify the ideas and operations in the light of this appraisal, t o provide technical guidance and assistance t o various agencies, and t o establish co- operation among different agencies with distinct responsibilities in this field.

C O N C L U S I O N

Both the concept of lifelong learning and its application t o the substantive aspects of school education have a number of implications which have been illustrated in this section: Suggestions for research have necessarily been given more space and have been organised under two broad divisions, namely, conceptual and operational studies. T h e examples of conceptual studies include research into the foundations of lifelong education, motivation, educability, and vertical and horizontal integration. Examples of the second category include a variety of operational, developmental and instrumental studies relating to the more practical areas such as curriculum planning, implementation and evaluation, teaching and learning procedures, pupil evaluation and teacher education, Some major implications f o r other kinds of activities have also been briefly mentioned.

It is not as though the entire body of knowledge needed for implementing school reforms based on lifelong learning has t o be built up ab initio; far from it, a good deal o f theoretical knowledge and practical know-how already exists, and thus it is not necessary t o w a i t far all research findings t o come out before implementing several reforms. In fact, research programmes and developmental activities are interactive and can b6 carried o u t simultaneously and not j u s t sequentially.

T h e implications outlined in this sect’l’on are tentative and represent only a f i r s t exercise i n t h i s field, M o r e w o r k needs t o be done on this subject, but they do provide a starting point f o r concrete action in research and allied fiillds.

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Some research projects are of a reflective or descriptive type, whereas others call for a quantitative or experimental design. Many of them can be conveniently undertaken at the local level and replicated under different condit-ions. Some projects, however, should be taken up directly at the intersational level to save time in the long run. This plan should ensure cross-national validity and practicability of the outcomes.

It is evident from the examples given in this section, that most of the studies can be carried out concurrently without any major technical difficulty. However, a few problems require a sequential and even a cyclical approach. A c a s e in point is the experimental cum developmental studies f o r evolving curricula both for schools and teacher training, since the latter normally pre- suppose the former. If a developmental study on teacher training curriculum is undertaken before a school curriculum is evolved, the study has to be restrictive in the first phase and has to be expanded in a cyclical manner as new findings regarding school curriculum, instructional processes and evaluation techniques become avai 1 ab 1 e

gical and other basic aspects of lifelong learning, it may be possible for individual scholars to carry out some preliminary work. But ultimately these studies have to be done on an inter- disciplinary team basis and arrangements should therefore be made by research institutions as well as national and international agencies to establish inter-disciplinary study teams to undertake this work. T h e inter-disciplinary studies are not for the substantive aspects o f school education alone, but have great significance for policy making and planning in education as a whole.

T h e Unesco Institute for Education proposes to undertake several concurrent and sequential research projects, developmental programmes and allied activities in co-operation with various institutions and individuals. Most of the research projects are likely to be cross-national and inter-disciplinary, selected from both conceptual and operational areas. It is also essential that investigations be undertaken at the national, local and individual school levels. It is hoped that national research centres,

As regards discipline-based studies on psychological, sociolo-

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university departments o f education, curriculum development and evaluation centres, individual schools and school groups, and other bodies will undertake such work. It is only through a CO-

operative and concerted effort that t h e colossal task o f integrating the essence of 1ifeTong learning w i t h t h e m u l t i p l e aspects o f the personal and social lives o f all people can be achieved.

GENERAL REFERENCES

Adiseshiah, Malcolm S. "UNESCO and the Second Development Decade". Paper presented t o the Stanford International Development Edu- cation Center, Stanford University, July 1970. Paris: UNESCO, 1970.

Centers for Lifelong Learning. New York: Wiley, 1968.

tGn. "Alternative Forms of Schooling". Educational Leadership, rc. 5 (1972).

ton. Curricular Concerns in a Revolutionary Era. 1971.

New York: Wiley, 1964.

pects 2, no. 4 (1972).

General Education". Paper prepared for t h e UNESCO Third World Conference on Adult Education, Tokyo, 1972. Mimeographed.

Council of Europe. New Types of Out-of-schooZ education. Combined Teaching Sytems. Strasbourg: Council o f Europe, 1968.

