Lifelong learning should be viewed only as a master concept for education--the principle on which overall organization of the system is founded--to improve the individual's quality of life. A literature search found confusing definitions of lifelong learning, global implications of the concept, and little information about what the public needs and wants to support this view. The lifelong learning provisions of the Higher Education Amendments of 1976 concentrated on the adult population, yet the states vary tremendously in their commitment to adult learners. Special attention should be given to the 52 million adults who have not completed high school; educational alternatives for this group should be explored, especially those that might be offered by postsecondary institutions. The lifelong learning cycle should start with the 16 million three- to sixteen-year-olds, then the 20 million adults who have less than an eighth grade education, then the others who are at poverty level, then the remainder who have less than a high school education, and finally those who are registered in schools and higher education institutions. All adult education programs should be coordinated, from adult basic through higher education, under one umbrella--Adult Basic and Continuing Education at the federal level. (MEK)