1.
Preamble
A Learning Society is generally considered to be the basis from
which Lifelong Learning can take place. From a Theoretical standpoint, not only
does the Learning Society provide the Framework in which Lifelong Learning is
allowed to flourish but that in fact both elements mutually support each other.
That is, a Learning Society gives rise to the capacity for Lifelong Learning
but Lifelong Learning allows through Socialization, for Individuals to
contribute back to the Learning abilities of broader Society in the form of
Wisdom.
This Paper highlights the Link between Development Health, Fiscal
Health, Learning Health and Wealth of Communities from Neighborhoods to
National to Continents to the Whole World and the Central Role of the Concept
of Learning Society in Establishing and Sustaining this Link.
2.
Concept
The Concept of Learning Society applies to both Developed
Countries and Developing Countries. The Concept of Learning Society expands the
Scope of education to allow for more powerful educational learning and
entrepreneurial learning inside and outside of Traditional Institutions.
If the Concept of Learning Society is genuinely implemented on
both Developed and Developing Countries sides, it could help to improve
National and Global Development Cooperation, Justice and Environmental
Sustainability. It could also help to reduce and ultimately Eliminate Global
Terror Threats.
3.
The Role of Universities / Tertiary Institutions
The University / Tertiary Institution’s role in Society is
precisely to Learn and Understand itself and its environment….. The more it
addresses the concerns of Society in its research and the more it widens access
to all Members of Society to benefit from the fruits of the Research, the more
it supports a genuine Learning Society.
4.
Globalized Economy
The Learning Society is a
requirement, if Local Governments, States, Countries at National level and Sub-
Regions and Regions at the International level are to remain Competitive within
an increasingly Globalized Economy. It may be sought after as a means of
improving individual and communal well being. There is out there a real Society
in which Knowledge Resources are unequally distributed to a degree that is not
only inimical to the fulfillment of individual capabilities and freedoms but
arguably, detrimental to the collective survival and development of Human
Society. If this real Society is to be replaced with a New Society where Globalization
and Governance work for the World’s Poor, then Learning Society needs to be
Designed and Delivered as a requirement to effectively tackle real and complex
World Political, Economic, Social, Security, Cultural and Religions problems on
the ground on both Developed and Developing Countries sides.
5.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Strength of the idea of
Learning Society as a Concept is that in Linking Learning explicitly to the
idea of a Future Society, it provides the basis of a critique of the minimal
Learning Demands of much Work and other Activities in our present day Society,
not excluding the Sector Specializing in Education. Its Weakness is that so far
the criteria for critique remain very general and therefore, like many terms of
contemporary educational discourse such as Partnership and Collaboration, it
can take a variety of contradictory meanings.
6.
Shifting Focus
There is a need for all relevant Sub-national, National and
International Development Cooperation Stakeholders in the Economy of each
Community from Neighborhood to Global levels, on both Developed and Developing
Countries sides to JOINTLY shift focus away from Talking and Thinking about
Learning Society and JOINTLY shift focus towards ACTION and RESULTS in the
Design and Delivery of Learning Society that help achieve increasing
convergence between National and Global Development Cooperation Goals and
Targets Intention and Reality in the Community. To achieve this it is necessary
to overhaul current Education Systems in each Community in each Developed and
Developing Country in our World today until Stage of Effective Learning Society
is reached. It is pertinent to note that all Societies need to be characterized
by Learning or else they will Die!
It is necessary to Deepen our Theorization of the relationship
between Education and Economic Life: to appreciate developments in our
Theorization of Learning and to draw upon understandings of Human Beings as
Active and Cooperative Agents, if focus is to shift away from Talking and
Thinking about Learning Society and shift towards ACTION and RESULTS in the
Design and Delivery of Learning Society that help achieve increasing
convergence between National and Global Development Cooperation Goals and
Targets Intention and Reality in the Community.
7.
Organizing Principles
The Organizing Principles
for the New Education System expected to emerge from the overhaul of the
current Education System could be Organizing Principles of Husen’s Learning
Society Vision (1994) which are:-
1. Education
is a Lifelong Process.
2. Education
will not have any fixed points of entry and cut off exits. It will become a
more continuous process within formal education and in its role within other
functions of life.
3. Education
will take on a more informal character as it becomes accessible to more and
more individuals. In addition to Learning Centers, Facilities will be provided
for Learning at Home and at the Workplace including Operating Field, for
example by the provision of Computer Terminals, Hand Held Computers or Smart
Phones.
4. Formal
Education will become more meaningful and relevant in its application.
5. To
an ever increasing extent, the New Education System will become dependent on
large supporting Organizations or supporting Systems… to produce teaching aids,
systems of information processing and multi-media instruction materials.
8.
