LIFELONG LEARNING AND PRESCHOOL EDUCATION: ODD COUPLE OR ECLECTIC RELATIONSHIP?

Lifelong learning seems to be the key concept for educational policy in almost all developed and developing countries. National and international organisations put emphasis on lifelong learning, while at the same time the concept is equated with continuing vocational training in the majority of policy making texts. In this paper, we investigate the continuously evolving concept of lifelong learning and the relationship between lifelong learning and preschool education. In the first section of the paper we will define lifelong learning as a unifying project for all educational and learning activities. Based on Coombs and Ahmed's typology for educational activities, our analysis will lead to a definition of lifelong learning encompassing all levels and types of education. In the second section of the paper we will explore the location and significance of preschool education in lifelong learning, analyzing all possible ways and frameworks of learning in early childhood (family learning, kindergartens, non-formal educational activities) and their contribution to the making of a lifelong learner.