In November 1995, the European Commission published a White Paper entitled Teaching and Learning – Towards the Learning Society in support of the concept of lifelong learning. This concept remains at the forefront of educational debate and policy in Europe. Many organisations have argued against the economistic perspective which dominates the White Paper, or at least the dominant interpretation of it. How should the workers’ education movement respond? In this article, Jorma Turunen from TSL in Finland, argues for an approach which encompasses basic human values.

Life long learning is a good and composite principle which can hardly be resisted. Many people within the educational sphere are praising this wonderful concept. Employers and trade unions, officials and educators often claim that with the help of life long learning we could solve many problems in our societies.

However, we know that there is a deep gap between the official speeches and the reality of educational practice. We are aware that lifelong learning by itself can never promote social inclusion and active citizenship.

Life long learning is designed mostly for the acquisition of narrow professional skills required in working life. Could there be a function for lifelong learning which balances the search for basic human values with adult education designed on working life terms? Naturally, education can not stop industrialists or politicians making foolish mistakes. On the other hand, education should do more than just deal with the consequences of mistakes made in the past.

Education should promote life-protecting values and respect for human dignity by drawing attention to them. The values that educators and educational planners themselves uphold are reflected in curricula content. If we are prepared to fight for the values which we believe are important, we may manage to shift working life, at least slightly, towards a more human and life-protecting direction.

If we can agree that education should help people make their lives more dignified, competition between institutions and standardisation of functions are surely not the best policies. We should give up the ideology of competition, winning and losing and develop a sustainable culture based on co-operation and protection of life. Education can then help us decide on the various and entirely unexpected choices that we will have to make in the future.

As an important part of lifelong learning, the following measures could promote learning through citizens´ organisations: