Kyoto School of Professional Learning Proposal(tentative)
Contacts: info@ks-pl.org or +81-75-203-5458
NPO Institute for Learning Development has developed textbooks that allow large numbers of learners to study collaboratively and of their own volition. We have also formulated proposals for projects and have applied to the Kyoto Prefectural government for their public program of open-plan project proposals.
Project
Establishment of the Kyoto School of Professional Learning as a Safty Net
Object and Summary
Unemployment and job instability are not only the result of the recent economic downturn; these two phanomena also frequently accompany a county's social transforamation from being an indusrial society to an information society, and then a knowledge-based society. To respond to these changes it will be necessary to offer citizens many types of learning. However, Japan is far behind other developed nations in recognizing non-formal and informal learning. On the other hand, in Europe, and in the member counties of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in particular, research on non-formal learning in higher education as applied in life-long learning society has flourished. With the cooperation of the OECD, we plan to establish the Kyoto School of Professional Learning within 3 years.
The Project in Brief
In the OECD countries, the mutual relationship between formal learning, non-formal and informal learning has long been a topic of research, and professional training in fostering non-formal learning is well-established. The NPO Institute for Learning Development has also participated in these efforts, having presented research findings at conferences and other gatherings in Europe evey year since 2005. In cooperation with a 23-nation joint project promoted by Dr. Patrick Werquin of the OECD, as well as through information exchange worldwide, we plan to establish the Kyoto School of Professional Learning for non-formal learning, and to address problems in high-level professional training, particularly those consider to be unique to the Kyoto region. Our specific near-term plans are as follows:
2009 - Sponsorship of an international symposium to introduce our current status and plans to the public.
2010 - Trainig of learning development specialists in order to promote non-formal learning.
2011- Development and implementation of a separate learning system for specific lines of work that display urgent needs.
Our rationale is as follows:
Our rapidly changing society is characterized by frequent unemployment and restructuring, which requires all of us to continually refine our capabilities and learn new job skills. However, there are many people who are unable to engage in professional job training offered by formal educational institutions due to social, economical, and cultural constrains. In particular, special consideration is needed for those who receive unemployment befits and their families, recipients of social welfare befits and their families, minimum income earners as specified by the Ministry of Health and Labor (2.09 million yen a year, as of the year 2005) and their families, foreign workers and their families, and other vulnerable groups. Therefore, to ensure wider access to learning, it is desirable that learning institutions depend not only on learner's tuition for their operation but also on public funding and contributions from companies, various organaizations and citizens. Each group or body should support others based upon the spirit of mutual cooperation and internationally agreed recognition of everyone's right to learn.
It is also important to limit increases in welfare costs, while enabling people to enhance their finacial security by acquiring new job qualifications and licenses. We aim to construct a learning community by utilizing playful learning, collaborative learning and independent learning based upon the concept of "meeting and co-learning," while using learning materials accessible through e-learning.
Announcement of International Forum
Establishing the Kyoto School of Professional Learning
(private academy)
Professional training through formalizing playful learning,collaborative learning, and autonomous learning
(Project sponsored by Kyoto prefecture)
This forum will be of special interest to those who face the challenges or have the professional and personal interests described below.
Q: How important is it that I design my own future path?
The world has been changing rapidly, and today new high school or university graduates, and newly hired employees as well, are expected to be able to plan their own future course. Careers are much more fluid, with many college or high school graduates deciding to leave their jobs fairly soon after employment. Without engaging in serious thought about your future, you may incur all kinds of personal and career risks.
Q: What kind of learning community exists for adults who wish to continue to learn on their own?
If you work in the educational field, you may wonder what kind of tools are available to help design a future course for your students of any age, your subordinates, or even yourself. What kind of supportive environment is most needed?
These questions are now being asked not only in Japan, but worldwide. To help answer them, and to provide an opportunity to exchange information, the Institute for Learning Development has invited a learning specialist from the Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) and an expert engaged in innovative adult education to this international forum (includes English-Japanese interpretation).
Through listening, speaking and discussion with Forum participants, you’re sure to make some helpful discoveries of your own.
Date
Friday, January 29, 2010, 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. A reception will follow at 6:30 p.m. (attendance optional, admission fee required)
Place
Mielparque Kyoto (2 minutes’ walk from JR Kyoto station)
Free of charge (Followed by optional reception with admission fee)
Capacity
60 people
Program
Part 1
Greetings by Haruo Nishinosono
(Representative, NPO Institute for Learning Development)
Planning the Kyoto School of Professional Learning as a career safety net
Keynote speech 1.
How can we recognize informal/non-formal learning by those who are unable to participate in formal education? Lessons from the OECD’s experience in recognizing informal/non-formal learning.
Speaker: Patrick Werquin, working at the Education Department,
OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation
Interpreter: Kumiko Aoki, Associate Professor, The Open University of
Japan
Keynote speech 2.
Creating employment possibilities in a changing society: Learning from experience in vocational education training in Europe and France.