Development Health
Early Child Development
(ECD) and Human Development (HD) are closely linked. Early Child Development
refers to the combination of physical, mental, and social development in the
early years of life—those dimensions that are commonly addressed by integrated
programs of ECD. These programs include interventions to improve the nutrition,
health, cognitive development, and social interaction of children in the early
years (Myers 1992; Young 1997).
Human Development refers to
similar dimensions—education, health (including nutrition), social development,
and growth—but at the scale of a nation. The multidimensional framework for HD
used in this Paper is a variant of one first proposed by the United Nations
Development Program in 1990. (In)equality is included in the discussion, but an
even broader concept of HD would include additional dimensions such as Human Rights
(Sen 1999).
Human Development, broadly defined,
is the overarching objective of most Sub-national, National, International and Multilateral
Development Programs. Because HD is so closely linked to ECD, investing in ECD
is the natural starting point for these programs and for the public policy that
frames these programs. Four critical “pathways” link ECD to HD. The first
pathway runs through education.
Interventions during the
early years of a child have multiple benefits for subsequent investments in the
child’s education, ranging from on-time enrollment in elementary school to an
increased probability of progressing to higher levels of education. The second
pathway is through health. Like education, investments in health are an
investment in human capital and have long-term benefits. The third pathway
links the notion of improved social behavior (as a result of being enrolled in
an ECD program) with the formation of social capital. This linkage is more speculative,
but is suggested by some interesting research results. In the fourth pathway,
ECD is linked to HD by the potential of ECD programs to address inequality in
society. And, ultimately, education, health, social capital, and equality are
linked to economic growth and, hence, to HD.
Development Health is
essentially about promoting and protecting ECD and HD Policy, Program, Project
Interventions in a Community from Neighborhood to Global levels. Just as Blood
Pressure Measures the Heart Health, Rights Pressure can Measure the Development
Health. . Too High Rights Pressure or Too Low Rights Pressure is each
Unhealthy. Rights Pressure within a Certain Band is Healthy.
9.
Fiscal Health
This section is written
using example from US. The points made apply to Local Government, State
Government and National Government in other Developed Countries and Developing
Countries.
Although the Great Recession
has come and gone, Local Governments, States and Nations continue to face the
repercussions of this recent economic downturn. Multiple outlets that review Local
Governments, States and Nations finances point to continued difficulties ahead;
Local Governments, States and Nations tax revenues are still recovering from
the recession, tax systems are not structured to collect on services or
e-commerce, and there are projected reductions in Federal spending on State
priorities such as education and infrastructure. In the US Fiscal simulations by the Government
Accountability Office suggest that despite States’ recent gains in tax revenues
and pension assets, the long-term outlook for States’ fiscal condition is
negative (GAO 2013). These simulations predict that States will have yearly
difficulties balancing revenues and expenditures due, in part, to rising health
care costs and the cost of funding state and local pensions.
The ongoing challenges to US
State Governments’ abilities to meet their financial and service obligations
underscore the need for a reliable and straightforward method to compare States’
finances. Methods to compare States’ finances, such as credit ratings, already
exist; however, there is still a need for transparent and nuanced measures.
Without such methods of comparison, those inside and outside State Government
are left to wonder about the emerging trends in State finances and how States
compare to each other. Recent public administration research suggests that
using financial data from Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs)
produced by Local and State governments is a viable way to compare States’ Fiscal
Conditions.
A definition of Fiscal Condition
needs to be broad enough to capture its different dimensions: liquidity,
budgetary balance, reliance on debt to finance current and long-term
expenditures, and ability to pay for essential services. Otherwise, comparisons
across time and between governments will be difficult. Fiscal condition
describes a government’s ability to meet its financial and service obligations.
If a State is able to meet these obligations, it is in good fiscal condition;
if not, it may experience fiscal stress. In general, fiscal condition can
include the following elements: the balance between State revenues and expenditures
as measured by State surpluses or deficits, tax and spending levels, and debt
levels Financial obligations include paying state employees’ salaries and
interest on outstanding debt and funding pensions. Service obligations include
providing sufficient funds for education and health care.
The components of fiscal
condition are similar, and in some cases identical, to those used to describe
financial condition. Many scholars and practitioners draw on the International
City/County Management Association (ICMA) model to explain the components of
fiscal and financial condition. This model
divides financial condition into four types of solvency: cash, budget,
long-run, and service-level.
