In this week’s Learning World, we are looking at lifelong education: focusing on the huge number of things we have still got to learn long after our formal education has finished.
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Mauritius: Recognising skills
In Mauritius a new project is helping vulnerable people who have had very little formal education to pick up new skills and qualifications. This has been useful for some as they have been able to start up their own businesses, while for others it proved to be a boost to their self-esteem.
One of the key features of the project is that they look at the things the people already to do; either at home, at work or in the community, and show that they have real value. Where applicable, they can use these skills to earn state recognised qualifications.
Adapting to change
Rapidly changing technology necessitates the ability to keep on learning throughout our lives. Now more than ever there is great pressure to constantly learn and follow changes for fear of getting left behind.
Yves Attou, President of the World Committee for Lifelong Learning, spoke to euronews on the importance of seeing learning as an ongoing pursuit for everyone in the world, and not just those currently in education.
Thailand: Opening the door
In the highlands of northern Thailand near the Burmese border, a remote community is served by a learning centre. The Karen hill tribes people are skilled craftsmen, but are hampered by a language barrier which, to an extent, cuts them off from the outside world.
Now thanks to an education scheme, which is not only life-long but intended to be passed down from generation to generation, they can learn the skills needed to communicate with others from outside their community.