CC BY
13
AN IMAGE OF LIFELONG EDUCATION OF THE FUTURE
I. А. Greshilova
Lifelong education is a social and cultural phenomenon. The scope of this necessary practice, which strives toward the self-improvement of a person, is a characteristic feature of modern education. The philosophical comprehension of lifelong education involves studying the causes and consequences of changes in the educational system as a whole.
We cannot but agree that both morality and competence should be the main imperatives of contemporary lifelong education, as the educational system is the main translator of morality and culture and the main producer of the intellectual capital of the country. “The values and priorities of the educational policy of Russia along with the philosophical foundations of new educational concepts can really predetermine the prospects of development for the intellectual culture of today and future generations” [2, p. 70]. In this regard, it is worth noting that he who “knows how to learn” and he who has a need for lifelong refinement of the range and quality of available knowledge, will be a man in demand in the future.
Over the years there has been a continuous discussion, the main questions of which are as follows: "What is education?”; “What are the forms of future education?”; and “How is it possible to link cultural values with the content of training?” All of this has been discussed in the context of the modernization of modern education, which is a prerequisite for development of an innovation economy as well as the basis of rapid economic growth and social development. In the process of modernization, as global events are realized (such as the creation of “technology parks” and “science cities”), the school continues to provide for the gradual transition to the Federal State Educational Standards of a new generation, defined as the “new curriculum of the humanity”, and a system of higher professional education develops a two-tier system of staff preparation, etc.
Social, economic, cultural and political changes conditioned by the present stage of technological development allow us to conclude that lifelong education is an issue of high priority. It is deeply analyzed by philosophers, sociologists, specialists in the field of cultural studies, teachers, economists and representatives of other sciences. Culture, as a way of life, cannot be conceived without education nor outside of education, the purpose of which is the continuous creative renewal, development, and improvement of each person throughout his or her life.
It should be noted that education in each historical epoch is considered to be the training and development of a person. A person from an early age is focused on the development of his or her worldview and was taught how to understand him-or herself, as well as how to evaluate his or her own behavior, on the basis of which it is possible to strive for self-improvement. The most important and significant thing is that a human, throughout his or her life, acquires such qualities as a high level of culture, which may and should be considered as an important feature and indicator of the assimilation of the true values of human life. The periods of life of every individual are purely individual, as every man is capable of creating his or her own existence independently by acting as the cause and
68
consequence of his or her own actions. This knowledge of man in all ages is a cornerstone of the success of lifelong education. Both pedagogy and andragogy should consider the dominant role of a person in his of her own development, which occurs with the assistance of society and a person’s relatives, all of which directly participate in the process of developing a person’s personality.
The borderline situations of a person’s age periods suggest the need for a type of educational assistance and support that can find expression in various forms depending on a person’s needs. Each period of life is comprised of an integrity and independence in which there are both strengths and weaknesses. Adult learning opportunities, of course, have their own specific features, primarily due to the fact that we may mean different things when using the word “adult”. In this regard, the spiritual and moral aspect of lifelong education becomes of particular importance, as a man experiencing external influences should feel the need for inner spiritual work, involving self-education and self-improvement. If this does not happen, then these natural questions arise: does education fulfill an ideological and cultural mission?" and “what needs to be done in order for this function to become dominant?”
Education, as the universal expression of human livelihood and as the objective process and sphere of relevant activities, was once defined by S.I. Gessen as the “involvement of a person in the sphere of such cultural values as science, art, morality, law, economics and the conversion of a natural human being into cultural one" [1, p. 36]. Continuing education is the second phase of a person’s education as well as a lifelong activity focused on self-improvement, gaining of spiritual and moral experience, self-actualization, choosing a direction in life and the desire to achieve a set goal.
