'Does anyone seriously believe that learning is not for life?' asked George Mudie, MP, Minister for Lifelong Learning at a recent conference in Wolverhampton: LEARNING IN LATER LIFE: the Pathway to Productive Aging.
Speaking to an audience of older learners, providers and LEA staff, as part of the Government's Better Government for Older People initiative, the Minister clearly showed how committed he was to spreading the confidence- and competence-building powers of education to all, and particularly to those people who 'have had the wrong end of the stick all their lives, and, as a result, had lives with limited opportunities, and been alienated and traumatised by the experience.
'Learning can be a valuable tool in redirecting these and indeed all individuals, including those in later life.'

Martin Shreeve, director of Better Government for Older People, summed up one of the main themes of the conference. 'Old people are not the problem,' he said, 'they are a significant part of the solution to regenerating communities and combating social exclusion.'
Better Government for Older People can be contacted on 01902 824270.