Lifelong learning is the idea of systematization of learning at all stages of life (from early childhood to old age) and in all its modes (formal, non-formal and informal). Learning is a continuous process in which an individual's results and motivation for learning in a certain period of life depend on the knowledge, habits and experiences of learning, acquired at a younger age. The concept of lifelong learning is most often connected with economic goals, for example achieving greater competitiveness and permanent employability. On the other hand, equally important goals which contribute to the more active role of an individual in the society should not be neglected. These goals are: encouraging social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development.
The concept of lifelong learning is often being mistaken for the concept of lifelong education, but it should be emphasized that it is not the same thing. Education includes only organized learning processes, while learning is a wider concept which also includes non-intentional, unorganized and spontaneous knowledge acquisition and can last all life long.
In the 90s, lifelong learning established itself in Europe as a policy in response to the problems of economic crisis and increased unemployment (Žiljak, 2005). During that period, the focus shifted from education, which is an institutionalized and organized process, to lifelong learning, which includes all forms of learning in all circumstances.
The concept of lifelong learning, developed in the 1960s, is a reaction to the problem of discrepancy between youth and adult education (Pastuović, 1999). The focus of traditional pedagogy on the problems of primary education and general education of children, and the focus of andragogy on adult education have resulted in the lack of theory which would integrate the concept of education with the concept of learning through all stages of life. That situation has favored the development of the theory and the concept of lifelong learning as an integrated approach to studying learning as a long-term process.
Over the past forty years, lifelong learning has developed from an initial idea to a dominant principle and orientation for development of many national education systems. Its importance is noticeable in the number of international action plans, declarations, documents and conferences (for example, Declaration adopted by UNESCO conference: Sofia Declaration – A Call to Action, A Memorandum of the European Commission on Lifelong Learning, other European Commission documents: Making European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality, It is never too late to learn, Action plan on Adult Learning: It is always a good time to learn, etc.). Croatia is not lagging behind in this respect, and the inclusion of lifelong learning in strategic documents in the field of education (for example White Paper on Croatian Education, Education Sector Development Plan for the period 2005-2010, Strategy for Adult Education, Declaration on Knowledge by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts) has become the basic principle of the development of the Croatian education system.