Sunday 24 February 2013

Education Reform - A New Rationale

Schools, their teachers and the entire education system are once again under the microscope. Decisions about the future of education are believed by many to rest firmly with governments. The direction of reform and the right to scrutinise the service, looking at both its effectiveness and its value for money are thought to be theirs to control. 

But I question, based as it is on nothing more than historical traditions, does this arrangement correspond with the best interests of individuals or of society in the global future that beckons?

The latest reforms are being rolled out in an atmosphere of mistrust, insult and polarisation. This is highly damaging to the service and to young people. But that is not the whole problem. In the last decade alone, there have been FIVE different Secretaries of State (SoS) for education representing the two main political parties. The present incumbent, Michael Gove, is but the latest to bring his unique perspective to the cause. I decline to comment here on his policies or on his style of reform and resist any temptation to indulge in the kind of character assassination so prevalent in other places. Suffice it to say, naturally, his beliefs are politically motivated, as was the case with all his predecessors. How could it be otherwise? Consistently, each SoS espouses deeply held social or humanitarian values central to the success of their policies. They come into office with a political mandate reflecting the views of their party and probably with the intention of creating a lasting personal legacy. It is this historical mechanism that I believe is reducing the effectiveness of much-needed improvements to our education system.

From my perspective, it is no longer appropriate that the strategic direction and planning of education is bound so closely to the electoral process in our democracy. There are those who agree with this analysis and others who deny there is a debate to be had. I believe the debate needs to take place and offer the following comments in support of this view.


The New Rationale

Our system of parliamentary democracy, rich in history and tradition as it may be, needs nevertheless to evolve to reflect changes in society. What worked well in the past, may no longer be appropriate, especially if we agree that the pace of global change is likely to continue and to accelerate.The system currently in place grew out of the challenges presented by the onset of the Industrial Revolution and out of the need for a certain type of work-force. As such, it was a response to circumstance and felt by many to be largely successful. I generally accept this analysis but question if it makes the present system 'fit for purpose'. (Ref. my earlier blogs) 
 
Undeniably, the demands for labour in the new industries actually shaped the education of the time. Often this was at the expense of the individual. Today, we face a very different future and education itself has changed. New structures are required to deal with these different scenarios, as I shall show. 

The inevitable consequence of the present system is a rather rapid succession of 'leaders' of change, often possessed of opposing ideas to their political rivals about what needs to happen to improve education. This makes it difficult to deliver consistency in addressing the improvement agenda. A move away from short-term reform is now necessary as it adversely affects the work of schools and teachers, with a possible impact on children's learning.

As an example, the present primary school curriculum is particularly inappropriate. There is wide agreement that different skills, attitudes and knowledge to those currently available to our young people will be needed in future. Much excellent work has been done in reviewing the curriculum for all age groups and it is not my intention to revisit the evidence here. An excellent resource is the work carried out by The Cambridge Primary Review. See also Michael J Reiss and John White, IOE Londobn Blog The National Curriculum: what’s the point of it all?.

Suffice it to say, time has to be allowed for the implementation of new curricular and assessment arrangements, once a consensus has been reached over which reforms are needed. According to the opinion of Ofqual's CEO, Glenys Stacey, speaking about the ongoing reform of the secondary examinations system, 

"Reform ...... it's risky, isn't it. Some assessment experts will tell you .... it takes 5 years to deliver (fundamental reforms) and fifteen years, or even longer to bed in. Politicians have much shorter time frames in mind." 
Reported by Angela Harrison, BBC Education Correspondent, October 11th 2012.


This statement about the 'short time frames' of politicians can be applied equally to any major education reform package at all key stages in the system. In addition, it may be legitimate to question, how well a modern democracy is served by the set-up in which a single party is able to determine the direction of education policy. There are undoubtedly problems for the long-term future if policy in this area continues to be set according to the short-term interest of a single political entity.

For this reason, young people need us to question the suitability of the proposed reforms and the way they are being conducted under this out-dated system. Opportunities for young people to engage with the future and to live fulfilling lives, depend on what we do next. The prevailing, negatively charged, political/professional environment is highly damaging to their chances.

The future of our democracy ultimately depends on the capacity of each citizen to engage in society in new and more challenging ways. We have to articulate appropriate values for a different approach to education in anticipation of this different future. We have a critically important opportunity to transform the whole architecture of education by changing the way we think and act in relation to it.

A comprehensive review of decision making in eduction is long overdue. The current stand-off reveals the bankruptcy of the existing politically biased procedures. All parties with a stake in education should have a voice in influencing how policy is decided for the future. Politicians of all parties are invited to support the establishment of a National Education Commission. Its initial task should be to draw up a proposal outlining how the responsibility for the direction of national policy for education may be decoupled from the machinery of party politics. 

 

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