The Diversity and Multifunctionality of Lifelong Guidance Services in the Distance Education Secondary School as an Open Education Environment

Lifelong guidance is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary process, where different types of organisations, institutions in general and individually, have their own roles to play in the overarching lifelong guidance system. From this perspective, the advantages and contribution of distance education secondary schools in development of lifelong guidance system have so far been underinvestigated and underappreciated. The aim of the study: based on theoretical research and personal experience, to substantiate diversity and multifunctionality of lifelong guidance services in the open education environment of a modern distance education secondary school to form theoretical basis for developing assessment methodology. Research methods: 1) theoretical research methods: studying, analysing and evaluating scientific literature and various types of documents; 2) empirical research methods: reflection on own experience. The research findings allow for a main conclusion to be made that thanks to the principles of openness, overcoming distance and flexibility, lifelong guidance e-services in modern distance education secondary school are accessible to everyone, anywhere and anytime. Modern distance education secondary schools have large target-audience. These schools offer opportunities of education in alternative way. Thanks to offered formal and non-formal distance education (incl. second chance formal education, recurrent formal education), cooperation network of social partners (incl. school graduates with their career development success stories (narratives)), e-counselling etc., learners are able to self-develop and self-direct their careers according to their life goals and career intentions, combining distance learning with job and others important activities in their lives. The important place and role of distance education secondary schools within the lifelong guidance system is also evidenced by the teachers’ continuous professional development, incl. professional training courses, offered in a distance education environment. The modern distance education secondary school as an open environment occupies an important place in the Latvian lifelong guidance system.