Each type of solvency
measures a different dimension of fiscal condition. Cash solvency concerns a
government’s liquidity and its ability to pay its bills on time. Cash solvency
has a short time frame—30 to 60 days—and reflects the liquidity of a state government
and the effectiveness of its cash management system. Budget solvency concerns a
government’s ability to meet the current year spending obligations without causing
a deficit. This type of solvency has a mid-range time frame, often one fiscal
year, and may reflect the fiscal institutions within a state. For example,
states with stricter balanced budget requirements may be more adept at
balancing their budgets and achieving better budget solvency. Long-run solvency
is a government’s ability to pay for all its costs, including those that may
occur only every few years or many years into the future. While cash and budget
solvency look at short-term financial, management, long-run solvency looks at a
government’s management of longer-term obligations, such as meeting pension
obligations to current and future retirees. Service-level solvency is a
government’s ability to provide and pay for the level and quality of services required
to meet a community’s general health and welfare needs. Service-level solvency
is determined by a number of factors, both current and future. For example, the
size of a State’s revenue base and its political leaders’ willingness to
collect revenues can impact service-level solvency. Related to the level and
quality of services, a state’s current and future decisions about which basic
services to provide will impact service-level solvency. Similarly to long-run
solvency, service-level solvency depends on both current and future decisions
and fiscal environments.
Even with a definition of
fiscal condition, determining the appropriate way to measure it is difficult.
The drive to measure fiscal condition arose in the 1970s after several
municipalities faced bankruptcy and other fiscal problems. Public
administration researchers quickly realized that measuring this concept was
challenging, as it was poorly defined and difficult to measure directly. Measurement
methods depended on data availability, researcher’s preferences, and the unit
of analysis. As a result, despite 30 years of research at the local level and
nearly as many at the state level, there is no single accepted measure of
fiscal condition.
Measures of fiscal condition
often focus on one dimension. For example, using the year-end unreserved budget
balance as a measure of fiscal condition is common. This measure provides a
sense of a State’s budget solvency, but not its cash, long-run, or
service-level solvency. The tendency to focus on one dimension of fiscal
condition, often budgetary solvency, leads to multiple measures of fiscal condition,
none of which provides a comprehensive understanding of a state’s fiscal
condition.
Using the four types of
solvency allows us to measure each dimension of fiscal condition. Given the
definition of State fiscal condition as a government’s ability to meet its
financial and service obligations, budget, cash, and long-run solvency allow us
to measure a government’s ability to meet its short-, medium-, and long-term
financial obligations while service-level solvency provides a measure of a government’s
ability to meet its service obligations. Short-term and medium-term financial
obligations, for example, can include accounts payable such as state employee
wages or contracts. Long-term financial obligations include pensions and
capital asset replacement. Service obligations can include public safety
services and education. Financial indicators are increasingly being used to
measure state and local fiscal conditions. When taken from state and local
CAFRs, financial indicators use audited financial data that allow researchers
to analyze the condition of an entire government. There are many different
possible financial indicators, and they can be combined in multiple ways. This
Model uses 11 financial indicators to measure cash, budget, long-run, and service-level
solvencies at the State level.
Fiscal Health is essentially
about promoting and protecting Fiscal Condition and Financial Condition Policy,
Program, Project Interventions in a Community from Neighborhood to Global
levels. Just as Blood Pressure Measures the Heart Health, Service Pressure can
Measure the Fiscal Health. . Too High Service Pressure or Too Low Service
Pressure is each Unhealthy. Service Pressure within a Certain Band is Healthy.
10.
Learning Health
Lifelong Education and Lifelong
Entrepreneurial Education are closely linked. We have in other Sections of this
Paper discussed both Lifelong Education and Lifelong Entrepreneurial Education.
Learning Health is
essentially about promoting and protecting Lifelong Education and Lifelong
Entrepreneurial Education Policy, Program, Project Interventions in a Community
from Neighborhood to Global levels. Just as Blood Pressure Measures the Heart
Health, Results Pressure can Measure the Learning Health. Too High Results
Pressure or Too Low Results Pressure is each Unhealthy. Results Pressure within
a Certain Band is Healthy.
11.
Example of Child Development Learning Society Network
In Societies with pronounced
Social and Economic Disparities, well being is lower than in Societies where differences
are less pronounced. This is true across the Social Spectrum and across many
Indices including literacy, numeracy and aggression. Although we are Learning
more about the Core Dynamics of Human Development (i.e. what is required in
order for a Child to acquire the physical, emotional and cognitive tools to
make a good life), this information is not readily accessible to or accessed by
those who most need it. By Facilitating the Developmental Health of all
Children, we can enfranchise diverse participation in a knowledge economy,
thereby not only enhancing individual opportunities but also increasing
available Social Capital and National Competitive Advantage.
Establishing a Child
Development Learning Society Network, working to constructively engage
widespread participation of all relevant Stakeholders in a Virtual Dialogue to
support optimal Developmental Outcomes for all Children is an example of
Learning Society in operation.
