Introduction:
Lifelong Learning is the learning that aims to improve a person’s knowledge and skills and can take place at any stage of life. The term recognizes that learning is not confined to childhood or the classroom but takes place throughout life and in a range of situations, learning never stops after a certain age. Lifelong Learning continues education informally for personal enrichment, usually after finishing formal education.
Since the early 1970s, organizations such as UNESCO, the OECD and institutions of the European Union have been the main proponents of the view that “learning is a lifelong process and that all education should be organized around that principle”. With this principle of education, lifelong learning has become increasingly important on the global agenda. But in Bangladesh lifelong learning is not a well-known component of education system, though non formal and continuing education are become included in the education system.
Lifelong learning become a global agenda when United Nation (UN) declared Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 1 January, 2016 to be achieved by 2030. Among 17 SDGs, goal 4 is about quality education and lifelong learning. SDG-4 have 7 targets, in which target 4.3 equal access to higher education and target 4.5 ensure equal access to all levels of education, including persons with disabilities. But the activities of higher education and persons with disabilities are not any activity in Bangladesh. To identify the possible activities of lifelong learning on the issues, Bangladesh Institute of Lifelong Learning in collaboration with Stockholm University organized a workshop on 6-7 July 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Objective of the workshop: – To conceptualize the lifelong learning in Bangladesh in Special Reference to higher education and persons with Disability – To identify lifelong learning issues on higher education and persons with disabilities – To prepare a draft activity plan on lifelong learning for higher education and persons with disabilities
Outcome of the workshop: – Draft activity plan for lifelong learning on higher education and persons with disabilities – Report of the workshop