Speaker: Anne-Marie Charraud, Advisor, National Commission
for Professional Certification, France
Interpreter: Kumiko Aoki, Associate Professor, The Open University of
Japan
Part 2
Panel Discussion
Securing employment opportunities and the role of learning communities -Expectations and proposals for the Kyoto School of Professional Learning
Attainment of vocational skills and career
education in a changing society (summary in english)
Council on Lifetime Learning, Professor, Bukkyo University
New vocational skills in the Internet Age (summary in english)
Satoshi Yoshikawa, Managing Director, Work Academy, Co.,Ltd.
Acquiring professional vocational skills and e-Learning(summary in english)
Kiyoshi Nakabayashi, Deputy Chair, Japan e-Learning Consortium, Professor, The Open University of Japan
Coordinator: Haruo Nishinosono, Representative, NPO Institute for Learning Development
Round Table Discussion
Directions for the Kyoto School of Professional Learning
-Inaugurating the Preparation Committee for the Establishment of the Kyoto School of Professional Learning
Introduction of Speakers
Speaker 1 : Patrick Werquin, PhD
Patrick Werquin is currently senior economist in the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Directorate for Education, in Paris (effective 1st January 2009). Before joining CERI, he worked for 10 years in the Education and Training Policy Division at the OECD’s Directorate for Education. He has a PhD in Economics and has taught Economics and Econometrics at the Université de la Méditerranée (Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles, 1986-98) and at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS, 1986-1998). He is teaching Education at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and supervises PhD students in Morocco and Canada.
From 1992 to February 1999, Patrick Werquin was a researcher at the French Centre for Research on Education, Training and Employment (Centre d’études et de recherches sur les qualifications or Céreq) of the French Ministries of Labour and Education. He has published papers and edited books on issues such as the transition from school to working life, including public intervention in the youth labour market, poverty, wage and unemployment. He was chairman of the European Research Network on Transition in Youth (TIY) from 1998 to 2001 and is a member of the editorial board of the Journal Économie et Prévision, Paris.
At the OECD, Patrick Werquin is working on the role of national qualifications systems in promoting lifelong learning, adult learning, low skilled individuals/workers, adult literacy, new competencies and assessment of adult skills, school to work transition as well as recognition of non-formal and informal learning, credit transfer, qualifications frameworks and statistical indicators for education and the labour market. He is the OECD contact person for the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL). He is involved in the preparation of the PIAAC survey (Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies).
He has contributed to the following OECD publications: the third IALS report (Literacy in the Information Age, 2000), the 2001 Education Policy Analysis (prepared for the meeting of the Education Committee at the ministerial level), the two reports of the Thematic Review of Adult Learning (Beyond Rhetoric: Adult Learning Policies and Practices, 2003; Promoting Adult Learning, 2005), the first ALL report (Learning a Living, 2005) and the international synthesis report of the activity on the Role of National Qualifications Systems in Promoting Lifelong Learning (Qualifications Systems: Bridges to Lifelong Learning, 2007). He is the author of the forthcoming OECD publication: Recognition of non-formal and informal learning: Islands of Good Practice (2009).
In CERI, he is currently working on statistical indicators for education and the labour market (INES Networks), and more specifically on adult learning and school-to-work transition, and is involved in the publication Education at a Glance. He is also working on human capital and business climate in Mediterranean MENA countries.
Speaker 2 : Anne-Marie Charraud
Anne-Marie CHARRAUD, Master degree in Policy sciences, is actually senior qualification advisor in CNAM (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers) which is a public Higher Education focused on adult education.
After several years as schoolmistress, she was from 1974 to 1979 guidance councillor for pupils and students, then from 1979 to 1989 in a DRONISEP Direction Régionale de l’Office national d’information sur l’éducation et la formation professionnelle setting up documentation about linkage between training and labour market for the Parisian region. She set up specific documentation about continuing education and youth programmes for Ile de France.
From 1989 to 1997, in CEREQ, (Centre d’études et de recherche sur les qualifications) she was-researcher about “alternance” training process - continuing education policies and trainers skills. She contributed to non formal and informal learning development and policies.
From1997 to 2000, National Coordination Point for Public programmes about qualification at the Délégation Générale à la Formation professionnelle (Ministry of labour), Coordination of education and qualification programmes in France about new jobs and new skills for youth. She participates to the preparation of the 2002 new law about a reform of vocational education and training (integrating validation and recognition of non formal and informal learning outcomes. She contributed to some development of policies and procedures about non formal and informal learning outcomes for public awarding bodies (especially ministries).
From 2000 to 2009, as Deputy Director in CNCP (Commission Nationale de la Certification Professionnelle), she had in charge the supervision of qualifications systems towards an NQF and linkages with EQF. She set up a new grid to classify French - Setting up a national qualifications directory (data base) and coordination of the collection of their content according Europass for 15000 qualifications. She developed quality assurance process to produce qualifications in accordance with political and economical demand of qualifications. She provided advices to policy makers about qualification (ministries, social partners, branches, training institutions regions etc…). She provides coordination and contribution to several studies concerning non formal and informal learning outcomes recognition and qualification systems for CEDEFOP (Centre European de Development de la Formation Professionnelle), OECD, UNESCO, ETF(European Training Foundation) etc…about different countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.
