The Dynamics of Education and Space: Examining the spatial dichotomies of Lifelong Learning Policies

Zelinka, Jozef, Parreira do Amaral, Marcelo

Zusammenfassung

The spatial dimension of education has long been neglected in research and policymaking. Across Europe, numerous public policies have been designed to secure the social inclusion of young people, especially through lifelong learning programmes. These programmes, however, are more often than not designed at national or European levels and encounter several challenges during their implementation, not least due to the lack of contextual and spatial sensibility. In this chapter, we problematise the missing link between education and space, focusing on a spatially just and context-sensitive approach to learning. By using the example of lifelong learning policies, we look at the mutual interaction of spaces and education and their impact on the life courses of young people. In our chapter, we proceed in three steps: first, we frame our understanding of spaces and spatiality and embed the concept of spatial justice in education; second, we analyse the relation between education and spaces to carve out dichotomies shaping the life courses of young people; third, we discuss the dynamics of space and education along lifelong learning landscapes. We close the chapter with a brief conclusion and outlook for further research.