Basic Learning Needs: Different Frameworks

Rosa María Torres

A árvore da vida - Silvio Alvarez

▸ The World Conference on Education for All (Jomtien, Thailand, 1990) proposed and adopted an «expanded vision of basic education», in an out of school, including children, youth and adults. Such expanded vision of basic education was defined as "education aimed at meeting Basic Learning Needs." It identified seven areas of BLN that are common to children, youth and adults: 1. surviving, 2. developing one’s full capacities, 3. living and working in dignity, 4. participating fully in development, 5. improving the quality of life, 6. making informed decisions, and 7. continuing to learn. 

▸ Manfred Max-Neef's proposal of Human Scale Development (1993) defined a set of fundamental human needs and satisfactors, as summarized in the table below.

Fundamental Human Needs	Being (qualities)	Having (things)	Doing (actions)	Interacting (settings)
subsistence	physical and mental health	food, shelter work	feed, clothe, rest, work	living environment, social setting
protection	care, adaptability autonomy	social security, health systems, work	co-operate, plan, take care of, help	social environment, dwelling
affection	respect, sense of humour, generosity, sensuality	friendships, family, relationships with nature	share, take care of, make love, express emotions	privacy, intimate spaces of togetherness
understanding	critical capacity, curiosity, intuition	literature, teachers, policies educational	analyse, study,meditate investigate,	schools, families universities, communities,
participation	receptiveness, dedication, sense of humour	responsibilities, duties, work, rights	cooperate, dissent, express opinions	associations, parties, churches, neighbourhoods
leisure	imagination, tranquillity spontaneity	games, parties, peace of mind	day-dream, remember, relax, have fun	landscapes, intimate spaces, places to be alone
creation	imagination, boldness, inventiveness, curiosity	abilities, skills, work, techniques	invent, build, design, work, compose, interpret	spaces for expression, workshops, audiences
identity	sense of belonging, self- esteem, consistency	language, religions, work, customs, values, norms	get to know oneself, grow, commit oneself	places one belongs to, everyday settings
freedom	autonomy, passion, self-esteem, open-mindedness	equal rights	dissent, choose, run risks, develop awareness	anywhere

▸ The Report of the International Commission on Education for the 21st Century (Delors Report, 1996) identified four pillars for education and learning: learning to be, learning to do, learning to know, and learning to live together.

▸ Seven complex lessons in education for the future Invited by UNESCO to express his ideas on the essentials of education for the future in terms of his conception of «complex thought», Edgar Morin came up with seven key principles: 

1. Detecting error and illusion
"The purpose of education is to transmit knowledge, and yet education is blind to the realities of human knowledge, its systems, infirmities, difficulties, and its propensity to error and illusion. Education does not bother to teach what knowledge is."

2. Principles of pertinent knowledge
"Here is a major problem that is always misunderstood: how can we encourage a way of learning that is able to grasp general, fundamental problems and insert partial, circumscribed knowledge within them."

3. Teaching the human condition
"Humans are physical, biological, psychological, cultural, social, historical beings. This complex unity of human nature has been so thoroughly disintegrated by education divided into disciplines, that we can no longer learn what human being means. This awareness should be restored so that every person, wherever he might be, can become aware of both his complex identity and his shared identity with all other human beings."

4. Earth identity
"The future of the human genre is now situated on a planetary scale. This is another essential reality neglected by education, that should become a major subject. Knowledge of current planetary developments that will undoubtedly accelerate in the 21st century, and recognition of our earth citizenship, will be indispensable for all of us."

5. Confronting uncertainties
"We have acquired many certainties through science but 20th century science has also revealed many areas of uncertainty. Education should include the study of uncertainties that have emerged in the physical sciences (microphysics, thermodynamics, cosmology), the sciences of biological evolution, the historical sciences."

6. Understanding each other
"Understanding is both a means and an end of human communication. And yet we do not teach understanding. Our planet calls for mutual understanding in all directions. Given the importance of teaching understanding on all educational levels at all ages, the development of this quality requires a reform of mentalities. This should be the task of education for the future."

7. Ethics for the human genre 
"Education should lead to an “anthropo-ethics” through recognition of the ternary quality of the human condition: a human being is an individual - society - species. In this sense, individual / species ethics requires control of society by the individual and control of the individual by society; in other words, democracy. And individual species ethics calls for world citizenship in the 21st century." 

▸ The World Education Forum (Dakar, Senegal, 2000) adopted Jomtien’s Declaration and the Delors Report as frameworks, and reaffirmed “basic learning needs in the best and fullest sense of the term (…) an education that includes learning to know, to do, to live together, and to be. It is an education geared to tapping each person’s talents and potential, and developing learners personalities, so that they can improve their lives and transform their societies.”

▸ Human Development - as defined by UNDP - identifies three major areas of human learning:

“The most basic capabilities for human development are to lead long and healthy lives, to be knowledgeable, to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living, and to be able to participate in the life of the community” (UNDP 2001).

▸ The Memorandum on Lifelong Learning of the European Commission (2000) stated:

“The knowledge, skills and understanding that we learn as children and as young people in the family, at school, during training and at college or university will not last a lifetime. Integrating learning more firmly into adult life is a very important part of putting lifelong learning into practice, but it is, nevertheless, just one part of the whole. Lifelong learning sees all learning as a seamless continuum ‘from cradle to grave.’ High quality basic education for all. Basic education, followed by initial vocational education and training, should equip all young people with the new basic skills required in a knowledge-based economy. It should also ensure that they have ‘learnt to learn’ and that they have a positive attitude towards learning.” 

▸ Key Competencies to be acquired by the end of compulsory education, according to the European Commission expert group following a survey devised by the Eurydice European Unit and sent to all European Union Member States in March 2002:

Category: social competencies
- Subcategory 1: participating actively in society with respect for its multicultural dimension and concern for equal opportunities
- Subcategory 2: communication competencies (including assertiveness, being able to stand up for oneself and maturity)
- Subcategory 3: being able to cooperate

Category: positive self-image
- Subcategory 4: having a positive self-image with a view to self-development (including self-confidence)

Category: being able to act and think independently
- Subcategory 5: competencies in data acquisition and processing (including ICT)
- Subcategory 6: problem-solving competencies
- Subcategory 7: self-guidance and self-regulation (including a sense of responsibility)
- Subcategory 8: being able to think and act critically and reflectively

Category: motivational competencies
- Subcategory: having the courage to explore and being eager to learn
- Subcategory: a sense of initiative

Category: mental agility
- Subcategory 11: creativity and inventiveness
- Subcategory 12: flexibility and adaptability

Category: functional competencies
- Subcategory 13: linguistic competencies
- Subcategory 14: technical competencies

Key Competencies:  A developing concept in general compulsory education, Eurydice. The information network on education in Europe, October 2002.