Over the past two decades, a set of globally converging discourses on lifelong learning (LLL) has emerged around the world. Driven mostly by inter-governmental organisations, these discourses have been largely embraced by national and local education systems seeking to reflect local traditions and priorities. This paper argues that these discourses tend to look remarkably alike, converging into a homogeneous rationale in which the economic dimension of education predominates over other dimensions of learning, and in which adaptation takes pre-eminence
over social transformation as a goal of LLL. It also shows how these converging discourses are embedded in the logic of the knowledge economy, driven by concern for human capital formation as dictated by the changing demands of the global labour market, and can neglect the learning needs and interests of local communities. The paper concludes that the globally converging discourse of LLL tends to serve the interests of the market ahead of those of the community, and argues that an alternative characterisation of LLL, anchored in social justice, is necessary in the light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and especially Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. 

The second edition of the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) presents the latest evidence on global progress towards the education targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

With hundreds of millions of people still not going to school, and many not achieving minimum skills at school, it is clear education systems are off track to achieve global goals. The marginalised currently bear the most consequences but also stand to benefit the most if policy-makers pay sufficient attention to their needs. Faced with these challenges, along with tight budgets and increased emphasis on results-oriented value for money, countries are searching for solutions. Increased accountability often tops the list.

The 2017/8 GEM Report shows the entire array of approaches to accountability in education. It ranges from countries unused to the concept, where violations of the right to education go unchallenged, to countries where accountability has become an end in itself instead of a means to inclusive, equitable and high-quality education and lifelong learning for all.

The report emphasises that education is a shared responsibility. While governments have primary responsibility, all actors – schools, teachers, parents, students, international organizations, private sector providers, civil society and the media – have a role in improving education systems. The report emphasises the importance of transparency and availability of information but urges caution in how data are used. It makes the case for avoiding accountability systems with a disproportionate focus on narrowly defined results and punitive sanctions. In an era of multiple accountability tools, the report provides clear evidence on those that are working and those that are not.

This youth report, based on findings and conclusions from the 2017/8 Global Education Monitoring report, asks how young people are involved in the process of accountability in education. As students, what are we responsible for in our education and how are we held accountable? How can we make sure other actors–like schools, universities and governments–are held accountable for their responsibilities? These are critical questions, because we know that there’s a long way to go before all young people around the world have access to a quality education:
absent teachers, overcrowded classrooms, illegitimate diplomas, unregulated private schools and truancy are all issues that education systems are struggling to overcome.

It’s sometimes tempting to say that these problems aren’t ours to fix, that the responsibility lies with the government or with an older generation. But this simply isn’t true: education is a shared responsibility, and young people have an important role to play. In this Report, you’ll hear the stories of young people around the world who have stood up for the right to education in their communities and who have been integral in triggering change. You’ll also read about how you can become involved in our campaign to make sure governments can be held to account for education. This means making sure that citizens can take their governments to court if they are not meeting their education responsibilities. From creating video clips to holding awareness-raising events, there is a range of ways to make your voice heard. Your involvement is integral in making sure the world is on the right path to meeting our education goals. 

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Dans ce rapport, le Rapporteur spécial apporte un éclairage sur la vision et le concept de l’apprentissage tout au long de la vie et souligne l’émergence d’un « droit à l’apprentissage », étroitement lié au droit à l’éducation et à la formation comme droit social. Il examine en outre la responsabilité des États, ainsi que des autres partenaires sociaux, pour sa réalisation et souligne l’importance clef accordée à l’apprentissage tout au long de la vie dans le Programme de développement durable à l’horizon 2030. Le Rapporteur spécial se penche également sur le rôle particulier qui est donné à l’enseignement et à la formation techniques et professionnels pour le développement des compétences et analyse les questions liées au financement de l’apprentissage tout au long de la vie.

Enfin, il formule un ensemble de recommandations visant à promouvoir l’apprentissage comme droit et dans une perspective d’apprentissage tout au long de la vie, pour satisfaire aux obligations des États énoncées dans les instruments internationaux relatifs aux droits de l’homme.

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En este informe, el Relator Especial arroja luz sobre la visión y el concepto del aprendizaje permanente, y destaca el nacimiento del “derecho al aprendizaje” como derecho social estrechamente relacionado con el derecho a la educación y la formación. Asimismo, examina la responsabilidad del Estado y de otros interlocutores sociales con respecto al goce efectivo de este derecho, y subraya la importancia primordial que se otorga al aprendizaje permanente en la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible. El Relator Especial examina también el papel especial que desempeña la educación y formación técnica y profesional en el desarrollo de aptitudes, y analiza las cuestiones relacionadas con la financiación del aprendizaje permanente.

Por último, el Relator Especial ofrece una serie de recomendaciones con miras a promover el aprendizaje como derecho y su búsqueda desde la perspectiva del aprendizaje permanente, en consonancia con las obligaciones del Estado en virtud de los instrumentos internacionales de derechos humanos.

