Belgium

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Summary of Desk Research

Lifelong learning in Flanders is defined as “a process in which people as well as organisations, in all contexts of their functioning, enhance the knowledge and competences needed to handle their professional, economic, social and cultural chores in a better way in the fast developing society and in doing so, be able to be critical, meaningful, and responsible”.

 

The Flemish state of play, developed by CVO Antwerpen in close collaboration with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

  • gives a short introduction on the national culture in terms of lifelong learning
  • defines what ‘lifelong learning’ means in the Dutch speaking region of Belgium
  • identifies the most important players in the field of formal, informal, non-formal learning and lifelong learning in general
  • describes the role of Erasmus+ and the Flemish National Agency, Epos vzw
  • highlights some of the main findings of lifelong learning research in Flanders
  • specifies 4 initiatives initiated by the Flemish government to increase the participation in lifelong learning
  • describes how EU frameworks are being implemented in Flanders

Key points of the state of the art regarding LLL-policies

Concerning the policy recommendations, the experts refer to the study of the Flemish Education Council (VLOR). VLOR is the Flemish Education Council and is the official advisory body on the education and training policy of the Flemish Community. Representatives of all the different stakeholders in education and training meet in the VLOR. Together they look for ways to further improve education and training in Flanders.

In 2014 the VLOR consulted different experts to reopen the debate on LLL and to explore strategic topics on LLL for the next decades. The main question was: “How can the goal of the full participation of the adults be achieved in the present complex, high-tech and fast changing society that is setting high expectations for people and their functioning?” In their platform text the groups of experts analyzes challenges for LLL in Flanders, formulates 15 key issues and several recommendations for policy makers and other LLL stakeholders. (VLOR, 2014)

  1. Elaborate a broad, holistic and shared vision on learning
  2. Work on a global strategy beyond the boundaries of policy domains
  3. Target on the effect of learning
  4. Link mandatory continuing education and autonomy
  5. Stimulate networks, partnerships and cooperation
  6. Provide information, guidance and learning support
  7. Foster a positive learning climate
  8. Focus on effective financial and time-investing incentives
  9. Foster a learning leadership style
  10. Promote flexible learning and differentiation in learning
  11. Value and validate all kinds of learning
  12. Improve and stimulate workplace learning
  13. Professionalize the educators
  14. Foster evidence based policy
  15. Promote and monitor the quality of adult education and lifelong learning

A full summary of practical results

Research results (Eurostat) show that the average participation rate of adults in lifelong learning in Europe has increased over the years. In contrast to these European numbers, the Belgian participation rate mainly decreased. In the overall ranking of 131 countries, Flanders takes the 55th place. In 2002 only 6,7% of the adult population participated in lifelong learning. This number augmented to 9,8% in 2004. Since then there was a decrease until 2011, with the exception of a small improvement in 2010 (Research Centre of the Government of Flanders, 2013).

The general level of educational qualification of the population in Flanders however increases. In 1999 low-skilled people took up to 42.3% of the whole population of 25 to 64 year olds, in 2011 only 26.2% of this population is low-skilled. This tendency can also be noticed in the working population. In 1999, one out of three employees were low-skilled, while in 2011 no more than one out of five people belong to this group. It is very obvious that the percentage of low-skilled people in the total population is more that the percentage in the working class. This indicates a strong underrepresentation of low-skilled in the paid labor (VDAB, 2013).

To support the research results and actions described in the national state of play, 16 interviews were carried out and 10 good practice examples and 7 life stories are described to identify the different needs of the crucial players/sectors in terms of lifelong learning.

Most important outcomes of the Forum

  • Although Flanders follows the broad European definition of LLL, the experts of the expert panel observe a tendency in the Flemish policy to narrow LLL towards employability. Most of the experts are concerned about the shift to an instrumental interpretation of LLL. This tendency came up with the economic and financial crisis of 2008-2009 and the urge of the government to cut budget deficits.
  • The experts noticed that a lot of lifelong learning activities are not visible in the official statistics. As will be explained later, in Flanders, a lot of adult learning activities take place in socio-cultural organisations and this participation is not counted in the Eurostat statistics. One the one hand, the experts insist on the importance of formal recognition of non- and informal learning, but on the other hand, they feel hesitant about formalizing all learning.
  • Experts regretted the fragmentation of the sector of LLL in Flanders. There is no agreement on the topic whether it should be better to put LLL under the supervision of one Ministry. But they all agree that more coordination and a holistic vision on lifelong learning is needed.
  • To the experts’ opinion, there is no need for new incentives to encourage lifelong learning, but some of them must be fine-tuned to special and less participating target groups such as migrants, low educated people, etc. since the most important purpose of incentives is taking away participation barriers and the most important barriers to participate are not necessarily financial. The experts argue that the time aspect is probably even more decisive than the financial aspects. They promote the idea of a sort of “lifelong learning time credit”, that can be freely used during their career.
  • Adult education providers are being financed based on the amount of learners whereas a more qualitative financing mechanism based on learning results and effects would enable more flexible programs for learners and the development of custom-made programs in cooperation with economic sectors.

