Training to Education: Lifelong Learning

¶ … Training to Education:

Lifelong Learning in China"

How does capitalism -- or any economic system -- intersect with adult education?

The effect of capitalism on the economy has certainly changed the economy of Shanghai. The new economy has raised the demands of manpower, including structural economic changes. The need for general education is expected with tertiary industries. This shift has placed an increasing pressure on all individuals, especially older adults, to be educated and/more educated.

Other economic changes include universities charging fees but that is not all. How education is perceived is changing not only how education is viewed but also how it changes the economic landscape. Mai-King notes that under a socialist state, "adult education was confined to the preparation or upgrading of manpower as required by the national manpower plan" (Mai-King). While other opportunities were given, it was not the choice of the individuals. Since the change in adult education has occurred, the economy experienced an "explosion of the need for continuous education" (Mai-King).

This illustrates how education has changed the market and made it more flexible. Education is something that is a leisure and people realize that it can lead to a "meaningful life" (Mai-King). Here we see how the individual has a choice and, as a result, we see how personal choice actually improving society as well as the individual. When people are allowed to choose an educational path that appeals to them, there can be positive results in that such a path is fulfilling.

It should also be pointed out that these changes are not easy to accept. Mai-King points out," it is interesting to observe the role of culture in the process of change" (Mai-King). Mai-King notes that there can be no doubt about the significance of culture and its positive reinforcement regarding the value of education. In addition, the Chinese are not generally noted for their lack of motivation or desire to learn. These changes, in Mai-King's opinion do not "always reassure the traditional values of culture" (Mai-King). While adult education has made a positive stride over the past decades, the changes do not come easily. Individuals that seek more from an education also seek more from a society as well. This new attitude drives a wedge between old traditions and new philosophies. Mai-King states, "There is a clear deviation from the traditional aims of education for social mobility or collective objectives. Education is acquiring a new meaning" (Mai-King). In short, adult education has caused a shift in society that makes it "an essential vehicle for proactively adapting the workforce for rapid changes in the economy" (Mai-King). All in all, adult education is a good thing but it might take a while for the old ways to catch up with the new. One thing is certain - once the forward step is made, it is almost impossible to go back.

2. What views about the impact of capitalism on adult education activities are represented in the readings?

In "From Training to Education," Kai-Ming explains how adult education became an integral part of manpower planning. In a socialist world, adult education was "not meant to be a second route for individuals' upgrading and upward mobility" (Kai-Ming). An individual's interest did not extend beyond the state's interest and there was "no room for personal mobility beyond the state plans" (Kai-Ming). The influence of the market has caused changes in the system and the way it used to work. Around 1980, the state began to allow private enterprises to become involved in joint ventures and self-employment. This paved the way for more employment opportunities, which resulted in a broader job market. This new job market was what Kai-Ming referred to as a "newcomer" to socialist communities. Slowly over time, individuals started searching for jobs that appealed to them rather than to the state. By the 1990s, there was even a growing movement to disassemble the state-driven aspect of the economy. In an attempt to eliminate a rise in unemployment, the state sector of the government was eventually phased out. This change represents how individuals can select their education and their vocation and have that decision prove to be a successful one. According to Kai-Ming, the market has "given room and provided incentives for individual endeavor in adult education" (Mai-King). In addition, the collapse of the state-driven employment system is the result of what happens when people are allowed to choose. Mai-king also asserts that the "real proof for the self-study examination is its acceptance by the market" (Mai-King). The added benefit of this change in the system is that the state does not have the responsibility of the individuals as it once had. Now, it is up the individuals to "demonstrate their value to potential employers" (Mai-King). These are not the only was that capitalism impacts adult education. Mai-King maintains that the most "significant change" (Mai-King) is the long-term effects of adult education, which "goes beyond academic qualification and employment" (Mai-King). Mai-King refers to five aims of adult education, including training for job transfers or re-employment, remedial education for dropouts, and continuous education.