Hamburg (Germany), July 14 - Dr Kim Howells, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Education and Employment, hailed "a new beginning for the UK" at the opening of UNESCO’s Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA) today.

"This is our first opportunity to contribute to a major UNESCO conference as a Member," noted Dr Howells, referring to the United Kingdom’s return to UNESCO last July 1. "I believe we can offer our own distinctive vision and expertise."

Stressing the United Kingdom’s commitment to CONFINTEA’s goal of promoting lifelong learning worldwide, Dr Howell outlined what the new British government is doing at home to "create our own learning society."

Recent initiatives include the appointment of an advisory Expert Group on adult learning, and new programmes offering, for instance, educational opportunities to single parents with school-age children who are receiving welfare benefits, and to the 18-25 age group.

Dr Howell also cited the efforts of the National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education (NIACE), a national U.K. organisation with representatives in the UK delegation to CONFINTEA. Over the last six years of running Adult Learners Week in the UK, with government and BBC support, NIACE has introduced many adults to learning opportunities through television, information help lines and public events. Adult Learners Week now exist in South Africa, Slovenia, Switzerland, Australia, Flemish-speaking Belgium, the Czech Republic and Jamaica.

Combating the exclusion of women and minorities; mastering information technology; and building partnerships with employers, non-governmental organisations and others are the chief objectives of the British government for adult education, continued Dr. Howell.

"I am proud of what we are doing in the UK," said Dr Howell in his conclusion. "We have put education at the heart of our agenda. I am proud that we are back at UNESCO because UNESCO has education at the centre of its priorities too."

Dr Howell asked conference participants to back the UK’s proposal to call for a specific UN Week of Adult Learning.

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