ABSTRACT
Weste rn enthusias m fo r l i fe lon g learnin g i s underp inne d b y assertion s tha t
increasing globalizat io n o f market s threaten s nationa l economi c perfor -
mance, eve n survival . A 'cultur e o f l i fet ime learnin g is crucial to sustaining. . .
international competit iveness ' assert s a B r i t i sh report ; paper s in this v o l u m e
s h o w s imi la r sentiments pervadin g i n Austra l ia, N e w Zealand , E u r o pe an d
N o r t h A m e r i c a . E v en i n an era o f impersonal and 'natural ' marke t forces , th e
threat ha s bee n geographicall y - an d arguabl y cul tura l l y - located : i n th e
Pacif ic R i m and th e As i a n 'tigers' . I t is , therefore , a littl e i ron ic that , Japa n
aside ( O k a m o t o 1994) , eve n th e mos t economica l l y advanced o f the A s i a n
'tigers' hav e lagge d beh in d th e wes t i n developing policies for l i fe lon g learn -
ing . Singapore , fo r instance , ha s m o v e d t o formulat e a po l i cy on ly in the las t
year o r so .
