[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-588635-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-588635-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","equality-and-human-capital-conflicting-concepts-within-state-funded-adult-education-in-ireland","Equality and human capital - Conflicting concepts within state-funded adult education in Ireland","","This article critiques how equality is framed in Ireland’s White Paper on Adult Education: Learning for Life (2000) and examines how human capital theory has reshaped lifelong learning from the outset of European Union adoption, with constraining consequences for state-funded adult education in Ireland. It compares the White Paper’s equality standpoint with developments in equality theory since publication and traces human capital theory’s spread to identify key challenges for adult education.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/equality-and-human-capital-conflicting-concepts-within-state-funded-adult-education-in-ireland/588635/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/equality-and-human-capital-conflicting-concepts-within-state-funded-adult-education-in-ireland/588635.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Rizky","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-03","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",6,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What does the article critique about the White Paper on Adult Education (2000)?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It critiques how the concept of equality is used in the White Paper and how this framing limits engagement with equality as a broader societal matter.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How does the article link human capital theory to lifelong learning?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It outlines the extent to which human capital theory can be seen to have colonised lifelong learning after its adoption by the European Union, shaping adult education in constraining ways.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What strategy and priorities does the article describe within the equality framework?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It describes a strategy aimed at counteracting disadvantage through careful targeting and highlights initiatives that form four pillars, including adult literacy, a back-to-education initiative, ICT basic skills, and increased flexibility for part-time adult education.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},588635,1792166548,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},962085564807,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Equality and human capital:  \nConflicting concepts within state-funded adult education in Ireland  \nkevin hurley  \nAbstract  \nThis article offers a critique of the concept of equality as it informs the White Paper on Adult Education: Learning for Life (2000) . It also outlines the extent to which human capital theory can be seen to have effectively colonised lifelong learning from the outset of its adoption by the European Union with highly constraining implications for state-funded adult education in Ireland.  \nKeywords: (Equality, Human Capital, Lifelong Learning)  \nIntroduction  \nAs is acknowledged on the website of the Department of Education and Skills1 (DES), Learning for Life, White Paper on Adult Education (DES: 2000), remains the unchanged foundation document of Irish government policy in the sector of adult education where the state is directly involved as funding stakeholder. Equality was espoused as one of three principles underpinning the White Paper, the others being Lifelong Learning as a Systemic Approach and Interculturalism. This paper offers a critique of the White Paper’s standpoint onequality in the light of developments in equality theory in the interval since its publication. It also offers an analysis of the extent to which the position is further compounded by the wholesale adoption of human capital theory within the theatre of lifelong learning of which adult education is a key field. Accordingly, it contrasts the perspective on equality informing the White Paper with that which has emerged meanwhile in the field of equality studies. Following this it traces the progress of human capital theory since it first emerged in 1961 and its penetration of lifelong learning throughout the European Union since the  \n[1 www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Further-Education-Training / As viewed on 25/01/2015](1 www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Further-Education-Training / As viewed on 25/01/2015) .  \nmid-1990s, before concluding with the challenges faced by adult education in the quest for a society characterized by what is designated equality of condition.  \nEquality as espoused within state-funded adult education  \nAt an early stage in the White Paper the express vision adopted for adult education comprised: a national programme of Adult Education within an overall framework of lifelong learning on the basis of its contribution to six priority areas: Consciousness Raising; Citizenship; Cohesion; Competitiveness; Cultural Development; and Community Building (DES, 2000, p. 28) .  \nThis augured well for the development of adult education policy which would have at its heart not only a participatory approach to learning but also the promise of real engagement with the building of a just society. Expectation was then heightened with the adoption of equality as one of the three principles underlying adult education, as indicated above (DES,2000 p. 30) .  \nThe principle of equality is duly summarized in the Paper. It is worth reprising the central tenets of this summary and its tacit acknowledgment of the unequal state of Irish society:  \nThe Government recognises that barriers arising from differences of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, disability and gender continue to hinder the emergence of a fully inclusive and cohesive society. (DES, 2000, p. 33)  \nFollowing the positing of educational attainment and qualifications as key determinants of inequality, the Paper then sets out a strategy for the field:  \nClearly, if Adult Education is to counteract the impact of disadvantage in early school participation and achievement, there must be careful targeting of initiatives on those most in need DES, 2000 p. 33) .  \nThe earlier visionary promise is thereby stifled at birth. While the vision animating the concept of equality as posited in the Paper is one of a society characterised by inclusivity and cohesion, there is clear acceptance that the existing model satisfies those hallmarks. Consequently, the task fo","cbCaihtlidHqn4U6","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihtlidHqn4U6","pdf",107301,15,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n# Equality as espoused within state-funded adult education\n## Vision and principles in the White Paper\n## Barriers, targeting, and the limits of the equality concept\n## Second-chance education strategy and four pillars\n# Human capital theory and lifelong learning\n# Challenges for adult education","[{\"question\":\"What does the article critique about the White Paper on Adult Education (2000)?\",\"answer\":\"It critiques how the concept of equality is used in the White Paper and how this framing limits engagement with equality as a broader societal matter.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the article link human capital theory to lifelong learning?\",\"answer\":\"It outlines the extent to which human capital theory can be seen to have colonised lifelong learning after its adoption by the European Union, shaping adult education in constraining ways.\"},{\"question\":\"What strategy and priorities does the article describe within the equality framework?\",\"answer\":\"It describes a strategy aimed at counteracting disadvantage through careful targeting and highlights initiatives that form four pillars, including adult literacy, a back-to-education initiative, ICT basic skills, and increased flexibility for part-time adult education.\"}]","Equality and human capital - Conflicting concepts within state-funded adult education in Ireland | PDF",1792065646,38]