Education APPG: Love of Learning Inquiry

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Education APPG is thrilled to announce the opening of a call for evidence on an inquiry into the Love of Learning. The APPG invites any interested stakeholders to submit to the call for evidence by the 22^nd April 2025. The APPG encourages all stakeholders to contribute to the call for evidence, including but not limited to:

• Children and young people
• Parents and carers
• Teachers, lecturers and teaching assistants
• Senior leaders of schools, multi-academy trusts and colleges
• Sector organisations and unions
• Expert organisations, voluntary and community organisations and charities
• Researchers and education experts
• Suppliers
• Subject associations
• Awarding bodies
• The wider public

The inquiry will also invite a select group of stakeholders to contribute to oral evidence sessions taking place in May 2025 for a more targeted input.  

Commenting on the announcement the MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr and Chair of the Group, Steve Witherden, said:

Steve Witherden MP

Chair of the Education All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education

“Today we are launching an inquiry into the loss of a love of learning. We want to hear from teachers, parents, students, and anyone else involved in education. 

Education is currently in crisis. More and more students are being homeschooled, attendance is falling and concerns around SEND and mental health for staff and pupils are rising. 

We want your input on how we can reignite the love of learning”

There is evidence to suggest that engagement in education warrants further investigation in England:

• The OECD reported in PISA 2022 that the life satisfaction of 15-year-olds in England is lower than the OECD average – and the second lowest in Europe.
• Absenteeism remains a sticky issue within the sector. Despite concerted efforts by schools and the Government to address the issue, the number of consistently absent pupils is 19.2% – 8.7% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
• The Department for Education’s annual National Behaviour Survey has found that incidents of behaviour issues have increased annually. Research by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has found a ‘robust link’ between behaviour and a young person’s aspirations for future study.
• The percentage of children and young people who enjoyed reading in their free time reached its lowest levels in 20 years in 2024 according to the National Literacy Trust’s Children and Young People Report.
• Teachers job satisfaction and related challenges with recruitment and retention within the workforce continue to be a significant issue. Research from NASWUT has shown that poor behaviour is strongly linked to a teachers morale and enthusiasm for their job – with over half of teachers indicating that they have seriously considered leaving their role due to bad behaviour.

The inquiry will be composed of four modules which any stakeholder can submit evidence:

• Module 1: The Current Landscape of Engagement in Education
• Module 2: Curriculum Design and Engagement
• Module 3: Assessment Practices and their Impact on Engagement
• Module 4: Supporting Teachers in the Love of Learning

For further details, please contact the group’s Secretariat, Anna Wolffe (Ranelagh Ltd): educationapppg@ranelaghuk.com

About the Education APPG: The APPG has been established to provide a forum for dialogue on all key areas pertaining to education and bring together experts, policy makers, politicians and industry representatives.  Over the last few years, the Group has discussed the effectiveness of STEM education and early years’ provision, and the impact of the classroom environment on academic attainment and where the provision of SEND support is falling down. The APPG has previously completed an inquiry into how well schools prepare children for their future careers.

Disclosure: This is not an official message of Parliament. It has not been approved by either House. APPGs are informal groups of Parliamentarians with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed are those of the group. The Secretariat of the Education APPG is provided by Ranelagh Ltd with the support of the British Educational Suppliers Association.