OPINION


Continuing our series of articles from the 21st Century


Learning Alliance, Annika Small looks at the change that is needed in education – not least to assessment and inspection


debate” – that will commit to a strategy and set about delivering it within a flexible framework that is capable of responding to changing external circumstances. The last thing we need is endless navel-gazing


T


about the future of education without ever getting to the sharp end of delivery. However, one thing is certain, we cannot afford inconsistency – we need the government’s commitment to work with teachers, parents and the wider community to deliver an agreed education strategy. This new consultation should specify the purpose of


education in the 21st century. What are schools for? Is it to serve the needs of the universities? Are they there for the preparation of students for employment? Do we currently have an education or a training system in place? Is education about people-making or profit- making? It is easy to fall into thinking that these are mutually


exclusive choices – in fact we have the opportunity to design an education system that nurtures young people who can contribute to today’s complex global society from an economic, cultural and social perspective. The new government needs to recognise that the UK education system, throttled by targets and league


tables, is desperately out of sync with the needs of learners. There also seems to be a growing consensus around the factors that need to change in order to make learning more accessible, relevant and meaningful to a new generation. We like to think that education is learning-driven when in fact it is overwhelmingly assessment-driven. We also need to change the criteria and structures of the assessment system so that it supports teachers and students in identifying strengths and areas for improvement. In the same vein, school inspection needs a major overhaul. One rarely hears a teacher speaking of


Do buildings matter? Psycho babble


One Of the swathes of cost-cutting exercises to be employed by the new coalition government is axing the programme to rebuild every secondary school within the next 20 years. At present, more than 700 planned renovations and rebuilding projects have been shelved, and some educators suggest that this could have a catastrophic impact on pupils’ achievement. Over the last 40 years there has been a wealth of


research looking at the impact of school facilities on academic outcomes. Almost all suggest that higher achievement occurs in schools with better building quality, newer school buildings, better lighting, better thermal comfort and air quality, and more advanced laboratories and libraries. While many studies link the


effects of building quality to academic achievement, other studies tie building quality to student behaviour. Vandalism, absenteeism,


sports facilities. The small study by the national foundation for educational Research suggests that benefits attached to new buildings may be overstated. The report said: “In all cases our models showed


that pupils at BSf schools make, on average, less progress than would be expected based on their in-take and past performance.” findings suggested that these children achieved a total GCSe points score that was, on average, 11 points lower than that achieved by other pupils. This was equivalent to a drop of almost two grades. Common sense suggests that it is not


suspensions,


expulsions, disciplinary incidents, violence, disruption in class, tardiness, racial incidents, and smoking all have been used as variables in these studies. But is this the whole story?


Stricherz (2000) notes that: “Research does show that student achievement lags in shabby school buildings – those with no science labs, inadequate ventilation, and faulty heating systems. But it does not show that student performance rises when facilities go from the equivalent of a ford to a ferrari – from decent buildings to those equipped with fancy classrooms, swimming pools, television production studios, and the like.” Several studies point to the fact that diligent maintenance of existing high quality buildings is as effective as building new ones. A new UK study found that children attending


schools reconstructed under the flagship Building Schools for the future (BSf) scheme actually made less progress than children in similar state secondaries. Researchers also found that attendance was no better at the schools, despite huge investment in new classrooms, science labs, drama studios and


the building that has the most impact on achievement, but the learning environment, which includes good quality teaching, a challenging curriculum, constant exposure to new material, positive role models, firm discipline strategies, and high expectations. There is no reason why an older building cannot offer the shell within which this can take place. My son attends one of the


best performing state primary schools in London, and there is no doubt that “shabby” would be an understatement. However, the positive dynamic, the rigorous attention to providing an optimum learning environment, the efforts made to create unique and exciting classrooms within a building that is clearly past its use-by date, creates


an environment in which every child blossoms. We live in a culture where materialism is rife;


a throwaway society where “new” and “modern” is celebrated. We renovate our homes to be showpieces, rather than comfortable places in which to live. Just as homes are for living, schools are for learning. In a tough economic climate, it makes sense to “make do”, and focus our resources on the things that really matter to a student’s development and progress. The true measure of a flagship scheme is student achievement and wellbeing, and it is what is within the four walls of a school building that will define that.


• Karen Sullivan is a bestselling author, psychologist and childcare expert. Email her on KESullivan@aol. com. She returns after half-term.


Ofsted with anything but dread or loathing. Wouldn’t it be refreshing if inspectors worked with schools to celebrate successes and tackle weaknesses? A rethink of the assessment system will only


succeed if trust in teachers is restored. We need greater investment in teaching and teacher training. Good teachers will only stay in post if they are respected as professionals, with the freedom to be creative rather than simply deliver lessons to a script. Teachers need the time and scope to build


relationships with their students so that they can support them as individuals. Research has shown that humans


HeRe ARe key factors that need to be tackled if the UK’s education system is to equip young people for success in a rapidly changing global environment. The government should undertake a brief period of consultation – a new “great education


Time for change


are only able to develop meaningful relationships with 70 to 80 people, yet we ask teachers to work with several hundred students at any one time. We need to rethink our learning environments: a shabby school with strong relationships between teachers, students, parents and the community is worth dozens of new glass entrance halls. We need to recognise the skills required for the


21st century, such as the ability to relate to others collaboratively, to process information effectively, and to identify and solve problems creatively. The best predictor of whether a young person ends up in prison or re-offending is if they have a job. In order to hold down a job, a young person must have good self- efficacy skills (the ability to master something from learning to fail). If we really want our schools to succeed, they must


focus on the child and their mental health. To do this, they must nurture the child’s ability to learn in an environment that is based around good relationships. If children are confident in their relationships, they will grow in emotional resilience and learn that failure is something we learn from rather than something to be ashamed of. Development of these personal skills should carry the same, if not greater, kudos as passing your maths GCSe. As teachers, parents and policy-makers we need


to agree a way forward that will break the cycles of failure that young people experience throughout their education. A way forward that will remove education from political point scoring and creates a system that brings out the best in every single child.


SecEd


• Annika Small is a board member of the 21st Century Learning Alliance and chief executive of the Nominet Trust. Visit www.nominettrust.org.uk


Further information


The 21st Century Learning Alliance aims to provide a forum with representation from practitioners, government agencies and industry. With its combined knowledge, skills, and experience, the group debates key issues to stimulate improvement and change. Visit www.21stcenturylearningalliance.org


FOR BETTER CHILD HEALTH SCHOOL NURSES MORE


A properly resourced school nursing service is required to help schools meet the government’s health and wellbeing objectives.


Research published in the British Journal of School Nursing (BJSN) shows that more school nurses are needed to meet these objectives and ensure school children receive the health care and support they deserve. Therefore


the BJSN has launched a campaign to increase the number of school nurses.


For more information on the campaign visit


http://moreschoolnurses.co.uk Support the campaign or send us your views at:


bjsn@markallengroup.com SecEd • October 21 2010


SCHOOL NURSES FOR BETTER CHILD HEALTH


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