Dave, R.H. ed. Asian Study on Curriculum Development. Research Design and Questionnaires. Tokyo: National Institute f o r Educational Research, 1969,

Dave, R.H., R O C . Saxena. CurricuZum and Teaching of Nuthematics in Secondary Schools. N e w Delhi: National Council of Educatio- nal Research and Training, 1970.

planification", Peuple et CuZture, no. 66.

Prospects, 1 (1970)

and Tomorrow. Paris: UNESCO, London: Harraps, 1972.

EducationaZ Review 39, no. 2 (1969).

Alford, Harold J. Continuing Education in Action. Residential

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Washing-

Association f o r Supervision and Curriculum Development, Washing-

Bloom, Benjamin S. Stability and Change in Human Characteristics.

Bondy, August0 Salazar, " O n Educational Reform in Peru". Pros-

Cortright, Richard. "The Interaction of Adult Education and

Deleon, A. " C o n c e p t ion actuelle d'gducation permanente et. de l a

O i e u z e i d e , Henri. " U n e s c o and New Techniques i n Education .

Faure, Edgar e t al. Learning To Be. The WorZd of Education Today

Green, Th. "Schools and Community. P. Look Forward". Haraard

Grossun, William. "Towards a Society that Educates". UNESCO

Houle, Cyril 0. The Design of Education. S a n Francisco, Washington,

Hus'en, Torsten, G. Boalt. Educational Research and Educational

Features, no. 630 (1972).

London: Jossey-Bass, 1972.

Change. The Case of Sweden. New York: Wiley, 1968. Hus'en, Torsten. Talent, Opportunity and Career. Stockholm: Almqvist

& Wiksell, 1969. Kidd, J.R. The Implications of Continuous Learning. Toronto: Gage,

Kidd, J.R. The Implications of Continuous Learning. New Delhi:

Lengrand, Paul. An Introduction to Lifelong Education. Paris:

Marti, Jose. "Innovatory Aspects o f Cuban Education". Prospects 2,

OECD. Equal Educational Opportunity. A Statement of the Problem

1966.

Indian Adult Education Association, 1966.

UNESCO, 1970.

no. 3 (1972).

with Special Reference to Recurrent Education. Paris: UNESCO, 1971.

Almqvist & Wiksell, 1970. Pidgeon, Douglas P. Expectation and Pupil Performance. Stockholm:

Richmond, Kenneth W. The Free School. London: Methuen, 1973. Silbermann, Melvin L., Jerome S. Allender, J a y #. Yanoff. The

Psychology of Open Teaching and Learning. Boston: Little, Brown, 1972.

Start?" Education and Culture, no. 19 (1972).

(1972).

Openess: Describing and Quantifying Open Education'. Interchange 3, nos. 2-3 (1972).

Schwartz, Bernard. 'Permanent Education in Europe. How t o Make a

Suchodolski , Bogdan. "Out-of-School Education". Prospects 2, no 2,

Traub, Rose, E. Joel Weiss, C.W. Fisher, Don Musella. "Closure on

UNESCO: The School and Continuing Education. Four Studies. Paris: UNESCO, 1972.

Wroczynski, Ryszard. "Lifelong Education as a R e s u l t o f the Scienti- fic and Technological Revolution". Society and Leisure, no. 1 (1972).

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Appendix

DESIGN O F THE STUDY

Background

In its 24th Session held in March 1972, the Governing Board of the Unesco Institute for Education, Hamburg, took an important decision regarding the Institute's programme. T h e Board resolved "that the Institute should concentrate its programme activites within a more limited s e t of topics than it has in the past" and "that in recognition of its attachment t o U N E S C O policies and priorities, the Institute should select its programme work within permanent education and the curriculum should be the framework within which the theme of the school focus could be pursued". This resolution was the outcome of the Governing Board's desire t o develop a long- range programme for the Institute.

I n pursuance o f this resolution, it is proposed to undertake an exploratory study of the concept o f lifelong or permanent education and the implications of this concept for school curriculum. This will be the first study of the Institute under its long-range programme in t h e field of school curriculun: in the perspective of permanent or lifelong education.

