Review and Analysis of Criticism of the Concept of Lifelong Education

Abstract

The aim of the paper is focused on the review and analysis of criticism directed at the concept of lifelong education developed under the auspices of UNESCO, and refers to its first developmental phase during the 1970s. By working on the documentation, criticisms were singled out that were primarily related to theoretical reflections on the concept and from which characteristics such as the (un)clear definition of lifelong education, the inclusion of unintentional forms of learning, the role of teachers in realizing the concept, etc. come to the fore. Overview of criticisms of the concept it is primarily based on the views of representatives of radical criticism, and then on the criticisms of members of the analytical philosophy of education. As a result, answers to the criticisms expressed by the proponents of the concept of lifelong education are presented. In order to achieve as objective a review and analysis of criticism as possible, critics of the concept of lifelong education of the author, who were also its advocates, were singled out. Radical views on the realization of lifelong education within the framework of the system, as well as the claims of representatives of the philosophy of education on the arbitrary definition and understanding of the concept, stimulated further questions about the elaboration of the concept so that the highest possible level of agreement and common understanding of the goals is achieved in the educational discourse, and consequently, the course of action for the purpose of its implementation. The same is not possible without respecting the existing characteristics of national education systems, which should have as its ultimate goal the creation of assumptions for responding to the educational needs of each individual, and is actually a reflection of the humanistic origin of the concept.