A plea that the Campaign for Learning, which had its launch at the conference, should be “fun” was made by Helen Munro, director of community services with Stirling Council and a former Strathclyde education official.

Ms Munro commented: “It is all horribly worthy. A lot of learning takes place without it being called that. It has got to be fun and must not go down a road that is totally target driven or just concerned with qualifications.”

Ms Munro was assured by Fiona Blacke, who has been seconded from the Scottish Community Education Council to be the campaign’s director, that the fun aspect would be stressed when the campaign opened in May.

Patrons of the campaign are Jimmy Boyle, the former prisoner and artist, Elaine C Smith, the actress, Richard Wilson, actor and rector of Glasgow University, Donnie Munro, Runrig singer and Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate in Ross, Cromarty and Skye, Lex Gold, director of the Association of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Fred Goodwin, chief executive of Clydesdale Bank, and Charles McSherry, managing director of the computer company PROSYS.