VIEWS & OPINION U-turn on academisation: A
climb or an listen
ing Government embarrassing down?
Comment by Jonathan Doherty in Primary
rt ry Education at Leeds Trinity U niversity
ty, Senior Lecturer ty
Two months after Chancellor George Osborne’s defiant
pledge to “set schools free from local bureaucracy” and convert all primary schools in England to academies by 2020, Education Secretary NickyMorgan
announced last week that the Government would be abandoning these plans,
referring to it simply as an ‘aspiration’ rather than a ‘requirement’. One might speculate that there was an attempt to hide this under the radar at the end of a busy week of other news. It is for certain a huge embarrassment for the Government and met, understandably, with vociferous reaction from headteachers, teaching unions and many Tory backbenchers; all critical of this education forced march. So far this march has resulted in 2,075 out of 3,381 secondary schools being academies and 2,440 of 16,766 primary schools with that status.
The true champions of learning – our headteachers – voted this week to consider strike action against forced academisation, such was the height of the feelings not to continue marching. In fact, there was no need.
Rather than the extreme decision for wholesale academisation – with unconvincing and clichéd claims of raising standards and giving children the best start in life – other options were possible for ministers. The first would be to continue with local authority provision which in places has proven successful; although current financial constraints would make this now difficult. A second option would be less dictatorial and that would be to support schools to enter academisation as their choice, not their fate.
The obvious strategy here would be to support those schools needing extra support to meet the threshold targets (no tice I didn’t say ’failing’ schools) – many of which are schools in deprived localities. Conversion is still to happen here but only for those schools who are underperforming. The option taken by the Government of dictating the year and scale of academisation has proven no longer feasible with all schools, outstanding or otherwise falling into a ‘one-size fits all package’. Hence, as described by Labour, the “humiliating climb down” by NickyMorgan last week.
It would be so easy to offer the argument that results clearly show that being an academy is better than not being one, and that there are year on year results to prove it. Sadly, this is not so.
SchoolDash, an independent data organisation put it very plainly in their analysis: some do and some don’t. Having the title of ‘Academy’ and being part o f a chain of academies, doesn’t make a difference to pupil outcomes.What we know does make that difference is high quality teaching and learning. So bite the bullet. Yes, it is a U-turn but listen to the profession; to teachers, to Headteachers, to parents; aim to build capacity, not destroy it. Base future policy on educational grounds rather than economic ones. Provide stability at a time when it is much needed…and then let’s talk about academisation.
1 4 www
.education-today.co.uk.co.uk www
VIEWS & OPINIO N
Leading students in spiritual and moral development
I believe that urgent action is required to curb the current GCSE religious education (RE) decline. RE is an important subject for students which can help them in spiritual and moral development. To offset the current trends, at All Saints we ensure that ten per cent of our curriculum time is dedicated to RE study, and that it forms the basis in all other subject areas. RE provides an opportunity for students to explore a variety of
I believe that urgent
action is required to curb the current GCSE
religious education (RE) decline. RE is an
important subject for students which can help them in spiritual and moral development. To offset the current trends, at All Saints we ensure that ten per cent of our curriculum time is dedicated to RE study, and that it forms the basis in all other subject areas. RE provides an opportunity for students to explore a variety of
issues and concepts which have a solid foundation in all faith traditions, leading to spiritual and ethical development in any school. It also creates a foundation for showing communities what they need to do in order to flourish and be truly cohesive.
issues and concepts which have a solid foundation in all faith traditions, leading to spiritual and ethical development in any school. It also creates a foundation for showing communities what they need to do in order to flourish and be truly cohesive.
Through RE, we teach our students to be independent thinkers. It provides young people with a space in which to debate moral, ethical and religious issues, to see them from other people’s points of view, to question their own ideas, and to understand the rich and rewarding worlds of religious metaphor and meaning. It also plays a vital role in fighting misunderstanding and misrepresentation; it helps students to be broadminded. One of the major reasons for division and prejudice in society is ignorance. When students are knowledgeable about their own faith, beliefs and practices, they are more likely to be accepting of those whose views are different. Ultimately, RE should instil open-mindedness in students, but before this can happen they need to be tolerant and respectful of different cultural backgrounds. Modern society is a rich tapestry of culture, values and attitudes; if students can understand the world they live in and develop a sense of what is really important they will begin embracing the part they play in society. Unfortunately, we also live in a secularised society where people are encouraged to be self-centred, and those who court celebrity and wealth are viewed as the only people of value; not all of these high profile figures are particularly good role models for our young people. RE provides a vehicle for such values to be challenged and the need to serve and support others is promoted as fundamental to true happiness. All GCSE specifications require students to study a range of moral issues including those relating to sexuality, attitudes to life and living in the 21st century. RE enables students to explore these issues and debate both sides of an argument in an informed way. Students are allowed to develop their own views based on fact and analysis rather than the ‘received wisdom’ gleaned from soap operas and ‘beer mat’ philosophy! It encourages them to think for themselves and develop skills not only of high order questioning, but of high order thinking. In my opinion, we are living in a time where RE has never been more relevant. RE nurtures students’ sense of wellbeing, it provides them with the intellectual tools to become independent thinkers, and helps to develop their understanding of right and wrong. Ultimately, isn’t that what all of us want for our students?
Through RE, we teach our students to be independent thinkers. It provides young people with a space in which to debate moral, ethical and religious issues, to see them from other people’s question their own ideas, and to understand the worlds of religious metaphor and meaning.
rich and rewarding points of view, to
It also plays a vital role in fighting misunderstanding and
misrepresentation; it helps students to be broadminded. One of the major reasons for division and prejudice in society is ignorance.When students are knowledgeable about their own faith, beliefs and practices, they are more likely to be accepting of those whose views are different. Ultimately, RE should instil open-mindedness in students, bu they need to be tolerant and respectful of differe
nt cultural backgrounds. t before this can happen
Modern society is a rich tapestry of culture, values and attitudes; if students can understand the world they live in and develop a sense of what is really important they will begin embracing the part they play in society. Unfortunately, we also live in a secularised society where people are encouraged to be self-centred, and those w ho court celebrity and wealth are viewed as the only people of value; not all of these high profile figures are particularly good role models for our young people. RE provides a vehicle for such values to be challenged and the need to serve and support others is promoted as fundamental to true happiness. All GCSE specifications require students to study a range of moral issues including those relating to sexuality, attitudes to life and living in the 21st century. RE enables students to explore these issues and debate both sides of an argument in an informed way. Students are allowed to develop their own views based on fact and analysis rather than the ‘received wisdom’ gleaned from soap operas and ‘beer mat’ philosophy! It encourages them to think for themselves and develop skills not only of high order questioning, but of high order thinki ng .
In my opinion, we are living in a time where RE has never been more relevant. RE nurtures students’ sense of wellbeing, it provides them with the intellectual tools to become independent thinkers, and helps to develop their understanding of right and wrong. Ultimately, isn’t that what all of us want for our students ?
Jun e 2016 2016
Leading students in spiritual andmora l development
Comment by Kevin Wilson, headteacher at All Saints Catholic School in Dagenham
Comment by KevinWilson, headteacher at All Saints Catholic School in Dagenham
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