Pearson's scale and our commitment to learning means we have to
take care of much more than producing good products, serving
customers well and generating strong growth. We're determined to do
all those things, but we have wider responsibilities. We play a
part in educating children, making the news and informing the
public debate. That means we occupy a privileged position in
society and we aim to earn (and constantly re-earn) commercial
success and public trust. We don't believe those are conflicting
goals; in fact one thing we've learned through Pearson's rich
history is that you can't have one without the other.
The idea of 'corporate responsibility' or 'corporate
citizenship' isn't new to any part of Pearson. When asked what he
was most proud of, Penguin founder Allen Lane said: "The fact that
we are regarded as possibly the greatest popular educators in our
generation." And the Financial Times set out its stall as long ago
as 1888, declaring itself: "The friend of the honest financier, the
bona fide investor, the respectable broker, the genuine director,
the legitimate speculator. The enemy of the closed stock exchange,
the unprincipled promoter, the company wrecker, the guinea pig, the
bull, the bear, the gambling operator."
So, for many years the notion of responsibility has been at the
core of our business. Inside Pearson we express that in three
values: brave, imaginative and decent. We're proud that our record
has been recognized with many awards and quality standards for
responsible business; but at the same time we are determined that
we should keep on learning and improving.
The Pearson Foundation
The Pearson Foundation is the non-profit arm of Pearson and
serves to assist leading international non-profit, civic, and
business organizations to provide financial, organizational, and
publishing assistance worldwide. Click here
to read more.
Responsibility
Pearson have outlined 3 key priorities which are: to raise
literacy levels, improve learning outcomes and contribute to
competitiveness. Click here to read more.
Duffy Books in Homes: To inspire a love of books in Duffy
children so they become adults who inspire a love of reading
The philosophy behind the programme is simple to break the cycle
of 'booklessness'. Kids who can't read become adults who
can't communicate and that's a serious disadvantage in a world that
operates on the written word. Click here to read
more.