ABSTRACT
The unfettered visionary idealism of a global, learning-based society became more unfashionable, while the gradual rolling back of the state and the firmer placing of responsibility for personal development onto the individual induced a more utilitarian view. Until the mid-1990s, vision and idealism took a back seat to practical method and ‘back to basics’. In some languages the concept of learning is not well expressed, but putting the focus on the learner is the first step to understanding the rules of today’s game. Historians will argue that there is nothing new in education. At some levels Education and Training perceptions are fast changing into practical learning precepts. In addition, national governments have published Green and White Papers for implementing lifelong learning in their countries. In the view of most educationists, the engine of lifelong learning change is the development of human potential at all levels and the focus of education is the satisfaction of the needs of every learner.
