Our children deserve an education for life

These are perilous times. As individuals, we face increasing physical and mental health problems. Our communities are in turmoil, and the planet itself is in danger.

We owe it to our children to equip them with the knowledge, skills and values to tackle the staggering challenges they will meet as adults.

Life-based learning, aimed at children aged 5 to 11, offers a bold and imaginative way forward.

Join Us

A warm welcome to our website.

The aim of the Forum is to promote a life-based approach to learning in primary school, prior to the traditional focus on subject-based learning from the age of 11 onwards (in Britain, at least).

Our specific experience and focus at the Forum is primary education (ie for children aged 5 to 11) in England, but we believe it is vitally important for all countries to adopt the life-based approach in children’s foundation years of learning. We welcome feedback on what is happening in your country.

The Forum promotes a curriculum focus on nine life themes that meet the urgent challenges of modern living for individuals, for societies and for the environment.

A word or two of reassurance. The subjects and subject content that traditionally make up the curriculum — English, mathematics, science and so on — are still taught. What is different about life-based learning is that they are taught through the nine themes.

We promote a life-based approach to learning to better prepare children — as they grow into adulthood — to manage the life-threatening challenges facing individuals, societies and environments across the planet. This is an urgent priority. Time is not on our side.
Michael Mac

The Forum has its origins in the UK, but this is most definitely not just a UK initiative. Wherever in the world you live — and regardless of whether or not your background is in education — we invite you to join us.

The words ‘life-based learning’ may in themselves have been enough to convince you. If this is the case, click here to add your name to the growing list of Forum members and we will keep you in touch with news and views and the progress of life-based learning.

Alternatively, you may wish to visit the Explore section of the website to find out more about life-based learning. In particular, we recommend that you check out our Challenges page. It sets out the many reasons why children need to start their learning journey — when they are at their learning best — by acquiring the knowledge and skills to meet the many serious life challenges we all face as adults.

The one request we make is that you join us by signing up for our newsletter as the surest way of showing your support.