With the colleagues from the Council of Administration of COFACE Families Europe we had our spring session in Dublin in mid-April. It was followed by a European expert meeting on families and life-long learning at the Europe House in Dublin. The event was co-organised by COFACE Families Europe and Irish Countrywomen’s Association. The expert meeting brought together speakers from NGOs, policy-makers and researchers from Ireland and Europe to help pave the way for family-centred education and learning systems. It was a practical opportunity to discuss the links between education and social rights; to spotlight the diversity of educational approaches by featuring professionals working with families in different EU countries; to share their insights on developing learning materials by-with-for families and to build partnerships with key education stakeholdcofers at national and European level. On the last day we had a meet & connect session with Irish family organisations namely One Family, Treoir, Care Alliance Ireland, Irish Countrywomen’s Association.
Learning and skills are needed for both families and professionals supporting families, especially during key life transitions. Those transitions can be early childhood, adolescence and youth, and later in life with entry into the third age. Depending on the respective situation in life, those education services and needs can include parenting workshops, services of professional community-based centres as well as upskilling, peer learning opportunities.
Lifelong learning (encompassing formal, non-formal, and informal learning), plays a vital role in shared responsibility for education between families and professionals. It empowers families by promoting continuous education and personal growth across the life course, encouraging collaboration among families and communities for knowledge exchange. Lifelong learning also recognises the value of prior learning within families, bridging the gap between experiences and formal education. With flexible and individualised approaches, families can engage in education according to their interests and styles.
Non-formal learning takes place outside formal learning environments but within some kind of organisational framework. It arises from the learner's conscious decision to master a particular activity, skill or area of knowledge and is thus the result of intentional effort.
Life-long learning of families and professionals working with families can support upskilling and reskilling to boost inclusive societies, support social change, and increase resilience in the face of key transitions (digital, demographic, climate). It is time to open up education in order to make education and life-long learning more age, disability, migrant, and family-friendly, aiming for education transformations and fully embedding this family skills agenda in policy and funding programmes at national and EU level.
In considering the burden of education on families, it is crucial to involve relevant organisations supporting families and relevant service providers in the further transformation of the education system. These organisations advocate for equitable access to education, highlight the consequences of relying solely on families, and promote policies that support educational equity and put them into practice. Collaborating with those organisations enables governments to develop more inclusive educational policies, considering the diverse needs of families and fostering a fair education system.
