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The aim of this article is to investigate the impact neoliberalism has in shaping the discourse of the European Union's policy of Lifelong Learning. The literature review initially presents the theoretical framework of neoliberalism as the dominant ideological and economic paradigm of our time. Thereafter, it takes a view on how neoliberalism perceives the four objectives of the European Union's Lifelong Learning policy, namely employability/adaptability, personal fulfillment, social inclusion, and active citizenship. Through the analysis of European Commission's policy documents on Lifelong Learning, this article explores whether these objectives, with focus on social inclusion and active citizenship, can be realized within the ideological, political, and economic framework set by the neoliberal paradigm. The data underwent Qualitative Analysis using the methods of Critical Discourse Analysis and Qualitative Content Analysis as well as Quantitative Analysis of textual data. The results indicate that only employability and adaptability seem to be compatible with the neoliberal rhetoric since the flexible and adaptable employee better serves the needs of the markets. The role neoliberalism holds for the individual is that of the consumer, product user, and voter. Therefore, the non-economic objectives of Lifelong Learning cannot be equally developed as they constitute the complete antithesis of neoliberalism's basic principles.

Education, under the neoliberal doctrine, has undoubtedly undergone multiple reforms that have led to its economisation. They have also turned education into a mechanism that intensifies the reproduction of inequalities and suppresses diversity, which only helps to perpetuate social exclusion. Despite radical criticism of neoliberalism's effect on education, neoliberal educational strategies have emerged stronger in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The goal of this paper is to review the effect of the neoliberal paradox on diversity and equity in education and to consider a new socio-economic paradigm that would foster more progressive educational practices. Such practices are advocated by Kalantzis and Cope's New Learning model, which points to the relationship between senses of belonging and academic achievement in education. To achieve this, this paper adopts a polemical, critical approach to analysing the selected literature. It highlights the paradoxes and contradictions of neoliberalism on diversity and equity and analyses how inequity is perpetuated through neoliberal education. Then, it discusses neoliberal education and considers the reasons criticism of neoliberalism has been rather ineffective. The paper concludes by exploring alternative pedagogical models and contemplating whether education can be recalibrated in the interest of an inclusive and just society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]