Dr. Kavita Suri
Learning is not something that just happens in a classroom with young people. Learning actually starts with the day a child is born and continues till the life ends. Learning thus never ends and is a lifelong process. Lifelong learning encompasses the full range of formal, non-formal and informal learning activities undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competences within a personal, civic, and social or employment related perspectives. Lifelong learning, thus, can be defined as something that takes place on an on-going basis from our daily interactions with others and with the world around us. Lifelong learning can also be termed as activity in which people from all ages and backgrounds engage in for a variety of reasons at different levels and for different lengths of time throughout their lives in a range of formal and informal settings including those provided by voluntary activities, community groups and the workplace.
Importance of life-long learning education in India
The importance of lifelong learning education has been discussed in several educational policy documents and discourses in India including the Education Commission (1964-66) which observed that education does not end with schooling but is a lifelong process. The National Policy on Education in India-1986 (modified in 1992) also observed that the critical development issue is the continuous upgradation of skills so as to produce manpower resources of the kind and the number required by the society and other educations related reports and documents.
Adult education was started in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in 1978 under the “National Adult Education Programme”. This year over 90 adult education departments and centres were set up in the Indian universities which offered a variety of programmes to the learners, mostly adults. Since past three decades, the University Grants Commission (UGC) not only played a significant role in the development of guidelines and adult education programmes and thus shaping the character of University Adult Education in the country, but it also provided full funding support to universities to implement the programmes. All such departments and centres played a vital role in taking university to masses. The Centres and Departments of Adult, Continuing Education and Extension took special efforts to make their activities socially relevant, economically viable with a target-oriented approach besides offering various kinds of need based (short duration) continuing courses, which helped creating employment opportunities for unemployed youth.
With the formulation the Eleventh Five year Plan (2007-20012), the Government of India put forward the idea of expanding the scope of the Continuing Education Program by developing it as Lifelong Education and Awareness Program (LEAP). Under this, most of the University departments saw the change in their nomenclature and most of them were renamed as “Departments of Lifelong Learning”. These departments are also providing individuals lifelong learning opportunities to learn at any stage of one’s life, in various context and situation, through all formal, non-formal and formal system of education.
Lifelong Learning in HEIs in Jammu and Kashmir
In the state of Jammu and Kashmir, lifelong learning programmes are being run by both the state universities of Jammu and Kashmir. The University of Jammu and University of Kashmir which are two sister universities, got the Centres for Adult, Continuing Education and Extension in the same year in 1978. And since then both the universities are contributing significantly in providing lifelong learning opportunities to the learners in the border state. In this journey of past 35 years, both the centres have now been converted to full-fledged departments. While in Jammu it is known as Department of Lifelong Learning, in Kashmir it is Directorate of Lifelong learning. The Department of Lifelong Learning (DLL) earlier known as Centre for Adult and Continuing Education & Extension (CACE&E), focused upon institutional and field level programmes with an objective to create a variety of learning and training opportunities, besides promoting skills enhancement for various groups of learners. Keeping in line with the guideline of the UGC on lifelong learning, the Department has developed key areas for intervention through its various schemes. Prospective and perspective planning for the region has been done consciously keeping in view its diversity in terms of emerging educational needs and required additional inputs through non formal education.
The Department of Lifelong Learning has made concerted efforts towards integration between formal, non-formal and out of school learning processes. Enriching learning opportunities have been created for faculty of University and Colleges, research scholars, students, out of school youth, non students, jail inmates, and field functionaries of different Government/Non
Government departments through its various outreach extension programmes. The different target groups selected are provided with need based learning packages. The thrust areas of DLL in Jammu are teaching ( a full time two years Masters degree in Rural Development), research, Coaching programmes (Entry to Service Examination, JRF/NET and remedial coaching for SC/ST minorities/OBC and General category students), Career guidance and vocational education (guidance and counseling services, career development and job related information networking, career awareness talks, preparation of career information packages, monthly newsletter, web alert) etc through UGC’s Career Counseling Cell and Employment Informational and Advisory Bureau (EIAB) and three months’ self supporting courses including Urdu, French, German, etc which are very popular among students.
Lifelong learning at Kashmir University
Directorate of Lifelong Learning at the University of Kashmir concentrates its activities on three major dimensions of Adult Education, Continuing Education, Extension and field outreach like teaching, community development, research, extension and field outreach. In a place like Kashmir which is ravaged by conflict and there is dearth of employment opportunities, the DLL is striving to provide lifelong learning opportunities to the masses with the help of professional /vocational/ job orientation trainings and entrepreneurship programs, so that they can earn a living. The DLL is playing its role to the society at large and youth in particular in order to make them competent and skillful for the employability in different sectors. Besides, the aim is also to carry extension and outreach activities and programs for promoting social responsibility and capacity building of the people with community extension for self improvement of adults.
The way forward
The Higher Education Institutions like the University of Jammu and University of Kashmir have to take more steps to widen the pool of those who are “non-traditional” learners and did not get the opportunity to seek higher education or who dropped out without a qualification and are seeking a second chance. The youth of state of Jammu and Kashmir need to keep themselves updated with the changing world and need skills to advance their careers; thus new courses need to be designed by both the DLLs keeping in view their needs so that they can contribute to the workforce.
The entire country, including Jammu and Kashmir will soon have a significant older population. There is also a need to devise lifelong learning programmes for those who have either retired or are in their old age but want to keep mentally active and productive.
Lastly, the two higher education institutes providing lifelong learning in Jammu and Kashmir would have to make more of an effort to integrate lifelong learning into their core development processes and policies. This would surely contribute to the overall development of the human resource in the state of J&K.
(The author is Director and Head, Department of Lifelong Learning, University of Jammu)
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