According to some researchers, the problems associated with a change in approaches to lifelong learning and a philosophical analysis of the processes of the continuous acquisition of knowledge is largely explained by social, cultural and cultural-anthropological issues in the context of an information-based society. Man of the 21 century must understand the prospects of developing the whole system of phenomena and the processes in his or her professional field; and most importantly, must be able to foresee the consequences of his or her activities. An individual is a unique, integrated system, which represents not something predetermined, but rather a hidden opportunity for self-actualization which is inherent only in man. Humanistic psychology acknowledges much the same in the human personality, including a focus on the future and the free implementation of the existing potential, which can be defined as a model of personality formation, or, in other words, an ideal scheme. The main objective should be to develop a sense of initiative, through which a person may become the custodian of his or her own destiny and a product of education throughout life.
The question of whether a person can do it without the outside help arises. In the opinion of M. Scheler, education is an act of human spiritual development that enables a person to realize his or her original ideas and provides an opportunity to succeed as a human [3]. When we look at the problems of modern education in more detail we can note that spiritual formation as well as spiritual potential should not be reduced to the internalization of the objective spirituality. By
69
changing him- or herself, a person helps to change others in accordance with their specified values. Mankind has an inherent need to develop its existing potential; therefore, in the process of acquiring knowledge it is necessary to optimally combine these individual natural abilities with their implementation and embodiment in life. This embodiment can only happen if people learn to think; however, a person needs to be taught how to do this. Currently, we have to consider that the status of knowledge has fundamentally changed in terms of its relativity, so much so that it is losing its stabilizing role and ceasing to be the basis of the intellectual life of society. The sum total of available knowledge is constantly increasing and people are often in a position of limitation when attempting to obtain the necessary amount of knowledge. The reasons for this vary.
An appeal to the psychological foundations of both the pedagogical and the andragogical models of learning involves the consideration of different approaches to the study of personality, as personality, something which must developed from childhood, is not something inherent in a person. Personality is a conceptually important concept in psychology, philosophy, pedagogy, andragogy and other anthropological sciences, with the specific approaches to treatment of personality directly or indirectly related to the concept of "age".
The following common features are aimed at the development of a person’s willingness to continue education: an increase in the personal and social importance of this stage of life; an introduction to a wide range of knowledge, thereby providing flexibility and adaptability to changes in the economy and society; an understanding of education as one of the main forms of life; a development of cognitive interests and abilities to learn independently; a development of experience in the application of knowledge and skills to solving unfamiliar problems and challenges; and a development of life plans. This can be regarded as certain stages of personal growth, because a person who improves, opens new and unknown features of his or her personality. It should be noted that the introduction of a new generation of standards in general education school is intended to partially solve the problem of improving the school system and strengthening the crucial role of basic education in the formation of a readiness for learning throughout life.
The value-based and meaning-based core of lifelong education is personal self-improvement. If a person has formed a constant readiness for selfdevelopment and continuing education and an ability to learn throughout life, it will prove to be a key to their successful socialization. By providing more freedom in the planning and implementation of the learning process, we can stimulate human cognitive activity, encourage the emergence of a desire to design one’s future and foster an awareness of the need for a new, true knowledge. It should be noted that it is a true knowledge, which serves as the basis of an attitude to the world, to oneself and to one’s profession, and not a multiple knowledge, which contemporary man can be proud of today. Man feels responsibility for his or her actions only due to multidirectional training and continuing education. Only this can ensure human adaptation to changing economic, cultural and social spheres.
Lifelong education makes a person free. It is the freedom of thought and judgment, which is based on the fact that people in a situation of uncertainty can
70
restore the missing links to their image of the world, which allows man to build his or her own trajectory of cognitive movement. The image of future lifelong education is seen in the context of a profound comprehension of modern culture, in the search for new forms of cognitive activities and in adequate modern educational content.
References
1. Гессен С. И. Основы педагогики: Введение в прикладную философию. - М., 1995.
2. Пушкарёв Ю. В., Пушкарёва Е. А. Интеллектуальная культура: ценностные факторы современного образовательно-научного развития // Философия образования. - 2013. -№ 6 (51).
3. Шелер М. Формы знания и образование // Шелер М., Избранные произведения. - М., 1994.
Translated from Russian by Znanije Central Translations Bureau
71
