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International Journal of
Population Studies The right to lifelong learning

Table 8. Federal government’s roles to establish and operate supports are also necessary, such as training in geragogy
a late-life learning system to ensure lifelong learning available to teachers and a wide variety of professionals
who provide expert and professional information.
Role Example potential policy actions for lifelong
learning
3.8. Role of government
Leadership Make national pronouncements about vision and
goals; facilitate the creation of late-life learning to It is unlikely that the federal government will run a
complete the lifelong learning system; stable efforts national program of late-life learning, particularly because
for long term policy. education is a provincial responsibility. Such a complex and
Coordinator Integrate multi-sectoral late-life learning varied initiative requiring a diverse and trained workforce
provisions by other actors such as municipalities, cannot be undertaken by the public sector alone; however,
learning institutions, unions, employers, private the federal government can actively play multiple roles to
companies, etc.
Interlocutor Public consultations and consensus building; ensure that its responsibilities for lifelong learning rights
are met. Table 8 enumerates the roles that government can
manage relationships with national organizations,
mediate issues; build active networks. undertake in establishing and operating a well-functioning
lifelong learning system which includes later life.
Intergovernmental Alignment between multilateral government
linkage efforts for late-life learning; facilitate exchanges;
sharing of resources. 4. Conclusions
Inform and Exhort universal participation while explaining The development of the policy framework for late-
educate life-altering benefits; publicize opportunities; life learning with the help of preliminary census data
public information campaigns; highlight success has shown that it is a huge though worthwhile task to
stories.
provide late-life learning for the successful development
Evidence Collect data, conduct, and finance research to
generation create evidence to support decision-making by all of Canadian citizens throughout life, resulting in
actors; evaluation of late-life learning programs; national benefits. Ensuring that lifelong learning extends
regular dissemination of research results. to include late-life learners is not a matter of including
Assuror Assure the provision of choice and opportunities late-life learners in existing learning opportunities;
for all stages of life. rather, because of rising longevity, it is the creation of an
Quality assurance Standards of provision, credentials, proficiency effective late-life learning sector. This means additional
recognition; consumer protection; ensure a public funds have to be allocated to partially finance late-
reasonable return on investment (fees, time, and life learning. Such investment is likely to find public
effort). acceptance for two reasons. First, people in later life
Funder Support the creation of late-life learning content; are major contributors to the economy as consumers
cost sharing with other levels of government,
incentives to create a diversity of providers, grants, and taxpayers. Second, Canadians will benefit from
and subsidies to learners. late-life learning as they age. Though governments
Operations Operate late-life learning demonstration programs can take a leadership role, this would require multiple
in public institutions. professionals and all sectors to work in a coordinated
Source: Brink, 2023. way to ensure learning for successful aging. While the
framework provides guidance, the heavy work of policy
• Citizenship responsibilities. Knowledge about development based on evidence, including the costs of
current issues such as climate change; information policy options and the sharing of delivery, will have to be
to make good voting choices; socially responsible the next endeavor. Since the right to learning has been
investment. accepted, national governments are obliged to act to
• World citizen. National and international ensure compliance.
philanthropy; activism for collective well-being
and against ageism. Acknowledgments

3.7. Infrastructure for learning provision None.
While it is clear that people in their later years are rights Funding
holders, it is more complicated to identify the duty bearers.
Such comprehensive provision for late-life learning in Not applicable.
a short time cannot be provided by any one sector; but Conflict of interest
rather by private, public, non-profit, and volunteer sectors
combined. However, for successful provision, other The author declares that she has no competing interests.

Volume 9 Issue 3 (2023) 42 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.339