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Learning Endorsements
Or at least talking about it. Read what various people in the limelight say about the Campaign for Learning, and the importance and enjoyment of learning.
MPs and Ministers on the Campaign for Learning
Leading Figures in Learning on the Campaign for Learning
Celebrities' childhood dream jobs - 2006
Celebrities on learning
Celebrities on family learning
Celebrities on their own learning pledges - 2002
What MPs and Ministers say about the Campaign for Learning
Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools: ‘I share the Campaign for Learning’s belief that learning to learn is vital for our children. Helping children to develop as confident, enthusiastic and effective learners is a central purpose of primary education and is essential if we are to make sure that all children should achieve their potential. The detailed testimony of those involved and the evidence of raised achievement make a compelling case that personalised learning delivers its aims. The research and case study resources that the Campaign for Learning presents will provide real inspiration to schools.’
Phil Hope MP, former Minister for Skills: "The Campaign for Learningis helping us to put adult learning at the top of the agenda. Learning At Work Day is now a highlight in the annual skills calendar and a valuable opportunity for us all to see and hear about the successes of individuals and employers from all over the country who have taken up the challenge of learningat work.The workplace is an ever changing environment. We need to ensure employers and employeesalike get the best advice and training available. This is why we are investing inthe national employer service Train to Gain andnew Learner Accounts to provide flexible learning packages designed and delivered in waysto fit with people’s needs and lives."
Stephen Twigg MP, former Minister of State for School Standards: 'Helping children to develop as confident, enthusiastic and effective learners is a central purpose of primary education. One of the most important things we can do in schools is to provide a range of learning opportunities that will enable this to happen.'
Ivan Lewis MP, Former Under Secretary of State for Young People and Learning: ‘The Campaign for Learning makes a very special contribution to getting people more involved in family learning.’
Charles Clarke MP, Former Minister for Education: ‘I wish to congratulate the Campaign For Learning and all associated with it as a genuinely noble campaign in the interest of everyone in the country and the vitality and health of the country as a whole. We want to support what you do.’
'For me, the word "campaign" is key to the approach you have to fulfilling the potential of every person in this country. The Campaign starts from a difficult position. It starts from individual possibilities of what every individual wants to do.'
What leading figures in learning say about the Campaign for Learning
Kris Akabusii, CEO of The Akabusi Company and former Olympic Athlete: 'Learning is powerful: it changes individuals and organisations. Getting involved in Learning at Work Day is a great way to raise the profile of workplace learning and help people become experts, not just in the tricks of the trade, but in the trade itself. I'm delighted to be supporting the Campaign for Learning in promoting the power of workplace learning through Learning at Work Day.'
Liz Smith, Director Unionlearn: 'The day is so important in promoting the benefits of learning and demonstrating innovative ways it can be delivered at the workplace. It's all about establishing a learning culture at work, predicated on building a strong partnership between the employer and the employee. It leads to mutual trust and a sharing of responsibility between employers, workers and unions in delivering learning - whether it be setting up a learning centre or brokering provision with the local college. The success of Learning at Work Day is very much due to the energy of the Campaign for Learning. The TUC has worked closely with the Campaign over the years.'
Celebrities' childhood dream jobs
Comic legend, Ricky Gervais - A Scientist
Falty Towers and WEst End Star, Prunella Scales - "When I was seven, my parents took me to the ballet and I dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer - but we lived in deep countryside adn there were no classes. By the age of eight I realised my feet weren't turned out enough, so I said, 'oh, all right then, I'll just be an actress'..."
TV favourite, Tamsin Outhwaite - "When I was a child I wanted to either a ballerina or a stewardess adn as I have danced professionally adn am now playing a stewardess in 'Boeing Boeing' it seems my dreams have come true."
Radio 2 DJ, Mark Radcliff - "Sickeningly, I've kind of got my dream job because when I was a teenager I only wanted to something connected to music. Ideally I wanted to be the drummer in a famous band. I used to have a little plastic Ringo Starr snear drum and cymbal kit, and played along to Top of the Pops dreaming of when I would be on teh show. I did get to be on Top of the Pops but only as a presenter and never in a band. I honestly don't know what I would have done if I hadn't been lucky enough to work in this business. I do love books though so wouldn't mind working in a bookshop finding strange books for people. In fact, there's a great little bookshop in Grasmere in the Lake District adn I always fancied semi-retiring from radio to run that. As time goes on though I realise how lucky I am to be going what I love, so will probably go on for as long as I can."
Coronation Street's Sam Robertson, who playes Adam Baldwin - "My childhood dream was to be a rock star and I am still pursuing this dream."
This Morning star, Fern Britton - A dolphine trainer.
Blackadder and Time Team star, Tony Robinson - "Running a dive shop in the Maldives and playing tenor sax in my own club in the evenings."
Olympic medal winner, Daren Campbell - "I wanted to be an Olympic champion or a lawyer."
Sprinting legend, Linford Christie - "I really wanted to be a pilot and was a member of the Air Cadets so I could fly small aircraft."