Need and Significance

A 1 though t h e concept of lifelong education educational parlance, a new awareness of it T h e literature produced on this subject dur

s n o t entirely new in has developed recently. ng the latter half of

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t h e last decade bears testimony t o this fact. T h e new awareness of lifelong education has grown as a result o f unprecedented t e c h n o l e gical advancement and in response t o t h e socio-economic, political and ecological changes occurring recently a t an accelerated pace. T h e new significance o f lifelong, integrated education was further highlighted and w a s given a world-wide visibility by U N E S C O w h e n t h e Director General included it a s o n e o f t h e twelve priority programmes s e t out f o r International Education Year 1970- Since that time, the idea has further attracted the attention o f many individuals and institutions connected with various stages o f educat i on.

T h e changes occurring during t h e life-span o f the people at present are s o profound and rapid that t h e educational product acquired through formal schooling is not sufficient to cope with the modern world. T h e explosion o f knowledge in science and c0nsequen.t developments in technology have created a need for recurrent learning both in professional and in general aspects o f life. Many technological innovations are rapidly becoming socia- lised and they call f o r new knowledge, skills and attitudes. T h e far-reaching changes that are coming about in quick succession in t h e economic, social and political life o f t h e people require a high degree of adaptability. T h e increasing r a t e o f obsolescence o f knowledge, witnessed in practically all areas o f life, also demands continuing intellectual growth. O n account o f these and many other factors and forces, lifelong education has attained more significance than ever before. T h e programme o f lifelong education is viewed a s a solution t o meet t h e growing demands of the modern world and t o keep up t h e tempo o f multifarious developments by creative participation i n a changing society. Above all, it is viewed as a means of optimum self-actualization.

While the significance of lifelong education is perceived by many, t h e work carried o u t so far in this area is largely conceptual in nature. Not much has been d o n e t o translate the theoretical ideas into practical and operational terms, Furthermore, lifelong education is not t o be confined t o t h e adult level alone. This concept has many and varied implications f o r primary and secondary stages of education. However, from t h e preliminary review o f

02

pertinent literature it has been noticed that although some work has been done on this idea in t h e context o f adult education, little attempt has been made t o apply this concept t o school education. Only passing references are made in general terms t o stress the paramount significance o f t h e school curriculum f o r promoting lifelong learning, but hardly any concrete efforts have been made on systematic lines t o translate the conceptual elements of lifelong education into actualities. It is therefore necessary t o study the implications of this concept f o r school curricula in order to establish vertical articulation between school programmes and later learning throughoit life. It appears that t h e school has to play a decisive role if the aspirations of permanent, non- terminal education are to be realised in adequate measure. T h e r e is also a need to review the meaningfulness and relevance of the school programme i tse demands of a changing long education. Hence study t h e concept of tions f o r school curr

f in the light o f t h e new educational society a s subsumed in the concept o f life- an exploratory investigation is needed t o

ifelong education and t o derive its implica- culum.

Objectives of t h e Study

In view of the significance of t h e concept of lifelong education and the need t o undertake an exploratory investigation in the context o f school curriculum, the following objectives are s e t o u t for the proposed study:

1. To study t h e concept other 6OUPCeS.

of lifelong eduaation from literature and

It is assumed that a fa r amount of literature has been produced by a number of scholars and thinkers on this subject, although there seems to be a nee f o r continued thinking and research on t h e concept in its varied dimensions. T h e conceptual material thus obtained will b e analysed into t h e elements or characterlstics constituting the concept and interpreted in t h e context of sch'ool programmes.

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2 To derive implications of various elements of the concept of lifelong education for different aspects and sub-aspects of school-curriculum.

It is assumed that the concept-characteristics of lifelong education will have various implications for different aspects o f the school curriculum such as objectives, selection of curriculum areas, curriculum planning, content selection and organisation, instructional tools and techniques, evaluation procedures, structure and pattern of schooling, and so forth. It is intended to interpret the concept-elements to arrive at implications for different aspects of curriculum at the primary and secondary stages. It is also intended to organise the iaplications in a systematic manner for use by curriculum workers, teacher educators and those concerned with developmental and other programmes.

3. To identify research problems and other activities in the area of curriculum development in the perspectiue of lifelong education.

