Some Critical Reflections on Lifelong Learning Policy in Turkey

Abstract

This paper discusses the Lifelong Learning Strategy document which was on the agenda during the European Union harmonization process of Turkey. The public policies in the document, regarding non-formal and adult education, will be analyzed. Lifelong Learning strategy became a current issue in the last stage of neoliberal transformation of education and occurs within the context of neoliberal transformation which began many years ago in the educational field. At the same time, Lifelong Learning also contains some dimensions which strengthen liberalization and commercialization in formal education. Neoliberal transformation of education has been expressed through “structured adjustment program,” directives of the World Bank imposed over thirty years and through the European Union”s “harmonization” process enforced steadily within the past 10 years. During this process, although transformation of formal education was given priority and the adult education field kept its character with the globalization discourse, terms such as “learning society” and “knowledge society” were imposed, while commodification in adult and non-formal education fields was not a large factor. Thus market driven vocational training discourses were not regulated properly through non formal education. The strategy document actually was formulated to reorganize this field. This article analyzes the effects of neoliberal globalization over adult education in Turkey, including reflections on the interconnection of this document with general European Lifelong Learning policies.