Although Modern Societies
have an enormous capacity for wealth generation, there are many signs that our
Children and Youth are at increasing Risk of alienation, apathy, rebellion,
delinquency and violence. And although families with young children are the
most vulnerable and economically poor families are at the highest risk, the
changes are so widespread that negative consequences are occurring even for
those who are secure economically. We are living in an era of accelerating
pressures and uncertainties, in a time of escalating change and rapidly
increasing divergence between those who have the competencies to participate in
the emerging knowledge economy and those who do not. We are learning more and
more about Core Dynamics of Human Development (i.e. what is required in order
for a child to acquire the physical, emotional and cognitive tools to make a
good life). This information, however, is not readily accessible to or accessed
by those who most need it.
Frontline Practitioners
working with children and their families, legislators and parents of high risk
children are far too busy coping with their daily responsibilities and are
without the necessary scientific training to make sense of the growing body of
research as it is published. Additionally, the knowledge is generated in bits
and pieces by Scientists working in their own fields. The complex
inter-relationships among Scientific Findings are rarely understood in any
Contextually Complex and Practical way, by the Scientists themselves,
Practicing Professionals or by the Public. This is a TASK Learning Society is
Better Equipped to TACKLE Successfully and on Sustainable Basis because it is
one of the Multiple Big Challenges that need to be tackled and overcome, if
Learning Society is to Deliver Sustainable Benefits in ways that help Solve
real and complex National and International Development Cooperation problems
including Global Terrorism facing Developed Countries, Developing Countries and
International Institutions.
If we do not look after the Development Health of our Children and
Youth, we will Sacrifice the Economic Wealth of our Communities / Nations. This
is even more crucial with our shift to Knowledge Based Economies and
paradoxically, potentially aided by this Knowledge because we can now collect
and evaluate the Status of our Children more accurately than ever. This can set
the Stage for a Learning Society in which we must provide the incentives not
just for Economic Activity but for Healthy Human Development. These incentives
will need to Drive Healthier Developments as Powerfully as Profits Drive
Economic Activity.
12.
Multiple Big Challenges
To effectively tackle and overcome all identified Multiple Big
Challenges in the Design and Delivery of Learning Society that Works, all
relevant stakeholders in the specific Community – Neighbourhood to Global, need
to Jointly recognize:-
1.
Citizens and
Residents in each Community irrespective of age, class, gender, education, race
/ tribe, religion, political or any other interest need to be Organized,
Oriented and Disciplined to be the Moving Force Driving TRANSFORMATION to
Learning Society.
2.
Theoretical
Framework for Learning Society that works as well as its complimentary Practice
Framework need to be developed.
3.
Leaders in each
relevant stakeholder Group need to be silent and listen, if their Group i to
participate actively in (1) and (2).
4.
Consultants in
every aspect of Learning Society Policy, Program, Project Interventions need to
Design and Deliver Innovative and Creative Solutions that Inspire Stakeholder
Groups in (1) – (3) to participate Actively in Activities within Learning
Society that works.
5.
Existing
Institutions in the Community, including Institutions in the current Education
System need to be Re-established to Effectively Support Learning Society that
Works.
6.
New Institutions
in the Community, including New Regulatory Institutions need to be Established to
Effectively Support Learning Society that Works.
7.
New CSOs’ Network
Partnerships, New Stakeholders Coalitions and New Service Providers Consortium Partnerships
need to be Established to Effectively Support Learning Society that Works.
13.
Conclusion
We have
demonstrated the Link between Development Health, Fiscal Health, Learning
Health, Learning Society and Wealth of Communities / Nations. That is the more
Institutions embrace the Concept of Learning Organization and the more Governments
embrace the Concept of Learning Society, the Wealthier and Healthier will be
the Citizens and Nations as Successful and Sustainable Solutions are
increasingly found to real and complex World Political, Economic, Terrorism etc
problems on the ground, with full implementation of these solutions as well as
effective monitoring and evaluation of this implementation. However, if Stakeholders in world Economy
continue pursuing current priorities and keep facing current Direction, the
probability is HIGH that current World Political, Economic, Terrorism etc
problems will worsen, with ultimate catastrophic consequences for all Citizens
in both Rich and Poor Countries.
Each Success Story implementing
Concept of Learning Society energizes for tackling the next problem to achieve
the next success Story and so on until Dream of World without Hunger and
Poverty by 2025 and 2030 become reality and on due date. We have all it takes
to ACHIEVE SUCCESS. Let the ACTION to Actualize New National and International
Development Cooperation Vision Begin to the Glory of God and the Benefit of
Humanity….
If you are
interested in helping to tackle the Multiple Big Challenges and help Create
Learning Society that Works or require some clarification or additional
information, please send email to:-
Lanre Rotimi
International Society for Poverty Elimination, ISPE /
Economic Alliance Group
Email: nehap.initiative@yahoo.co.uk