It is hoped that a number of specific implications will be identified by means o f this rational exercise of analysing and inter- preting the concept. T h e face validity o f these statements will have to be tested out empirically wherever necessary and possible. It is a so hoped that some problems and issues o f a theoretical as well as practical nature demanding research treatment will be identif ed in the present study. T h e principles and guidelines derived as implications of lifelong education will have to be applied to specific subjects or curriculum areas, as well as to other aspects such as evaluation, guidance and teacher preparation. These will call f o r experimental and developmental work. A l l these will obviously not be taken up under the present study. This study, however, is expected to locate such problems and questions for further research. Thus, the present exploratory study is aimed at identifying researchable problems in this field and preparing a base for developing strategies for research that may be undertaken by interested institutions and individuals, Gither independently or collaboratively. In addition, it is hoped that the

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exploratory study will provide suggestions f o r other types of activities such as co-ordination, clearing-house function and exchange of ideas and materials in this field which this Institute may undertake as a part of its long-range programme.

Delimination of the Study

T h e objectives o f the study, as stated in the previous section, indicate certain boundaries of this inquiry. S o m e other major deliminations are mentioned here.

purposes o f this study. It covers the entire "school programme" including its structure, content, processes and machinery. This is done deliberately so as t o provide enough flexibility f o r an exploratory kind of study. Such flexibility is particularly required t o consider the structure of existing school systems in the light o f lifelong education since the structure is basic t o any curricular consideration.

tains t o its m a c r o and micro levels. T h e term includes macro- curriculum s o that broad implications of lifelong education, as applied to varied aspects such as the aims of school education, functions and span of formal schooling, selection o f subjects, general approaches t o instruction and evaluation, etc., can be considered. T h e term also includes micro-curriculum in order t o have at least a possibility of w o r k i n g out implications f o r more specific and operational areas of school programmes such as teaching-learning processes, classroom interaction and so forth.

T h e terms "school" and "school stage" refer t o t h e primary and secondary levels o f education. Depending upon the notions of "school1' and "schooling" that many emerge in t h e context of lifelong education, these terms include the organisations, institutions and programmes that provide systematic base-line education t o children t o s e t into motion the further processes o f lifelong learning. It is likely that some implications may be m o r e relevant t o t h e primary stage, some others to t h e secondary, and still others to both. Other stages of education are excluded from the

T h e term "curriculum" is used in a rather broad sense f o r the

Another dimension of the meaning o f t h e term "curriculum" per-

present study so as to make it specific and manageable. It is, however, conceivable that certain findings o f this study may be useful and applicable to those stages as well. Furthermore, the terms "primary" and "elementary" are used synonymously. Again, the span of either the "elementary stage" or the "secondary stage" varies among different countries, and there is always difficulty in d e a l i n g - w i t h these stages at the international level. To obviate this difficulty, the meaning attached to these teras by UNESCO will be followed.

Procedure

Bearing in mind the objectives, the proposed procedure for conducting the study is broadly stated below.

Available literature in the field of lifelong education will be collected from various sources and studied. T h e pertinent literature is produced under varied names such as recurrent education, permanent education, continuing education, and s o on. It is in the form of periodical publications of papers and articles, books, special publications prepared on the occasion of IEY-1970 and seminar reports. In a few cases, the governmental laws relating to permanent education have been promulgated, and these may provide some useful information. Some material has been published by UNESCO, the Council o f Europe and some other organisations. Some literature is available in the journals and other publications relating to adult education since the maximum amount of work on this concept is at present done in this sector of education.

Scholars and researchers who a r e knowledgeable in the fields o f lifelong education, school educati.on, higher and adult education and curriculum development will be consulted on the concept as well as its implications for school programmes. Such a consulta-

86

tion will b e necessary at different stages of t h e study. P p a r t from the personal contacts during the initial stage, it r a y be necessary t o consult several individuals t o check and validate specific findings as the study advances.

