Independent Inquiry into Family Learning launched Thursday, October 11, 2012 - 17:00

A NIACE-led Independent Inquiry into Family Learning (England and Wales) to establish the impact of learning in families and how it contributes to key government agendas, has been launched today at a seminar attended by NIACE's patron, HRH The Princess Royal.

Hosted by Ian Powell, Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the seminar brought together a number of different speakers and delegates to examine the contribution that learning in families makes to policy agendas. Attendees included members of the House of Lords, various organisations working with families and adult learners, government department representatives, broadcasters and learners. Speakers included Martin Dunford, Chief Executive of Skills Training UK; Sarah Teague, Commissioner of Learning and Skills at Isle of Wight Council; and Lynn McDonald, Founder of Families and Schools Together.

NIACE's lead for the Inquiry, Jan Novitzky, said:

"Having such a diverse audience is a really positive contribution to what we want to achieve with this Inquiry. We know that learning in families develops both adults' and children's skills, improves health and employability and has a significant contribution to make to agendas around supporting families. We want to demonstrate this with the Inquiry, as well as to look at how we place family learning back at the heart of policy, research and development."

During her speech, NIACE's patron, HRH The Princess Royal, said:

"This is an issue I have been involved with for a very long time and it is a really important subject. I hope this Inquiry will enable people from different fields to work together and that family learning programmes will be recognised as integral to the education process."

Carol Taylor, NIACE's Director of Development and Research, said:

"Our starting point is that family learning changes lives. It changes families and it changes communities. We want to ensure that different government departments talk to each other, that way we can do so much more".

As part of the Inquiry, NIACE is calling for examples of creative and innovative family learning practice, and/or of effective practice that contributes to policy agendas. To contribute, download either Pro-forma 1 - creative and innovative practice or Pro-forma 2 - practice contributing to policy agendas and return to gillian.aird@niace.org.uk by Thursday 20 December 2012.