Supplementary Papers

Thematic Papers

The Thematic Papers form the core initial substance of the Inquiry’s work. They cover the following:

Demography and Lifelong Learning, by Stephen McNair
This is the first of the Inquiry’s thematic papers, published on 20 January 2009. It reviews the evidence on demographic change which shows that the normal lifespan is increasing; the population is ageing and becoming more diverse. Alongside this it identifies globalisation, technological and social change as key factors meaning that most people will experience, during their lifetime, more change than any previous generation. It argues that if people are to lead satisfying and productive lives, they will need to learn throughout this extended lifespan, constantly building and maintaining their employability, engagement with society and their autonomy and identity capital.

Technological Change, by Simon Mauger
This is the second of the Inquiry’s thematic papers, published on 20 March 2009. It starts from the perspective that given the increasing ubiquity of computers everyone will be affected by their presence. It argues, therefore, that those engaged with lifelong learning in any capacity need to better understand the implications of this, so that future societies are the ones we seek rather than the ones we end up with. It highlights some key implications and challenges for the lifelong learning system, and argues for more attention to be paid to the cultural, as well as the technical implications of technology, in particular the ways it is fundamentally changing the behaviours that we associate with teaching and learning.

Migration, Communities and Lifelong Learning, by Stephen McNair
This is the third thematic paper to be published from the Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning (IFLL). This paper, published on 22 April 2009, is about the implications for lifelong learning of the changing nature of communities in Britain, and especially of the impact of migration (internal and external to Britain) on this. It aims to present as accurate a picture as possible of patterns of migration and community cohesion in Britain, but focuses on the broad trends and what they imply for what individuals and communities need to learn. It argues that adult education can speed up the process of integration into a new community, helping people to quickly become a significant part of their neighbourhood. This is true for people moving within the UK, as well as from other countries, and should include rapid access to first level ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teaching for those who need it.

Well-being and Happiness, by John Field
This is the fourth of the Inquiry’s thematic papers, published on 2 June 2009. Written by Professor John Field, a commissioner for the Inquiry, the paper argues that education has a measurable impact on well-being, through all the stages of life. That impact takes place at different levels: education has a direct effect on well-being, by helping people develop capabilities and resources which influence their well-being; it has an indirect effect, leading to outcomes that in turn allow people to thrive and increase their resilience in the face of risk; and it can have a cumulative effect, by influencing the social and economic environment in which people spend their lives. And the effects on well-being themselves can be collective as well as individual. The paper considers the challenges for learning providers to make more of their contribution to well-being; for policy-makers and providers to promote well-being through collaboration across policy areas such as health, employment, social policy, culture and the arts; and the need to develop well-founded approaches to measurement.

Crime and Lifelong Learning, by Professor Tom Schuller
Written by Professor Tom Schuller, Director of the Inquiry, this is the fifth of the Inquiry’s thematic papers published on 15 September 2009. Crime and punishment cost us all a huge amount, economically, socially and personally. Prison populations have soared, taking us down a road from which it is difficult to retreat. Prisons are full of offenders with very low educational levels. Investing in better education and training opportunities gives hope, and makes good economic as well as social sense. However, despite some advances, this positive investment is currently not adequate, in quality or size. This paper argues that if lifelong learning is to have a reasonable chance of improving the crime situation it needs to be linked to other and broader social policies.

Poverty Reduction and Lifelong Learning, by Leisha Fullick
This is the sixth of the Inquiry’s thematic papers, published on 15 September 2009. Written by Leisha Fullick, one of the Inquiry’s commissioners, the paper argues poverty contributes to inequality and social exclusion, which affects us all and that lifelong learning has an important contribution to make to poverty reduction. Research shows that individuals who engage in lifelong learning are more likely to have better employment opportunities, higher incomes, better health and greater ability to manage their money. This paper recommends ways in which lifelong learning could be more effective in its contribution to poverty reduction, including its integration with other policy measures.

Work and Learning by Jenny Williams and Tom Wilson
The workplace is both a platform and a site for lifelong learning. As a result it has been present through the whole Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning. This paper looks specifically at learning at or for work and relates it to the Inquiry’s theme of prosperity, employment and work. It has been written during the economic crisis at a time of rapid change in the economy, which has had profound implications for work and learning. The 2006 Leitch Review of Skills is our starting point.1 We broadly agree with the ambitions it sets out for the UK to become a world leader in skills by 2020: the UK’s success and future prosperity will depend on more of us having higher skills and the capability to put them to good use in an increasingly complex world. But we do not believe that an exclusive focus on improving the supply of skills is sufficient: more needs to be done to raise demand from employers for skills development, and to promote skills utilisation. We should re-focus the collective investment we currently make in learning for work to secure greater value from it, and over time, we will need stronger measures to increase that investment, if we are to make best use of all our talents.