What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
Building learning cities has been a part of the strategy in the People’s Republic of China to promote lifelong learning since the 1990s.
As a learning city, Beijing aims to establish a lifelong learning service system, create learning organizations with strong leadership and improve the blueprint for building a learning city. Building a learning city improves the education system and contributes to the overall development of other sectors as the city residents engage in learning practices and transfer newly gained knowledge to other areas of life.
Two core aims of the initiative are to build lifelong education (including preschool to higher education, formal and non-formal education, workplace education, community education, family education and education for people with different backgrounds, such as retired citizens, migrants, older adults, people with special needs and people in a challenging work situation) and lifelong learning service, which encompasses building learning organizations and providing learning materials to citizens of all ages and backgrounds (Yuan, Gui and Shen, 2019).
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
The Beijing Municipal Government introduced the proposal to build a learning city in 1999. The final approval to start the implementation of the project was granted in 2007, following collaboration by five government departments, which led proposal discussions. The same year, Beijing Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government issued the report Decision on Promoting the Building of Learning Cities in Beijing (2007). The objectives and tasks introduced in the report have been crucial in navigating the city towards the primary goal of building a sustainable, prosperous community.
The construction of a learning city is not limited to promoting academic learning; an important part of integrating lifelong learning practices is cultural learning, which ensures the preservation of history and authentic traditions. Educational institutions across the city, including community colleges and adult schools, provide courses for citizens of all ages. An important part of the initiative is the New Citizen Institutes, which help citizens who recently relocated from rural areas adjust to the urban environment. In addition to vocational courses and the promotion of continuing education, there are courses on calligraphy, painting, medical care and other practical classes (Yuan, Gui and Shen, 2019).
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
The development of a learning city in Beijing involves representatives from the public sector and private organizations and individuals. The Municipality of Beijing is an active stakeholder in the initiative; other actors include educational institutions, such as community colleges, which provide learning materials to the citizens; adult schools in Daxing; and a Shougang-based learning organization, which ensures continuing education for employees. A top-down coordination mechanism allows different sectors to participate in the initiative. The Beijing Learning City Construction Steering Group, comprised of representatives of all governmental sections of city development, is responsible for projects. Affiliated institutions plan and implement the tasks in each county and district (Yuan, Gui and Shen, 2019).
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Who does it benefit and how?
Beijing has established learning organizations and implemented various projects to promote and facilitate lifelong learning and has developed an evaluation system to assess learning activities in communities annually to increase motivation. For instance, five districts received Exemplary Learning Model awards in 2017.
In 2016, the Beijing Construction Learning City Action Plan (2016–2020) was issued as a result of the collaboration between the Beijing Educational Commission and thirteen other government administrative bodies. The plan offered 10 projects to be implemented in 16 districts of Beijing, including but not limited to the elderly education project, the digital learning network project, the lifelong learning online platform project and the family education project.
Community colleges and other educational institutions for adults have been contributing consistently to the development of the learning city of Beijing. For instance, the Community College of the Shijingshan District offers courses and programmes for community members tailored to the needs of citizens. Providing both formal and non-formal educational opportunities to residents, it presents a curriculum consisting of a ‘general module’ (general and basic courses), a ‘professional module’ (industry-specific courses), a ‘characteristic module’ (experiential courses), an ‘excellence module’ (more sophisticated courses), an ‘expansion module’ (field research, quality development and visiting study); and a ‘customized module’, which can be modified to accommodate learner needs. In 2017, more than 33,000 learners enrolled in the community college for more than 1,000 classes and additional activities.
Another active contributor to the development of the learning city has been the Daxing adult school system, which plays a pivotal role in facilitating lifelong learning, as well as reallocating and distributing learning materials. The adult schools offer vocational courses tailored to community needs, provide learning opportunities in the business sphere and even train parents.
An essential part of providing lifelong learning opportunities to residents is ensuring that employees engage in continuous education. Shougang’s learning centres encourage employees to realize their potential to the fullest through self-directed learning (Yuan, Gui and Shen, 2019).
References
Yuan, D., Gui, M. and Shen, X. 2019. Building a Learning City for Sustainable Development: Spotlight on Beijing, People’s Republic of China: Building a Learning City for Sustainable Development. In: New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education (162), pp. 37-48.