Learning Schools and the Learning Discourse in Education Policy

This manuscript analyzes the emergence, evolution, and fragmentation of the "learning discourse" in education policy, particularly in European contexts from the late 20th century onward. Drawing on conceptual developments and empirical examples, including the Danish 2014 school reform, the study examines two key strands within the discourse: the notion of "learning schools" as educational organizations engaged in continuous development, and the framing of "learning objectives" as policy tools for standardizing outcomes. It contextualizes these shifts within broader frameworks such as the learning economy, learning regions, and lifelong learning agendas promoted by the EU and OECD. Learning, as a policy concept, tended to displace other educational concepts such as teaching, socialization, and Bildung, leading to tensions in pedagogical practice and institutional governance. The article argues that the focus on learning was important and sound, but the implementation of the approach proved difficult. By revisiting critical responses and highlighting conceptual ambiguities, the manuscript contributes to debates on the role of education in knowledge societies and the future of educational professionalism.