In this era of rapid evolution, education in the twenty-first century must strive to develop students into lifelong learners. Students should possess goals and life-ready competencies for continuous learning during formal, non-formal, and informal education. Within a globalizing world, lifelong learning skills enable students to manage difficulties and challenges. Lifelong learning for K-12 education may shape our students' values and behavior and build resilience in facing challenges ahead. To date, educational research related to lifelong learning across varied contexts of K-12 education is still in its infancy. The present paper contributes to the conceptualization of lifelong learning for K-12 education and provides a deeper understanding of future directions for research in this area. It explains various perspectives of lifelong learning and its operationalized definition for the K-12 educational contexts. Subsequently, it proposes a whole school approach to cultivate continuous learning in students and an assessment for lifelong learning. Finally, implications and recommendations for the K-12 education of lifelong learning are also included.