One “prominent fact”

Oscar is a portfolio method that edits competence documents (on paper and digital) that can be awarded by social-cultural organisations to the participants of their activities. The aim is to document learning experiences that have been acquired in non-formal and informal learning environments. In other words,

Oscar makes competences more visible both for the organisation/institution and the learner. On one hand it is interesting for the organisation to see which influence their activities have on the learners and which competences the organisation offers to the public and the civil society. On the other hand it offers the participants a document with the competences they have acquired in non-formal and informal learning environments. Oscar is a method to archive competences and competence documents in a personal (digital) portfolio. It can form the base for a learning biography.

www.oscaronline.be

Axis of progress for the next period (until 2020) to foster the convergence within Europe

  1. Elaborate a broad, holistic and shared vision on learning
  2. Work on a global strategy beyond the boundaries of policy domains
  3. Target on the effect of learning
  4.  Link mandatory continuing education and autonomy
  5. Stimulate networks, partnerships and cooperation
  6. Provide information, guidance and learning support
  7.  Foster a positive learning climate
  8.  Focus on effective financial and time-investing incentives
  9.  Foster a learning leadership style
  10.  Promote flexible learning and differentiation in learning
  11. Value and validate all kinds of learning
  12.  Improve and stimulate workplace learning
  13. Professionalize the educators
  14. Foster evidence based policy
  15. Promote and monitor the quality of adult education and LLL

Relevant links, websites, etc.

CANON (n.d.). Vernieuwende impulsen voor een oude wijsheid. http://www.canonsociaalwerk.eu/be_scw/details.php?Cps=11

EPOS (2014). EPOS Agency www.epos-vlaanderen.be/?Categoryid=271

EPOS (2010). Een leven lang leren. http://www.epos-vlaanderen.be/_Uploads/dbsattachedfiles/eposfiches2010.indd.pdf

Vlaamse Overheid (2014a). Opbouw en structuur. http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/kwalificatiestructuur/vlaamse-kwalificatiestructuur/opbouw-en-structuur/

Vlaamse Overheid (2014b). Rol van AKOV. Http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/kwalificatiestructuur/procedure-vlaamse-kwalificatiestructuur/rol-van-akov.htm

Vlaamse Overheid (2014c). Naar een geïntegreerd acquisition of prior learning-beleid Discussienota. http://www.fov.be/IMG/pdf/Discussienota_acquisition of prior learning.pdf

Vlaamse overheid, departement onderwijs. (2009) Memorie van Toelichting bij het voorontwerp van decreet betreffende het volwassenenonderwijs. http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/volwassenenonderwijs/beleid/documenten_regelgevi ng/2009-03-13-CR-MVT.pdf

Vlaanderen in actie. (2013). Pact 2020. Kernindicatoren meeting 2013. www4dar.vlaanderen.be/sites/svr/publicaties/Publicaties/pvv/2013-06-28-pact2020-meting2013.pdf

Socius (2011). Over de sector. http://www.socius.be/article230-Over-de-sector?Highlight=levenslang%20leren

Socius (n.d.). Ondertussen in Vlaanderen. http://www.socius.be/Ondertussen+in+Vlaanderen?Structure=Sociaal-cultureel+werken&page_ref_id=971

Oscar. (n.d.). Over Oscar. https://www.oscaronline.be/

Vlaamse overheid. (2012) Actieplan voor het stimuleren van loopbanen in wiskunde, exacte wetenschappen en techniek. http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/stem/Beleidsdocumenten/STEM-actieplan.pdf

VLOR. (2007). Advies over werkplekleren in onderwijs en opleiding. http://www.vlor.be/advies/advies-over-werkplekleren-onderwijs-en-opleiding

View and Download Belgian National State of Play Report