Education: Paving the way ahead

Data published by the European Commission reveals that one in five adults in Europe has a low rate of literacy and numeracy skills. Based on the review published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission in 2013, even a university degree on the same subject is not proof that they have the same level of knowledge and competence. In my opinion and based on my experience in adult education, every adult needs to develop two key skills - learn how to learn, and learn what to do when they do not know what to do.

Around the key skills above, we can organise all adult education programmes, which have to be continuous and systemic, since the knowledge and skills that a person needs keeps being updated, modernised and continuously growing. Any programme in adult education should be based on three axes - the renewal of knowledge, the renewal of skills, and the modernisation of communication tools and capacity.
Before describing the role of adult education in contemporary society, there must be first an agreement on the description and definition of the phrase "contemporary society". If 100 people are asked to define contemporary society, they will give many different definitions. But the result is that all the different definitions are probably correct because in a contemporary society, the opinion of each individual, in terms of how s/he sees and imagines a modern world and the environment in which s/he lives must be respected and accepted. This will serve as an incentive for him/her to modernise and transform. In short, our starting point is to give respect to the human adult.
So, an individual can define "contemporary society" as one that satisfies various factors and choose those that s/he can recognise herself/himself as contemporary.
The factors are many but I will focus on five that, in my opinion, are the most basic and common, established through discussions in adult education courses in the last 10 years.
These five are the most prevalent for the society we live in today:
Respect for the adult (recognition and respect of his/her rights).
Concern for the adult (care about his/her well-being, health and development).
Benefits to the adult (provide opportunities, challenges and support for his/her development)
Update of the adult (give him/her the opportunity to acquire capabilities through knowledge, skills and communication).
Transformation of adults on the basis of developments in the environment in which they live or they are expected to live in the future.
Adult education plays a key role in supporting the factors above, which in sequence will contribute to the well-being and development of adults in contemporary society.
The first four factors are relatively easily understood and defined by any adult.
Obviously, the fifth factor is the most important for survival in a contemporary society, and more specifically, the preservation of contemporary society.
The adult must be able to transform, become modernised, and renew his/her knowledge continuously, abilities and skills, habits, behaviour and his/her communication. It is obvious that in order for an adult to be transformable, the first four factors as mentioned above should apply, that is, the right to a proper and continuous education, providing opportunities and satisfactory information.
To succeed we need to have transformable adults and transformable trainers. Having transformable trainers can support the creation of transformed adults in society for continuous transforming contemporary society.
"Transformable contemporary society" is a term that interprets what was said above. It implies and supports the need, importance and role of adult education in contemporary society. The transformable society entails a contemporary society and a transformable society implies the existence of transformable trainers and transformable adults who will be updated continuously and will all participate in modernised and continuously updated educational and training programmes.
Dr Gregoris A. Makrides is the Director of Research and International Relations and Deputy Director of Studies and Student Affairs, University of Cyprus; Executive Director, European Office of Cyprus; President, European Association of ERASMUS Coordinators; and President, European Association of Career Guidance
e-mail: makrides.g@ucy.ac.cy