Barber waves age for life of learning

THE DEPARTMENT for Education and Employment should be renamed the Department of Lifelong Learning and have the same status as the Treasury or Home Office, says a leading expert on education.

Delivering his inaugural professorial lecture at the Institute of Education, Michael Barber argued that education had become a playground for politicians because they realised that raising educational standards was crucial to the economic success and social well-being.

Renaming the department would give it the necessary status to help build a learning society, but Professor Barber, dean of new initiatives, said other changes would also be needed.

He said the National Council for Educational Technology should be replaced by a National Council for Education Innovation.

This would encourage links with business to prepare Britain for a leading role in the emerging global education market. He also called for a general teaching council and an education research council to raise standards.

The challenge for the next government and all in education was to "achieve radical reform while constantly building and maintaining trust", said Professor Barber.