Round-table discussion about Lifelong Learning in Istanbul

On behalf of the Committee of the Regions, the president of Harghita County Council, Borboly Csaba, presented general priorities of CoR concerning the importance of lifelong learning, and the situation of adult education in Harghita county at the round-table discussion held on the 11th November in Istanbul organized by the European University of Regions and Territories for Lifelong Learning, Assembly of European Regions (AER) and Regions in action for Lifelong Learning (FREREF).
In the first part of his intervention, the representative of CoR spoke about recent relevant opinions of the Committee in this field. Mr Borboly referred to the opinion on Opening up Education, which emphasizes, that access to adult learning opportunities should be available to all learners regardless of the level of education or social status and recommends new teaching methods, targeted study plans and alternative forms of validation, which can be helpful in this regard.
Priorities formulated in the opinion of the Committe on rethinking education highlight the importance of transversal skills, especially in the business field, stating that skills have become the global currency of the twenty first (21st) century .Without investment in skills, people will languish on the margins of society, technological progress does not translate into economic growth, and countries can no longer compete in our knowledge-based global society.
The speaker also highlighted the value of informal education and stressed the importance of partnerships, between government bodies at national and local level, education providers, businesses, employees and their organisations as well as civil society organisations.
In order to present the situation of the adult learning experiences in Seklerland, the president of the county council consulted the leaders of the Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania and the Soros Educational Center Foundation.
- By the Sekler product movement, which included also adult trainings, Harghita County Council has helped hundreds of small farmers become entrepreneurs, and stay competitive with their traditional products on the local and regional markets. Adult education can make real difference when it’s adjusted to the local needs, and regional endowments are taken into account - outlined the county council president. According to Borboly Csaba education on national level is ineffective and inefficient, therefore it must be organized at local level with greater involvement of the local actors. The Committee of the Region supports the principle of lifelong learning, as it promotes mobility, economic development, and contributes to the improvement of life quality.
The intervention by Mr Borboly can be accessed here: http://www.borbolycsaba.ro/beszedek/isztambuli-hozzaszolas-eng/