inVIEW


Brexit and the political divide: FE teachers can help students understand these hot topics


By David Russell


inTuition is also available in digital


and PDF formats To access the digital version of your inTuition log in to the SET site and click on ‘Publications’ and ‘inTuition’.


The world is in a state of flux and round-the-clock TV news endeavours to keep up with all the developments and make sense of them. But it’s not surprising that some people say all this news just fills them with anxiety and a sense of powerlessness, and they feel much happier by just switching it all off. No news is good news. There may be a case for this viewpoint. In his bestselling 2007 book, The Black Swan, Nassim Nicholas Taleb made a powerful argument that ‘mainstream media’ only gives us the illusion of understanding the world by imposing simplistic patterns onto events. However, his recommendations were to read journals and books that treat a subject in depth, and try to identify true underlying trends rather than the superficial patterns that most analysis uses to try to hammer the world into a familiar and readily comprehensible shape. I rarely read the news, except as a professional necessity. But lately it’s been impossible not be distracted by it. The news I have been most heartened by in recent weeks is explained by David Hughes (opposite) – a very welcome increase in public funding for 16-19 year olds’ education, with a sensible balance between an increase in the base rate for all and some more targeted increases to support government priorities. If this is the first stage of a serious investment, and is joined by funding increases for adult education, then this is real cause for celebration for teachers in post-16. But the most interesting conversations I have had with colleagues recently have focused on Brexit, on the prorogation of Parliament, and on how the different parts of our (unwritten) constitution are working together, and how they should work. There is a great question about the role of FE teachers in helping our students understand these issues. Of course if one is teaching A Level politics it


. 6 ISSUE 37 • AUTUMN 2019 inTUITION


is a gift. But what about those tasked with teaching about ‘British Values’? Does it undermine those lessons when the government of the day is being accused of disregarding the Rule of Law? Or when Parliament is accused of trying to undermine democracy through its attitude to the Leave referendum result? What about mutual respect and tolerance? Do the


“Many adults and young people


have limited access to reliable sources of thinking about political issues.”


current deep divides in political opinion make a mockery of the idea that mutual respect and tolerance is a British Value? Or do they perhaps tell us that what is happening now is ‘just not British’? Or maybe neither is true, and we are in a period of cultural realignment and the very nature of Britishness is changing, and mutual respect and tolerance is no longer a core value in our discourse and behaviour? I think these issues are not only fascinating, but of importance to everyone in the UK. Many adults and young people have limited access


to reliable, unbiased, critical sources of thinking and information about political issues. But everyone who is engaged with learning, be they an adult on an ESOL course, a young apprentice hairdresser, or an A Level student at college, has access to a place of learning run by professional educators. Of course their primary focus will always be on the thing they have come to learn. But in an open civic society, perhaps all teachers have a duty to create an environment where important issues can be discussed safely and respectfully, but also critically and with expert input.


Not all teachers can be experts on the British Constitution. But we are all experts in two things – our own subject, and enhancing the knowledge and understanding of our learners. Make space for discussion and debate, and give pointers to sources of expertise and explanation. Because sometimes the needs of the citizen outweigh the needs of the ‘study programme’.


David Russell is chief executive of the Education and Training Foundation and the Society for Education and Training.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40