Since UNESCO proposed the idea of lifelong education as the leading principle for reforming the contemporary education in the 1960s, it has been so widely diffused that there seems to be much cofusion and controversy in its definition, interpretation and evaluation. The dispute can be classified in terms of
(1) whether the idea of lifelong education be really the epoch-making principle or it be only a slogan,
(2) how lifelong education should be defined, especially in its scope,
(3) which is more appropriate term, lifelong education or lifelong learning, and,
(4) whether lifelong education is really so efficient as claimed. After discussing the above four matters, patterns of lifelong education are identified. Since idea or practice of lifelong education is determined by societal and historical situations in which it is proposed and practised, and also by attribute of its proponents, there can be observed contrasting pairs of pattern, like;
(1) idealistic lifelong education to realize an ideal of equality of educational opportunity, vs. realistic lifelong education to promote the actual utility like improved vocational proficiency.
(2) free-competing, unplanned lifelong education, in which various kinds of agency develop in response to various educational needs of individuals and compete each other to survive, vs. planned lifelong education, systematized and institutionalized mainly by the central government.
(3) reformed lifelong education, in which already existing educational institutions are reformed and utilized for lifelong education, vs. creating new systems and institutions for lifelong education.
(4) lifelong education in the age of high economic development, vs. that of low development, and,
(5) psychological notion of lifelong education stressing the longitudinal development of learning by individuals, vs. sociological notion pertinent to institutions and social determinants of lifelong education.
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