CHAPTER 5

Quality Education

Quality education plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies. In the context of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education for all by promoting lifelong learning opportunities. This goal goes beyond formal education to include informal and non-formal learning, recognising that education can take place in many different contexts.

Why is quality education important for sustainability? Education provides adults with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to understand and address global sustainability challenges such as climate change, natural resource management, biodiversity loss and poverty. Through quality education, adults can acquire a critical awareness of sustainability issues and solutions and develop the capacity to act responsibly and consciously.

Education is a crucial way to achieve better life conditions, higher incomes, and personal fulfillment.  It is exactly from this radical change in your point of view that you can start: quality education influences the economy in general, and has a real impact on people’s private lives. Quality education is also a way to improve our democratic living and indirectly influence the development of innovative, inclusive policies with concrete results.

Continuous training is the most effective tool in your hands to definitively improve your lifestyle. The world economy continues to run – probably in an unsustainable way – and social dumping is now an issue. The futility and ineffectiveness of protectionist policies and approaches have brought workers face to face with a reality that is hostile to them. Especially in Western countries, labour can no longer have the same rules and behaviour as a few years ago. Keeping training is the best way to be resilient to constant shocks and to build a brighter future.

 

Lifelong learning: an opportunity not to miss!

Lifelong learning is fundamental in today’s social and economic environment. In an ever-changing world, where the skills required in the labour market are changing rapidly, investment in lifelong learning is essential to improve job opportunities and maintain a successful career.

Improving employment opportunities is one of the main benefits of lifelong learning. Upgrading skills and acquiring new knowledge can make adults more competitive in the labour market and increase their chances of career progression. For example, learning new digital skills can open doors to a wide range of job opportunities in the growing digital economy. Lifelong learning also enables adaptation to new challenges, such as technological change or changes in the labour market, allowing adults to remain relevant in their field of work and to take advantage of new opportunities.

A concrete example of how lifelong learning can improve employment opportunities is the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. Ongoing learning of computer, programming or data analysis skills can open doors to well-paid and growing jobs. This sector is constantly evolving and requires ongoing training to keep up with new technologies and market needs.

But lifelong learning is not just about acquiring specific skills for a career. It is also an opportunity for personal development and to pursue passions and interests. Adults can learn new languages, deepen their knowledge of subjects such as history, art or music, or acquire practical skills such as cooking, gardening or handicrafts. This type of learning not only enriches people’s lives, but can also open up new career opportunities or personal projects.

It is important to note that lifelong learning is not only an opportunity for individuals, but also for organisations and society as a whole. Companies that promote lifelong learning for their employees often see improvements in performance, innovation and productivity. In addition, a high proportion of highly educated and skilled workers can contribute to sustainable economic growth and improved competitiveness at national and global level.

In conclusion, lifelong learning is an indispensable resource for improving employment opportunities. Investing in lifelong learning enables adults to adapt to the changing needs of the labour market, to take advantage of new opportunities and to achieve their professional and personal goals. Whether it is to acquire technological skills, broaden knowledge or develop passions, lifelong learning offers a pathway to success and personal fulfilment.

 

Key concepts

  • Accessibility: Ensuring that education is accessible to all adults, regardless of factors such as age, gender, disability, geographical location and socio-economic status.
  • Inclusion: Promoting an inclusive educational environment where every adult feels respected, valued and involved, regardless of their cultural, linguistic or background differences.
  • Relevance: Offering educational programmes that are relevant to adults and their needs, providing practical and useful skills and knowledge in the context of sustainability.
  • Lifelong learning: Recognising that learning is not limited to young people, but that adults can continue to learn and develop meaningfully throughout their lives.
  • Skills for sustainability: Encouraging the acquisition of skills that enable adults to understand and address sustainability challenges such as climate change, resource use, environmental protection and sustainable development.
  • Holistic approach: Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates different disciplines, issues and perspectives to provide adults with a comprehensive understanding of sustainability and its many aspects.
  • Experiential learning: Promoting learning through practical, hands-on experience, encouraging adults to put their acquired knowledge into practice and develop skills that are applicable in real life.
  • Active participation: Encouraging the active participation of adults in the educational process, promoting dialogue, collaboration and the exchange of experiences and viewpoints.
  • Ethical values: Promoting ethical values such as fairness, social justice, respect for the environment and individual and collective responsibility in promoting sustainability.
  • Action and change: Inspiring adults to translate acquired knowledge and skills into concrete, positive action to promote sustainable living and meaningful change in society.

Inspirational Practice: REDOOC

You can find redooc at https://redooc.com/en .

What’s redooc? Redooc is a revolutionary digital education platform dedicated to the acquisition of basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic, which form the fundamental basis for everyday and professional life. The platform focuses on the acquisition of skills that enable understanding, communication and reasoning, providing individuals with the necessary tools to face life’s challenges.

Since its inception, Redooc has placed special emphasis on mathematics, which is the basic grammar of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects and an internationally recognised universal language. Through the teaching of mathematics, Redooc provides students not only with the skills to find a job, but also with the skills to live consciously. Learning mathematics helps develop the ability to analyse situations and make informed decisions, enabling individuals to face the challenges that come their way.

Redooc uses natural language and technology in a way that matches the habits and preferences of young learners. The platform uses a variety of teaching methods including video, gamification, concept maps and the use of smartphones to make learning engaging and stimulating. This innovative approach radically rethinks the way education is conceived, putting students at the centre of the effort and enhancing the role of teachers as facilitators and guides. For this reason, Redooc remains in a state of permanent beta, constantly seeking to improve and adapt to the needs of its users.

Another key element of Redooc is its accessibility. The platform is designed to ensure that each individual has the freedom to follow his or her own personal learning process, which often does not coincide with the traditional teaching method based on listening and memorisation. Redooc recognises that everyone has different talents and educational needs and is committed to identifying and bringing out the hidden talents of each individual. This inclusive approach reflects Redooc’s philosophy that “we are all Special Educational Needs”, i.e. each of us deserves an education that is personalised and tailored to our needs and potential.