The concept of the 'learning society' brings to mind access to education for all and a culture of lifelong learning. But government interventions in education such as the National Curriculum and standardized tests have only served to consolidate the connection between learning and schooling. Schools, furthermore, now have to juggle an increasingly diverse and incompatible range of tasks, providing equal opportunities while catering for individual needs and hitting academic attainment targets while preparing pupils for life in the global workplace. In this climate, what is the future for a...

This volume raises questions about the future of the learning society. It claims that recent UN Conventions about the rights of children and parents are not being addressed by the UK Government's concentration on a highly centralized education system. Drawing on case study material from recent projects in the US, Denmark and the Netherlands, the author raises questions about educational provision and access. He discusses why there is a need to educate both society and the individual. He studies the Human Rights issue, the economy and the cost effectiveness of education, and epistemological...