A c o n s u l t a t ive meeting of about 1 5 persons will be convened. T h e consultative group will be composed of knowledgeable personnel in lifelong educat curriculum deve will be t o

1) d e l i n e ate education

on; school, university and adult education; and opment, T h e main purposes o f group consultation

and discuss various dimensions o f lifelong

2) analyse concept-characteristics and der f o r school curriculum,

3) discuss t h e implications t o check their and significance f o r school programmes,

4) identify research problems and other a c field for this Institute as well as f o r and individuals interested in taking up collaborative projects.

ve implications

appropriateness and ivities in this other institutions independent o r

O n t h e basis of t h e literature study and consu tation of personne different elements constituting the concept of lifelong education will be identified. T h e concept-characteristic thus identified will cover different facets of the concept and describe it a s fully as possible. T h e statements o f concept-characteristics will provide a basic framework and rationale f o r deriving implications for school curriculum.

T h e concept-characteristics will be examined and analysed t o derive implications f o r school curriculum. T h i s will be d o n e by

a7

discussion with knowledgeable personnel, individually and in groups. The consultation of literature and personnel will also provide several implications simultaneously with concept-characteristics. Hence, these opportunities will also be utilized to obtain a number of implications apart from the process of rational analysis of the concept as mentioned earlier.

The implications will be related to different aspects and sub- aspects of school curriculum. Some of them may cut across several aspects of the curriculum. They would normally be i n the form of principles and guidelines for curriculum development at the primary and secondary stages of education. They will therefore have to be specified and organised properly so that they may prove useful to curriculum workers in the decision-making process. The principles and guidelines thus derived should not only be usable by curriculum workers but also by teachers (where they are not curriculum framers), teacher educators, administrators, researchers and others concerned with formal and non-formal education. This aspect will also be kept i n view wherever possible while specifying and organising the findings. Thus a suitable methodology will have to be devised to derive implications, and also to classify and organise the findings i n a cohesive manner.

Concurrently with the literature study, concept analysis, and derivation of implications, problems of research will be identified. The field of application of the concept of lifelong education to the school curriculum is very new, and it may be necessary to resolve several problems and issues by experiments and other forms of research. In a sense, the present study is of a hypothesis-generating variety. The problems and strategies of research will therefore be formulated wich may give rise to further, more empirical work in this field. Likewise other types of activities and programmes for this Institute, as well as other organisations, will be identified. Since this is an exploratory study, one of the expected outcomes is a systematic follow-up programme i n the field concerned.

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Needless t o say, a report of this study will be prepared and published f o r various purposes. But this process takes a lot o f time since such a report has t o wait till the whole study is completed; then it is printed and circulated, It takes further time t o gene- r a t e any impact. To avoid this time-gap a t least partially f o r an exploratory study like the present one, it may be desirable t o compile a series of brochures or monographs during the process o f investigation itself and circulate them t o a number of institutions and individuals to create a dialogue on t h e subject of study and arouse thinking in the field. Fortunately, the nature of the present study easily leads itself t o the production of such disse- mination material, Hence, it is proposed t o prepare at least t w o brochures or monographs incorporating abstracts of pertinent literature, tentative findings that require further thinking and scholarly discussion, significant ideas in the form of notes and papers, and such other relevant material.

T h e study will start in April 1972 and be completed by September 1973. A tentative time schedule f o r major items of work is indi- cated below.

- I tem T i m e T arget Remarks

1. Literature Study April 1972 t o (First Phase). A f t e r c o m p l e J u n e 1 0 7 2 ting the second phase o f

1 i t e r a t u r e s t udy by Sept. 1972, this activity will be continued further a l m o s t throughout t h e period of

July 1 9 7 2 to investigation. Sept. 1 9 7 2 (Second Phase)

2. Individual Consul- April 1972 t o F i r s t Phase tation August 1 9 7 2

October 1 9 7 2 t o Subsequent Phases May 1973 as necessary

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I tem - l i m e T a r g e t Remarks

3. Group Consultation October 1972

4. Preparation of 1 Sept, 1972 If possible, a third mono- Monographs 21 Jan. 1973 graph will be brought out

i n J u n e 1973.

5. Preparation of the Sept. 1973 Final Report

Financial Arrangements

The expenditure on this study will be met Cy the Institute out of its budget allocations for 1972 and 1973. Specific details about different items of expenditure will be worked out separately.

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