Learning Through Life - Scottish launch Monday, November 9, 2009 - 12:22

What a ‘Scottish Learning Society' should look like was discussed by Professor Tom Schuller at the Scottish Futures Forum in June 2009 and the findings were built into the final report of the Inquiry - Learning Through Life. The seminar on Monday 9 November 2009 built on that and took the learnings from the UK report to identify critical actions that will help drive Scottish adult education forward.

Professor Tom Schuller, Director of the Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning, said:

"I'm delighted to be discussing the conclusions from Learning Through Life with Scottish colleagues at this event. Scottish experience, notably with Individual Learning Accounts and stronger support for part-time education, has been very influential in our thinking. There are also particular challenges to Scotland, for instance in how to respond to the learning needs of an ageing population."

Other key speakers at the event - organised by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce (RSA) and Scotland's Futures Forum - included:

• Sir Andrew Cubie CBE, Chairman, The Goodison Group in Scotland
• Vivienne Brown, Head of Education and Qualifications, Strategic Relations Directorate, SDS
• Lesley A.Hart, Director of Lifelong Learning, Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Strathclyde

Learning Through Life calls for a rethink of the way Government, employers and individuals spend an estimated £55 billion every year on lifelong learning. If this investment were to be reshaped radically, the foundations would be laid for a genuinely learning society with entitlements to broad education and training throughout life in the UK.

The present system is heavily front-loaded, favouring the young and already advantaged. This leaves too many people under-equipped to deal with the accelerating health, social, technological and economic changes all adults face as we go through the different stages of our lives.

As life patterns become more complex and less predictable with increased job changes, greater geographical and social mobility and more frequent family changes, adults need ever greater skills and knowledge to remain successful, fulfilled and independent.

Moreover, a rapidly ageing and dependent population will lead to a steep rise in the numbers of people who are socially and economically excluded, unless they can gain greater skills to control and give quality to their own lives. Failure to tackle these issues will waste talent and create an ever greater health and welfare burden on families and the taxpayer.