Education Matters

As an avid Torchwood fan, parent of two sci-fi mad boys, and an active school governor, I watched the recent episodes of Torchwood Children of Earth with great interest.

Fantastic storylines, confident acting and of course Captain Jack, all added up to a great TV experience. I loved the way the 456 was portrayed as a compelling threat to humanity without actually seeing any physical manifestations or the need for special effect wizardry. 

However, for me, and I imagine many educationalists and parents across the country, the scariest part of the whole series was the single line: “If we can’t identify the lowest achieving 10% of this country’s children, then what are the school league tables for?”

Granted the situation for humankind was looking pretty desperate at this point. But it was the way that politician and spin-doctors glibly described the children as ‘units’ and looked for ways to justify their decisions, that made it all seem so plausible.

It made me wonder whether school league table data could one day be used to justify social engineering, and what is the actual purpose of all this comparative data.

Looking at the recent history of the British education system, the last 30ish years show a move towards more and more central government control over what is taught and tested in schools, and league tables are a key element.  

Perhaps this was driven by a societal need to quantify and compare, or by successive governments’ lack of trust in teachers. But there is little doubt that school league tables have lead to dull conformity in education and a culture of negative criticism and labeling, whether an ‘underperforming’ school or a child in the bottom 10%.

The idea that league tables, based on exam results, would lead to positive competition in the education marketplace and an array of school choices for parents has also proved to be a fallacy.
However, the recent White Paper begins to recognize this and suggests ‘report cards’ instead of league tables. These cards would grade schools on a much wider range of indicators and not focus on exam results and pinpointing individual children. 
Definitely a step in the right direction, however it is still an exercise in quantifying and classifying which, in my opinion, is not necessary or needed.

To continue to focus on comparative data across all schools and classify children in percentages is missing the whole point of education.

The education system should be allowed to go back to basics. It is there to provide all children, whatever their level of achievement, with a learning experience that is wide-ranging, fun and inspirational. 

As a governor I spend lots of time in primary schools. When I see children enjoying the task set them: be it reading, writing, painting picture, looking at mini-beasts, running the egg and spoon race, adding up numbers, learning about the seaside, fractions, or all the other things they get up to - then I know that education is working for those individual children.

So thankfully the Torchwood scenario is still a long way from reality. But maybe part of the programs appeal was that it reminded us all – government, teachers and parents – of the dark path we could take if we let our education system be controlled by dry data and comparative statistics.
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This post was first written by me to go on the excellent schoolgate blog at the Times.
See Torchwood post on Schoolgate.

Fast-food company McDonald’s , airline Flybe and Network Rail are to be allowed to create and deliver courses that can form part of a level 3 qualification – equivalent to an A-level or advanced Diploma.

The reaction from the education sector has been a mixture of humour and general disbelieve,
with concern about the standards of the courses and whether or not they will be considered worthwhile.

However, we need to remember that this is a move to help those young people who are already in the work place and are usually estranged from schools, colleges and the whole concept of education.

Those working in MacDonalds are not academic high-flyers, but this is a positive step to offer them practical training and the change to gain qualifications from their work.

So, from later this month McDonald's will be piloting their basic shifts manager course. David Fairhurst, Spokesman, said “Our employees tell us they want the chance to do more formal learning and we're responding to that."

He dismissed suggestions that McDonald's accreditation meant exams were being "dumbed down" saying: "We have had to achieve the same rigorous criteria as traditional awarding bodies."

To achieve accreditation status, McDonalds, Flybe and Network Rail had to meet a set of standards set out by the QCA in their new Qualifications Credit Framework (QCF), a new scheme that allows nationally recognised courses to be broken down into units.

So, despite misgivings about involving such companies directly, this looks like a very positive scheme to attract reluctant young people back into learning and helping them develop skills, confidence and self-esteem.

The crucial difference is that they will be learning about real work situation and things that they can associate with real pay, responsibility and results. Be it how to cook a burger, manage staff or understand the difficulties of track maintenance.

There have always been those who are alienated by their experience at school. Whilst everything should be done to avoid this happening, the long-term problems only occur when these young people are ignored and left to develop a lifelong distrust of any kind of learning.

Workplace training and education is crucial to breaking that cycle. The fact that firms now recognise this, and are able to develop recognised courses with portable qualifications is an important step towards a skilled and contented workforce.

Can’t cook, won’t cook no longer.

In a bid to stem growing obesity and instil healthy eating habits, it has been announced that cookery lessons will be compulsory for all teenagers from September 2008.

The idea is that once young people are taught to cook spaghetti bolognaise and other simple meals, they will expand their culinary skills in later life and understand how good food relates to a healthy lifestyle.

Ed Balls, Schools Secretary, explained: “Teaching kids to cook healthy meals is an important way schools can help produce healthy adults.”

He is also asking the public to come up with ideas for classic dishes that should be on the curriculum, and adds: “the emphasis will be on making sure pupils can master simple, healthy recipes using fresh ingredients.”

But do school really have the right recipe to produce healthy teenagers?

Many argue that it is parents who should teach their children to cook and ensure they develop healthy eating habits. Schools should concentrate on the core subjects.

However cookery or domestic science used to be a feature of all secondary schools. Many of us fondly remember creating indestructible rock cakes and spongy toad-in-the-hole, but that was over 20 year ago.

Re-introducing these lessons could be a very positive step. The problem today is that many modern schools do not have the equipment and specialised classrooms to undertake practical cookery lessons. There is also a shortage of cookery teachers, who will take time to recruit. These issues must be addressed if the plan has any chance of working.

The new secondary curriculum will place strong emphasis on practical cooking skills, diet and nutrition, hygiene and safety, and wise food shopping.

All very important issues, however the basic components of any healthy teenager are a good dose of education, spoonfuls of common sense and lashings of self-esteem.

Hopefully these crucial ingredients will not be forgotten.

Are you teaching on the frontline?

If we are to believe Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, then juvenile delinquency has spiralled out of control and the battleground is not only the streets, but inside the school gates.

The classroom has apparently become such a dangerous environment that hundreds of schools are to install airport-style metal detectors in a bid to stop pupils carrying weapons and reduce knife crime.

Such security measures are to be introduced in areas of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham where gang violence is a major problem. The hope is that searching students on entry will show that knives will not be tolerated, and support those not carrying knives.

In the current political climate these measures seem like sensible precautions, we must do something about the feral teenagers who are terrorising communities around the country.

But isn’t this admitting that society and the education system have failed. Shouldn’t we be supporting these young people and giving them other options?

School should not become fortresses where children are assumed to be trainee-criminals. Schools should continue to be a safe environment where they can concentrate on learning and access supportive and inspirational adults. This is equally important in all areas of the country, from leafy suburb to run-down estate.

There is no denying that the number of fatal incidents involving teenagers and knives is shocking. We must challenge gang culture and carrying knives. As soon as young people get involved they become a danger to themselves and their peers.

However, this must be an issue for everyone. Teachers are in school to teach. They can offer guidance, support and inspiration, but they must not be expected to add pseudo-police officer/custom official to their long list of responsibilities.