Page 39 - IJPS-9-3

International Journal of

Population Studies

RESEARCH ARTICLE
The right to lifelong learning: Addressing policy

challenges for late-life learning in Canada

Satya Brink*
ENCELL, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Active Ageing and Educational Gerontology)

Abstract

Lifelong learning is essential to support optimum development, cope with life
challenges, improve healthy autonomy and contribute to a just, sustainable,
and prosperous society. The value of the legal right to lifelong learning is not well
understood, tested, or applied, as lifelong learning is rarely extended to all people
till the end of life. Education or learning was formally accepted as a human right
under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Together with UNESCO
Recommendation against Discrimination in Education (1960), these two international
agreements ensure access, relevance, and equity of lifelong learning. Possible reasons
for low compliance and slow implementation of lifelong learning to the end of life are
discussed. Canada’s efforts can serve as a model for lifelong learning policies for later
life because, as a federated country, it requires national and provincial laws to work
together to achieve the same desired outcome for lifelong learning across thirteen
different provinces and territories. Furthermore, for the first time, the 2021 Canadian
census provided detailed data for the population aged 65–100 years, and it supports
*Corresponding author:
Satya Brink evidence-based policy development regarding for whom, when, what, when, where,
(satya.brink@gmail.com) and how lifelong learning outcomes can be provided nationally. A combination of
need and capacity is a better measure than determining eligibility by age 65–100 years,
Citation: Brink, S. (2023). The right
to lifelong learning: Addressing and the quality of learning should be based on responsiveness to specific needs and
policy challenges for late-life its relevance to learners in the last four decades of life. The needs for knowledge range
learning in Canada. International from life management, personal growth, societal contributions, and legacy for the
Journal of Population Studies,
9(3): 33-44. future. Learning options should be continuous, encourage individual choice, and rely
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.339 on geragogy. To be equitable, learning in later life should be delivered in formal, non-
Received: September 3, 2022 formal, or informal means in residential and institutional settings.
Accepted: May 16, 2023
Keywords: Late-life learning; Human rights; Disaggregated data; National policy
Published Online: June 9, 2023
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s).
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution 1. Introduction
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, Lifelong learning is, by definition, a learning process that lasts till the end of life. It was
provided the original work is not a concern when human life expectancy after World War II was around 65 years,
properly cited. covering the working years. However, the life span is growing globally due to better
Publisher’s Note: AccScience health and living conditions. The number of centenarians is projected to grow from about
Publishing remains neutral with half a million today to almost 3.7 million in 2050 (Stepler, 2016). Life expectancy after
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional retirement is projected to be as much as 25 years (OECD, 2011), and lifelong learning
affiliations. has to continue throughout life.

Volume 9 Issue 3 (2023) 33 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.339