The ILO's recent report on lifelong learning runs to 236 pages. It covers the evolution of the concept since the 1990s, the policy challenges governments face in building more flexible education systems, and the growing pressure on workers and employers alike to keep pace with an accelerating economy. It is a serious, thorough piece of work. Lifelong learning has a blind spot In those 236 pages, the phrase "Recognition of Prior Learning" appears nine times. That number reflec

The real bottleneck in accreditation assessment Accreditation is infrastructure. That’s not a metaphor – it’s the World Bank’s conclusion. Its flagship World Development Report, published in December 2025, is the first comprehensive global analysis of what quality standards really do for economies. It names accreditation as one of four pillars of quality infrastructure globally, alongside metrology, conformity assessment, and standardisation. Countries with stronger accredita

Accreditation is economic infrastructure. It’s foundational to development as roads or power grids. The World Bank’s 2025 World Development Report makes this striking claim. The UNESCO 2026 roadmap for transforming higher education points in the same direction. Taken together, the case is clear. So, that leaves us with the question: Who holds the infrastructure accountable? Accreditation bodies operate with significant delegated authority. They set the standards that deter