TV chef Sophie Grigson - "I don't think I've ever really worked out what my dream job would be and I'm still looking."
TV chef Gino D'Acampo - "A chef! I love to be able to feed people, to make people happy with food."
Business Editor for the Sun, Ian King - "I always wanted to be a journalist, from the age of about seven."
Editor of the Daily Star, Dawn Neesom - "Rather sadly my dream job was always to be a journalist. From about five or six I used to write adn draw my own newspapers adn magazines which I then inflicted on my poor parents. Mum still has a few of the more cringeworthy efforts."
Ethical Living Columnist for the Observer, Lucy Siegle - "I wanted to play any instrument in an orchestra."
Minister for Schools, Jim Knight - "A dancer like Fred Astaire and an actor like Lawrence Olivier."
Public Health Minister, Caroline Flint - "I always wanted to be a ballerina."
What celebrities say about learning
Sir Richard Branson: 'Every time I've tried to beat a ballooning record I've learned enough to make me determined to have another go. If you don't keep learning you might as well pack it in.'
Johnny Vaughan: ‘Prison gave me a chance to discover my brain. I read all the classics and learnt how to use a computer.’
Professor Susan Greenfield: ‘We are entering the century of the mind.’
Peter Nichol, Squash World Champion (1999): 'What’s the secret to being British and World Number one? Passion, commitment, hard work, self-belief, willing to learn and mental strength.'
Mick Hucknall: 'Education is really important… I didn’t like maths and didn’t even go to the exam, which I regret now. When you’re young, you don’t realise how important these things are.'
Dame Judi Dench: 'I'm certain that, above all, learning should be fun. I think that learning at work is something that we probably think we all do, but sometimes we get stuck in a rut and, without realising it, forget to learn something new and different. It's good to ask questions, be inquisitive and learn things as we go about our daily business. I am happy to support Learning at Work Day for the Campaign for Learning. I wish them continued success in their quest to get everyone thinking about and acting on their thoughts and dreams about learning. Remember: dreams can come true!'
Carol Vorderman: 'I was the first from my school to go to Cambridge. I applied because if you don't ask you don't get. I thought, if other people get there, why shouldn't I? Maths was my best subject at school, but it was my favourite teacher, Mr Parry, who made me get out of it what I should have. I'm so grateful. Obviously I had something there to start with, but Mr Parry's rigorous approach sealed it in my head forever. I do worry about maths in this country. A recent international survey on maths showed that out of 28 countries Britain is 22nd. At the top were the Pacific Rim countries. Interestingly enough, children who went to school their believed they weren't good enough. But children interviewed in Britain thought they were fine. So our expectations are way down.'
Warren Mitchell: 'You ain't never learned me nuffink! Wot's the good of it all? It ain't never gonna help the likes of me! WRONG! Learning leads to knowledge. Now what to do with that knowledge? Ah! That gets a bit more difficult. Choices - Hard work but fun. Trouble is, which bit of the knowledge is real, true, worthwhile? Before us there have been millions of clever bonces putting in their twopennorth, their opinions. Gotta sort it out - the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goats. What's at the end of the road, I hear you ask...WISDOM. And by golly that's worth having. The ability to distinguish between the genuine and the counterfeit, the great and the mediocre. How wonderful to have LEARNED to make your own decisions, make up your own mind, and not spout the opinions of some self-seeking newspaper editorial or TV pundit. Try this. Write down a few subjects that might interest you. How about Coastal Erosion, Women's Rugby, Income Tax, Medicine in the time of the Romans - there's a beaut! Then just find out all you can about it. Give yourself a time limit. A day is best, a week if you must. Ask around in your quest. Don't be shy, don't be embarrassed to ask, the libraries are there for your use. That's what they're paid for, they love to help. Well anyway. One thing leads to another, and before you know it you're on your way. Excuse me now, I've got to go and learn some lines. Good luck.'
Roger Lloyd-Pack: 'Life is a process of learning. Growing up is a process of learning. I keep finding out things about myself and am being continually surprised (not always pleasantly). Jung described intelligence as "the ability to be sensitive to the changes that take place in yourself as you grow older and the ability to adapt to them accordingly." Once you stop learning, you grow old and die.'
Tony Adams, (who has two children and a step-daughter of his own): 'It’s vital every child gets a good education so they have the very best start in life. Maths may not seem as exciting as reading or sport, but we all use it without thinking every day of our lives.'
B.B. King: 'The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.'
Former model Iris Palmer: 'I gave up modelling because you should always be learning skills.'
Sir Derek Jacobi: 'The older I get, the more I learn. I’m coming to a whole new range of roles. I can now play grandfathers.'
Sarah Michelle Gellar, actress, June 2002: 'I learn every day. I don’t think you have to be in a classroom to expand your mind.'
