Selected writings of Naomi Sargant published Friday, January 23, 2009 - 17:45

A collection of writings from the influential educator, reformer, writer and broadcaster - the late Naomi Sargant - was published by NIACE on Wednesday 21st January 2009.

Lifelong Learning: a brave and proper vision was published to co-incide with the inaugural Naomi Sargant Memorial Debate chaired by Lord Bragg, with contributions from Lord Puttnam, Rt Hon David Blunkett MP and Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey said:

"Naomi Sargant had the qualities of mind and spirit, and the good fortune, to be in at the beginning of two of the most important advances in lifelong learning in the twentieth century: the Open University and Channel 4, with its bold educational remit."

"Her writings over more than 30 years on lifelong learning, distance learning, and educational broadcasting, make a major contribution to thinking and policy on access and educational opportunity for adults, but have not been easily accessible."

"When we knew, in early July 2006, that Naomi's cancer was incurable, I promised her that I would bring together her life's work in a book. She smiled, but did not respond. Then, two days before she died, she was visited by Alan Tuckett and Tessa Blackstone. She told them about the book, and told them that it was her idea. So I have had no choice but to obey."

Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, said:

"Naomi Sargant had an extraordinary ability to see the implications of changes in technology, and the uses of mass media, and the evolving possibilities of distance learning for adult learners."

"This volume of her writing raises themes as relevant and challenging today as when she first wrote them, the rights of women to educational opportunity and recognition; the challenges posed by the digital divide; the importance of recognising what learners have in common; and what separate needs must be addressed if adults are to benefit from opportunities to learn."

"I was lucky enough to work with her for almost 20 years, as she shaped the quantitative research agenda of NIACE and contributed to the work of successive national initiatives in lifelong, distance and open learning. The section of the book I have drawn together comes from her writing on lifelong learning. Working with Naomi was not always easy, but it was always rewarding, since her rigour and intellectual curiosity led to challenge, robust dialogue and re-framing the task."

Alan Woodley, Derek Jones and Andrew McIntosh (Lord McIntosh of Haringey) have compiled sections on the Open University, Channel 4, research and public policy and consumerism.