From Education to Learning: The ‘paradigm shift of European Union’s policies on education in the context of ‘Globalization’
Author(s):
Sayantan Mandal
Conference:
ECER 2008
Network:
23. Policy Studies and Politics of Education
Format:
Paper

Session Information

23 SES 09B, Education for the Knowledge Economy

Paper Session

Time:
2008-09-12
10:30-12:00
Room:
B1 114
Chair:
Herbert Altrichter

Contribution

This Paper will critically analyze the claim that the paradigm shift from education to learning within the European Union’s (EU) policies on education is influenced by economic factors, especially by economic globalization. In several policy documents, EU has mentioned about its economy driven reforms and has emphasized globalization as the core of its policy making. The proposed study is important and relevant in the present context; because Europe is trying to be the most dynamic and knowledge based economy in the world and it is changing its education policies accordingly to compete in the globalized market. At the same time EU is putting more emphasis on learning rather than on education in its policy papers. Therefore this paper will try to answer the following general research question using an analytical point of view towards the topic. Why has the European Union formulated a supranational ‘Lifelong Learning’ policy? (a) Which are the consequences of the education policies? (b) Why is EU having ‘learning’ instead of ‘education’ as a key policy word?

Method

This paper is mainly based on selected works of Mark Murphy(2005), Andy Green(1997,2007),Kjell Rubenson(2006), Luce Pepin(2007) and author’s understanding of EU Policy papers and other relevant documents. This paper is divided into four major parts. It begins by outlining the background of policy changes within EU where it shows the trend of policy change from the period prior to 1970s till date. It analysis selected documents (policy papers and other documents) to explore the main research question. In the next section, economic globalization along with several related factors like work and economy, demography, individualization, privatization and commoditization will be analysed. In exploring these issues to discuss the correlation between these factors in consequence with globalization this paper takes a macro economic standpoint on policy analysis. This paper also tries to analyse these factors together to get the holistic view about the issue. In the concluding part, future research openings and some limitations of these (EU) education policies are mentioned.

Expected Outcomes

The global order and format of work and economy are changing with the up gradation of information and communication technology. Outsourcing of jobs is common nowadays. Demographic structure shows that the majority of the population is becoming aged along with ageing teachers (in Europe). On the other hand increased individualization and privatization has changed the demands of an individual and overruled the welfare state model with a more flexible labour market oriented model. This whole idea is boosted with the worldwide commoditization of goods and services including education. These global phenomena depend on the knowledge economy and new ways of capitalism. This paper will try to reveal why these factors also put new challenges and possibilities for EU to succeed in its Lisbon objectives. Why, to achieve their goal, EU broadly depends on the OECD’s economy driven recommendations; why EU also embraces the learning paradigm suggested by OECD, which replaces education and teaching in formal settings with less formal, less defined Learning paradigm. This huge importance on economy has put EU in a complex situation where developed countries like US and Japan are tracking EU’s policies and changing themselves according to it. On the other hand the upcoming developing countries like India and China are now becoming crucial parts in this global economic arena. Therefore this newly introduced learning paradigm in policies of EU needs to be revisited; also each factor of globalization (e.g. demography, work and economy etc.) has to be analysed more intensely. Key words: Economic globalization, Paradigm shift, Integration Theory

References

Corbett, A(2005) Universities and the Europe of Knowledge: Ideas, Institutions and Policy entrepreneurship in European Union Higher Education Policy, 1955-2005 European Commission (1995) WHITE PAPER ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING ,TEACHING AND LEARNING TOWARDS THE LEARNING SOCIETY, Online Report http://europa.eu/documents/comm/white_papers/pdf/com95_590_en.pdf European Commission (2001), Making european Area of Life Long learning a Reality; Brussels . Office of official publication of the European Commission . http://www.bologna-berlin2003.de/pdf/science_society.pdf European Commission (2007) COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL Strategic report on the renewed Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs: launching the new cycle (2008-2010) Keeping up the pace of change Brussels, 11.12.2007 COM(2007) XXX final . Brussels, http://ec.europa.eu/growthandjobs/pdf/1206_annual_report_en.pdf European Commission (2007) The European nterest:Succeeding in the age of globalisation Contribution COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE UROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS; Brussels. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/pdf/COM2007_581_en.pdf Field. J. (2006), Lifelong Learning and the new educational order, Trentham Books, UK Green, A(1997) Education, Globalization and the nation State, Macmillan, New York, US Green,A (2007) Models of Lifelong Learning and the ‘Knowledge Society’ in Kotthoff,H & Moutsios (eds.) Europe, in Education Policies in Europe: economy, citizenship, diversity, Waxman, Berlin Griffin C(1999) From Education Policy to Lifelong Learning strategies in Jarvis P(eds.) 2001, The Age of Learning: education and the Knowledge Society, Kogan Page, UK Jarvis ,P. Holford, J and Griffin, C.( 2003) The Theory and practice of Learning:2nd Edition, Kogan Page, UK Jarvis, P(2006) Lifelong Learning: a social Ambiguity in Ehlers S(eds.) (2006), Milestones Towards Lifelong Learning systems, Danish University Press , Denmark Murphy, M. (2005) in Papadakis, N. & Gravaris, D. (eds) ( 2005) Oil, Recession and the Search for European Champions: Exploring Lifelong Learning in the European Union; cited in; Education & Educational Policy between the State and the Market. Athens: Savvalas. Papadakis, N and Gravaris, D. (2002) Conference titled : Towards the End of Education Systems? Europe in a world perspective. The XXth Comparative Education Society in Europe (CESE). University of London/ ΙοΕ, London, 15- 19 July Rubenson, K (2006) Constructing the Lifelong Learning Paradigm : Competing Vision from the OECD and UNESCO in Ehlers, S. (eds.)(2006) Milestones Towards Lifelong Learning systems, Danish University Press , Denmark Rubenson,K.(2002) Lifelong Learning for All: Challenges and Limitations of Public Policy. Online 15/12/2007 (http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/CASAE/cnf2002/2002_Papers/rubenson2002w.pdf ) And other.

Author Information

Sayantan Mandal
Danish Pædagogiske Universitet(Copenhagen), Universty of Aarhus(Aarhus)
Education
Copenhagen
56

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