WORLD DECLARATION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: VISION AND ACTION, UNESCO, 1998

Article 1 (b) “provide opportunities (espace ouvert) for higher learning and for learning throughout life, giving to learners an optimal range of choice and a flexibility of entry and exit points within the system, as well as an opportunity for individual development and social mobility in order to educate for citizenship and for active participation in society, with a worldwide vision, for endogenous capacity-building, and for the consolidation of human rights, sustainable development, democracy and peace, in a context of justice;“

INSTITUTIONAL AND POLITICAL CHALLENGES OF
ACCREDITATION AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Hans J. A. van Ginkel and Marco Antonio Rodrigues Dias Prof., Palgrave MacMillan, 2007

Abstract “This contribution is a strong plea for approaches in quality assessment and accreditation, which honour diversity and promote innovation and creativity in higher education. For many reasons, accreditation has become an important issue for higher education, which has occurred during a period in which there has been a major shift in values. Higher education, always considered primarily a public good, is increasingly being transformed into a predominantly private good; a commodity that could be subject to trade rules. Basic questions should be answered before any action is taken in this field. Accreditation for what purpose and for which qualities? Who will be the gatekeepers of the system and what will be their criteria? The implications of the concepts of quality and of accreditation, and the methods adopted in this field, will produce consequences not only at economic and financial levels but also in terms of the cultural, social and political life of institutions and nations. In 1998, during the World Conference on Higher Education (WCHE, UNESCO, Paris), a consensus was reached and the idea of evaluation was accepted, based on the general acceptance that quality in higher education is multidimensional.“

Building the future of learning in Europe manifesto

1. Making citizenship and global education, as well as intercultural and interreligious dialogue, priority areas of European Union and national education policies…
2. Eliminating prejudices and discrimination in educational settings based on gender, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socio-
   economic status…
3. mplementing and strengthening a democratic governance of educational institutions and enhancing learner participation…
4. Turning learning mobility from an exception into a rule at all levels of education and for all educational actors (learners and educators) throughout their lives and regardless of their socio-economic background…
5. Use of arts and culture in education in order to tackle social challenges and to enhance personal development…

Source : EUCIS-LLL

Priorities and Directions for Learning

The Government of Prince Edward Island (Canada) announced  the establishment of the Learning Partners Advisory Council, is charged with taking a broad look at learning throughout the lifespan from birth to the senior years.