ABSTRACT
This chapter is the first of the two which provide a scaffolding serving to contextualise the considerations in the remainder of the book. It does so by outlining general developments in the learning context internationally. Broad trends in the parameters within which the ‘whole’ curriculum is located, particularly across the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries, are first of all sketched out. Attention is then given to a range of influential policy positions united by the argument that it is not just the promotion of learning, but specifically the promotion of lifelong learning, which should constitute the overarching aim of those working within such parameters. Finally, the move towards emphasising that the educational enterprise should have learner-centred education at its core is considered. This sets the scene for locating the main exposition on leadership for learning in later chapters.
