As long as educational reform remains the biggest talk of the town, let’s try to theorize a little about the topic. It has long been a piece of conventional wisdom that general public education has no way of catching up with real life, which is progressing at a mind-boggling pace, especially in our vertiginously complicated and technologically driven time. Only occasional brilliant minds serve as the engines of development and the movers of growth. Hence the necessity for human education to be nonstop, interminably providing for progress, which exists in a pure Perpetuum Mobile: a perpetual motion modus vivendi and operandi.
Educators around the world and theoreticians of enlightenment have come to believe that the best tool for maintaining practically usable and aesthetically enjoyable knowledge is the so-called Lifelong Education. What is it? According to one of the many encyclopedic definitions, “It is the voluntary, self-motivated, and continuous pursuit of knowledge for personal or professional reasons throughout a person’s entire life – from birth to retirement.” What does it do? “It spans formal (schools), non-formal (workshops), and informal (self-directed) learning to adapt to changing environments, boost employability, and foster cognitive health.” Another comprehensive definition would say that “Lifelong Education is a type of personal and professional development, referring to the process whereby a person is continuously upskilling, reskilling, and uncovering new career and personal growth pathways throughout their lifetime.”
Whatever the definitions, the good news is that Lifelong Education is not restricted by age and is not limited to childhood; it covers the entire span of human existence. That is why it is qualified as “lifelong,” comprising formal, non-formal, and informal types of education, including schools and universities, workshops, seminars, courses, and self-learning methods such as reading, browsing the internet, watching documentaries, and whatnot.
There are many aspects of life that motivate us to be part of Lifelong Education: the necessity to renovate and revitalize ourselves for the sake of advancement on the social ladder or for career progression; the frequent need to enhance our qualifications due to nonstop technological changes; and, last but not least, the inevitable pursuit of personal fulfillment, not to forget professional growth that helps boost our employability, fill skill gaps if there are any, and prepare for new job opportunities. Lifelong Education enhances our cognitive health, bringing the lax mind into an active mode, defying age-related perceptual deterioration. Cultivating curiosity and boosting self-confidence are just as significant, providing improved social connection based on the chance of acquiring a sense of achievement.
Even without being aware that such a notion as Lifelong Education exists, regular folks take one of the myriad online courses to learn new software, attend industry conferences, and even go so far as to learn a new language to make themselves more attractive and useful in a new workplace. Learning gardening, painting, playing musical instruments, reading, and cooking are also part of Lifelong Education, not to mention all kinds of volunteer duties and participation in various social activities, all of which guarantee self-discovery, renewed motivation, and an expanded personal network.
Lifelong Learning is already regarded as a prerequisite for sustainable development, based on inclusive and equitable quality education, and is critical for adapting to technological advancements and shifting economic scenarios. The world is talking loudly about the modern phenomenon of Lifelong Education, which is gradually becoming truly imperative and almost mandatory if we believe it is better to live in an informed and engaged society than not: a society that demands a positively active, progress-focused mentality and a pragmatic approach.
The time has come when we can no longer steer our lives solely by means of the skills and knowledge given to us by official educational institutions conferring diplomas. Instead, we need to learn throughout the entire span of our lives. Otherwise, we cannot easily cope with acute, even vicious modern challenges. For instance, how can we tackle the advent of the digital revolution unless we are ready for it? That readiness can only come from Lifelong Education with zero age discrimination and without any futile efforts, linking together all levels and types of enlightenment, all educational spheres and spaces, and serving a huge variety of purposes.
And let us say a big thank you to UNESCO for leading and inculcating this great idea of Lifelong Education, which could very well be a panacea for keeping the world system of public enlightenment in usable shape, including our Sakartvelo.
Op-Ed by Nugzar B. Ruhadze
