Learning Through Life Inquiry Into the Future for Lifelong Learning

Learning Through Life is the definitive report into the future for lifelong learning in the UK. Essential reading for everyone with a personal or professional interest in the social and economic trends shaping tomorrow’s world, it provides a comprehensive vision for the future of lifelong learning. For government, employers, civil society, the lifelong learning sector, broadcasters, researchers and the international community the report provides unique insights and recommendations guaranteed to generate debate across all areas of social policy. Sponsored by NIACE (the National institute of Adult Continuing Education) this is the main report from the independent Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning and presents: the first authoritative and coherent strategic framework for lifelong learning in the UK for the next 10-15 years; an overview of the current state of learning in the UK; and radical recommendations for long term change. Support for Learning Through Life: “”Learning Through Life is a wonderful contribution to the scholarly and policy literature on life-long learning. Not only does it bring together cutting edge thinking about life-long learning from a sociological and human development perspective but also it offers creative policies and programs to make life-long learning a reality. Although it’s written for a UK audience, it’s applicable to an American audience as well, and I recommend it highly to scholars and policymakers in both the UK and U.S. who care about the future of the capacities of citizens”” (Dr Fay Lomax Cook, Director, Institute for Policy Research, Professor of Human Development & Social Policy, Northwestern University, Illinois). “The strength of this report is the fact that it recognises all of the strands that make up lifelong learning: in the community, in educational institutions, and of course through the workplace. Crucially, it identifies the major changes taking place in our society and the challenges they bring in maintaining functioning communities, and active and effective citizens” (Rt Hon David Blunkett MP). “”Learning Through Life by Tom Schuller and David Watson is a fundamental and convincing report about the necessity to finally take the implementation of Lifelong Learning seriously. The analysis and data in the report helps the reader to understand the limits of our present learning and educational models, based on the principle of learning early on for later life, and the enormous potential in economic, social, cultural, and individual terms of learning through life. The recommendations in the report on how to move forward are based upon the UK situation but they are highly relevant for all OECD countries and many new emerging economies on the global scene. It will be very difficult for the political community during the coming decade to ignore the recommendations in this report”” (Jarl Bengtsson, former head of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation at OECD).