David Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of London South Bank University (LSBU), is one of 14 education experts invited to sit on an independent panel that will inform a new educational commission for Lifelong Learning, launched by the Labour party.

The commission is tasked with generating new ways of promoting education for life in our communities, which supports the Labour party’s development of a national education service.

Other experts invited to join this independent panel include David Latchman, Master of Birkbeck, University of London, Mary Kellet, Vice-Chancellor of the Open University and Amatey Doku, Vice-President for higher education at the National Students’ Union. The panel’s brief is to devise an inclusive system of adult education that will help transform the lives of millions and reskill the UK economy, while the commission’s remit is to make lifelong learning available to everyone, regardless of their background, employment status or previous education’.

Responding to the news, David Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of LSBU said:

“I am delighted to have been appointed to the new Independent Panel of the Commission for Lifelong Learning.

The numbers of mature learners in England has declined by 42% since 2011 and we are the only OECD country where younger people have lower literacy and numeracy levels than those approaching retirement. If we are to capitalise on the reservoir of talent that exists we urgently need to ensure that post-18 education is available and accessible at the point of need.

I hope the panel can look holistically at the country’s educational needs and develop guidance to show how we can build on the excellence that already exists to the benefit of individuals, society and the economy.

The Commission will also be tasked with making detailed proposals on how to integrate qualifications, introduce a credits system to make qualifications transferable and make it as easy as possible for people to “pick up or pause” their studies at times convenient to them.