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Le Cadre d'action accompagne la Déclaration mondiale sur l'éducation pour tous; elle est destinée à servir de référence et de guide aux gouvernements nationaux, aux organisations internationales, aux éducateurs et aux professionnels du développement pour la formulation de leurs propres plans d'action pour la mise en œuvre de la Déclaration mondiale.

 

The Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE, by its Spanish acronym) is a pluralistic network of civil society organizations with a presence in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, which promotes social mobilization and political advocacy to defend the human right to education. This collection of articles, essays and statements reflect on the vital role of public education in the region and the fault lines exposed by the pandemic, considering both the challenges public education in Latin America faces and possible solutions, alternatives and ways forward.

 

 

Dans le présent rapport soumis en application des résolutions 8/4 et 44/3 du Conseil des droits de l’homme, la Rapporteuse spéciale sur le droit à l’éducation examine les dimensions culturelles du droit à l’éducation, éléments cruciaux de la réalisation du droit universel à une éducation inclusive et de qualité, telle que la préconise l’objectif de développement durable no 4. Dans son analyse, la Rapporteuse spéciale identifie, en prenant appui sur les nombreuses expériences nationales, des éléments propices au respect de la diversité et des droits culturels de chacun dans l’éducation: a) Valorisation des ressources culturelles présentes ; b) Participation à la vie éducationnelle de tous les acteurs pertinents, y compris les apprenants dans toute leur diversité ; c) Décentralisation en faveur des acteurs locaux et mise en place d’une certaine autonomie des écoles pour assurer la pertinence culturelle des apprentissages ; d) Méthodes d’observation participatives et systémiques ; e) Respect des libertés dans le champ éducationnel, notamment. La Rapporteuse spéciale invite à considérer le droit à l’éducation comme un droit culturel en tant que tel, c’est-à-dire comme le droit de chacun d’accéder aux ressources culturelles nécessaires pour développer librement son processus d’identification, vivre des relations dignes de reconnaissance mutuelle tout au long de son existence et affronter les défis cruciaux auxquels notre monde doit faire face, de s’adonner aux pratiques qui permettent de s’approprier ces ressources et d’y contribuer.

L’originalité de cette approche consiste à considérer la vie éducationnelle comme une relation vivante entre des acteurs (élèves, éducateurs, organisations et autres acteurs associés) et des ensembles de connaissances qui forment des ressources culturelles communes, porteuses « d’identité, de valeurs et de sens », sans lesquelles les acteurs ne peuvent rien. 

 

In the present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 8/4 and 44/3, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education considers the cultural dimensions of the right to education, which are crucial to ensuring that the universal right to inclusive and quality education is realized, as called for in Sustainable Development Goal 4. The Special Rapporteur calls for the right to education to be viewed as a cultural right – that is, as the right of each person to the cultural resources necessary to freely follow a process of identification, to experience mutually rewarding relations his or her life long, to deal with the crucial challenges facing our world and to engage in the practices that make it possible to take ownership of and contribute to these resources.

What is unique about this approach is its conception of educational life as a living relationship between actors (students, educators, organizations and other associated actors) and collections of knowledge that form shared cultural resources, vectors of identity, values and meaning, without which action is impossible.

En este informe, presentado en cumplimiento de las resoluciones 8/4 y 44/3 del Consejo de Derechos Humanos, la Relatora Especial sobre el derecho a la educación examina las dimensiones culturales del derecho a la educación, que son cruciales para lograr la plena efectividad del derecho universal a una educación inclusiva y de calidad, como preconiza el Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible 4. En su análisis, la Relatora Especial señala, a partir de numerosas experiencias nacionales, elementos que favorecen el respeto de la diversidad y los derechos culturales de todos en la educación, a saber: a) La valoración de los recursos culturales presentes; c) La descentralización en favor de los actores locales y la dotación de cierta autonomía a las escuelas para garantizar la pertinencia cultural del aprendizaje; d) Los métodos de observación participativa y sistémica; e) El respeto de las libertades en el ámbito de la educación, en particular. La Relatora Especial hace un llamamiento para que el derecho a la educación se considere un derecho cultural en sí mismo, es decir, como el derecho de toda persona a tener acceso a los recursos culturales necesarios para desarrollar libremente su propio proceso de definición de la identidad, tener relaciones dignas de reconocimiento mutuo a lo largo de su vida y afrontar los desafíos cruciales a los que se enfrenta nuestro mundo, así como para participar en las prácticas que le permitan apropiarse de estos recursos y contribuir a ellos.

La originalidad de este enfoque radica en considerar la vida educativa como una relación viva entre los actores (alumnos, educadores, organizaciones y otros actores asociados) y el conjunto de conocimientos que forman los recursos culturales comunes, portadores “de identidad, de valores y sentido”, sin los cuales los actores no pueden hacer nada.

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