Contact WBL
tel: +44 (0)20 7612 6291
fax: +44 (0)20 7612 6880
web: www.learningbenefits.net
Breastfeeding may help to offset early disadvantages, researchers say
Breastfeeding may be particularly important to the educational and emotional development of children from single-parent and low-income families, new research suggests. more
Early assessments help to identify children at risk of blighted adulthoods
The vast majority of children who will go on to experience serious deprivation in their adult years can now be identified by the age of 10, a new report suggests. more
Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning (WBL)
The Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning (WBL) was set up in 1999 to investigate the personal and social outcomes of learning across the lifecourse. WBL is a multi-disciplinary centre, using quantitative and qualitative research methods, and we make extensive use of the 1958 and 1970 national birth cohort studies. We locate our research in the context of a broad social policy agenda, and we use our evidence as the basis for dialogue with government departments, the research community and practitioners.
Our research explores the relationship between learning and health, crime, parenting, citizenship and social cohesion, and we look at evidence on the early years, schooling, and further, higher and adult education. The task of demonstrating the full range of the benefits of learning, and their role in promoting life chances and ameliorating disadvantage remains high amongst the priorities for educational research and social policy.
For more information on the work of the centre, please go to the WBL website www.learningbenefits.net