Mike Lewis, better known as Gladiator Scaracen: 'If I was at school today, I'd probably be kicked out. This is the crazy thing, I find myself being asked to talk to school kids about drugs and the importance of education, but what am I supposed to say to them? I'm going to say that I left school too early and spent four years unemployed, but they'll just look at me and say, "Ah, but look where you are now." They don't understand that I'm one of the exceptions, not the rule. When I was 13, you could have sent 20 Gladiators to talk to me, and I'd have said "I still don't want to be in school." I'm a physical, practical person and to sit at a desk and copy from a book was boring to me. Actually, at 13 I was a very, very thin, skinny lad (and) it bothered me...So when I was 19 I joined a local gym in Lewisham, where I still live. My plans for the future centre on my full-time job as a fireman. I’m thinking of making a start by studying for a couple of GCSEs.'
What celebrities say about family learning
Philip Schofield: 'The most important skill I want to teach my children is how to get through life being yourself. I want to teach them about loving and being loved, honesty, a sense of fun and good manners. The most valuable lesson my children have taught me is patience, especially with maths homework!'
Lesley Garrett: 'The most memorable lessons my parents taught me were the great value of education and the principle of self-betterment. The most important skill I want to teach my children is self reliance and the continuing ability to have fun. The most valuable lesson my children have taught me is to listen more carefully to other people's needs and to be patient.'
Iain Banks: 'The most valuable lesson my children have taught me is that the best start in life is being loved.'
Phil Gayle: 'The most memorable lesson my parents taught me was the importance of education and the doors that it could open. The most important skill I want to teach the younger members of my family is to learn how to listen to what people are really saying when they speak. The most important lesson children have taught me is how to play, explore and have fun.'
Phillippa Forrester: 'Learning and experiencing new things whatever the subject is the essence of life, we love watching babies and toddlers learn about day to day things with such enthusiasm, but we often lose that enthusiasm ourselves, there is no reason why adults can't have the same amount of fun learning, since, whatever your parents may have said, you never get to the point where you know everything, if you did you'd be bored!'
Bill Beaumont (ex-England Rugby Captain): 'I learned from my parents not to judge people by their background, but by what you see. They also encouraged me to read more, and this is something I encourage my children to do, also to get off the couch and play sport!'
Cheryl Baker: 'I came from a very deprived background but the one important lesson that my family taught me was to go for it and believe in myself. I was extremely shy as a child but as I grew older I came to realise the worth of these wise words and I have passed this memorable lesson on to my children. My mum taught me to cook and this is something I love to do to this day and this is a skill I have passed on not only to my children but also to my husband.'
Prunella Scales: 'The most memorable lesson my parents taught me was to read and write, to sing, read music and to play games as part of a team. I would like to pass all these skills on to my own children. The most valuable lesson children have taught me is to listen.'
Crispin Bonham Carter: 'The most valuable lesson children have taught me is to view the world with wonder and energy.'
Ann Widdecombe: 'The most memorable lesson my parents taught me was how to use an encyclopaedia. If I had children I would ensure they could use a foreign language. The most valuable lesson my children have taught me is how to use new technology.'
Paul Rankin: 'The most memorable lesson my parents taught me was if something is worth doing, it's worth doing right. The most important skill I want to teach my children is how to be happy. I believe that we must encourage our children to do things that they are passionate about. They must not live their lives for their parents or their peers. The most valuable lesson my children have taught me is that we are all individuals. Since the day they come into this world, they have all been their own little person - of course! Each person has different talents, needs and passions.'
Danny John-Jules (Cat from Red Dwaf): 'The most valuable lesson my parents taught me was never to underestimate anybody. The most important skill I want to teach my children would be self-belief. The most valuable lesson children have taught me is that they will only listen to someone they believe in.'
Stuart and Sian Hosking (Big brother contestant 2002): 'My wife and I have been bought up very differently so by combining our knowledge we hope to be able to give our children a fulfilling childhood and learn to respect and acknowledge what we have as a family. We are all continually learning about each others' needs and sometimes make mistakes. However, we are neither too proud or too ashamed to work out a suitable compromise. As there is no right or wrong way to bring up children all we can do is hope that some of the life experiences we possess will help them to understand the support around them and most of all learn how to live life to the full.'
Chris Eubank: 'I would most like to pass on the advice that if you respect your Mother and Father, bad luck usually stays away from you.'
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What Celebrities pledged to learn in 2003
Patsy Palmer will learn to have more patience!
Kelly Holmes will learn how to plan her time more efficiently.
Jane Asher will learn more about autism and Asperger Syndrome, from reading and going to lectures. My dream is to one day do a degree course to learn more about this topic.
Linford Christie will learn to use email more, rather than rely on his mobile phone so much.
Rory Bremner will (re-learn) to play the piano and learn to speak Italian.
Bill Beaumont will try and become fluent in French
Anna Ford will learn how to speak French fluently
Katherine Merry will learn French too!
Angela Rippon will try to learn to play tennis properly this year.
Craig Phillips will learn to read better. He will also learn to use his computer more quickly.
Elizabeth Woodcock (Big Brother Contestant 2002) will learn to sing, scuba-dive and ride a motorbike. She will also encourage her friend to learn to play the clarinet.
