Government driven partnership for lifelong learning in Korea: a case study of four cities

Abstract

This case study ^{1, 2} investigated the reality of lifelong learning partnerships in four cities in Korea based on IPA (Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis). With the emphasis on lifelong learning grounded on a global knowledge economy‐focused approach, the Korean government has taken initiatives to facilitate it through the administrative educational network at the local level. In this trend, this study attempted to understand its reality in view of the experiences of people in local lifelong learning institutions through interviews. In conclusion, the positive influence of the governmental initiative was not commonly agreed upon due to the different backgrounds and circumstances of each region. However, it was found that the four cities (Donggu, Jangsung, Yeonsu, and Kwangmyung) investigated in this research already had or were beginning to have their unique local network of lifelong learning, which implies that the key role of government could still work as a strong driving force in the future, yet, only when accompanied by a trusted partnership among local sectors so that the process and outcome of lifelong learning can interactively contribute to the local community.

Notes

1. The earlier version of this paper was presented at the Eighth International Conference on the Human Resource Development Research and Practice across Europe (27–29 June 2007) in Oxford, UK.

2. We’d like to thank anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on this paper.

3. The term ‘local’ can have various meanings. In this paper, it is used to indicate Lifelong Learning Cities as places where the lifelong learning takes place.

4. Local governance in Korea is largely classified as: a): central city, regional city and province; and b) city, county and district. Central city, regional city and province are under the direct control of the central government, and city, county and district are under the jurisdiction of the province, regional city or province, and central city and regional city, each. The local governance system was executed from 1995 for the first time in Korea; it is followed by the election of local assembly members and the head of the local government every fourth year.

5. Currently, Korea has a self‐governing educational system, under which the educational administration is managed independently, separated from general administration. Thus, each region makes its own policies that best suit the need of the area with the election of members of the educational board and its director.

6. By conducting further studies on the longitudinal bases and of more cases, we expect to be able to develop the general typology of levels and/or forms of lifelong learning partnerships.

7. This is a unique phenomenon, unlike the cases in the UK or other countries in which lifelong learning is closely related to the regional economy. For example, the learning cities in the UK were established as a way of socially and economically regenerating the city that declined with the restructuring of industries (Choi 2006). (http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/learningcities/).

8. Therefore, the Korean government is trying to execute a policy called the Regional Human Resources Development (RHRD) Project, apart from the present Lifelong Learning City Project, in which learning is based on the unit of a wider region like a province. The RHRD Project strongly implies the increasing emphasis on economic aspect of learning (Lim 2006).