ABSTRACT
Earlier in this book it has been argued that learning is an existential phenomenon, processes that occur in most people throughout most of their lives. Hence, it is maintained that lifelong education – or now, lifelong learning – should be regarded both as a human right and as a fundamental necessity in any civilized society so that all people can respond to their learning needs, fulfil their potential and discover a place in the wider society. For too long education was regarded as ‘something done to children’, continued in adolescence, and then for the most part it had no further place in their lives. Now things have changed, but there are still many who may never again darken the doors of an educational institution after their schooling. However, this does not mean that they have ceased to learn and some may also continue the process of self-education, even if the learning that they provide for themselves might not always be quite as enriching (but certainly not necessarily so) as they may have received had they availed themselves of the wider educational provision. Much of this learning may have been covert and, despite the work of Candy and similar research projects (see Candy, 1991 for a bibliography and analysis), the actual amount of learning per adult remains unknown and probably unquantifiable. However, over the years since the first edition of this book an increasing emphasis has been placed upon adult learners and their learning, with studies appearing to which some reference has already been made. Consequently, this chapter focuses upon these aspects and contains two main sections: the adult learner and adult learning. In the following chapter some of the writers about adult learning are examined.
