VIEWS From the pen of... Kevin P Long


This month, in our regular series looking at authors in UK education, we hear from KEVIN LONG of the Outward Bound Trust.


“Working for Outward Bound, an outdoor adventurous learning provider, you will not be surprised that Action is something I emphasise. Indeed, I have used ‘mountains as metaphors’ on more than one occasion! But don’t let the cover of my book fool you as it is far from being a gentle reminiscing from the hills.


If you feel that the profession of education, the management


of schooling and the development of our children has been strangled by an economic banality of performance and production goals then here is an argument for you. Take it and arm yourselves with its emotion, purpose and call to action. Nine school leaders and innovators set the scene with their


points of view which are challenging, yet hopeful. Their thoughts are connected with the research of key social psychologists of pro social emotion, of educational philosophers and pioneers in Character Education to provide cause for change. The thoughts of educationalists, such as Ron Berger and Kurt Hahn run throughout the work and provide for its vision. The ideas presented owe most to the thought of Hannah Arendt’s warning against a conception (and practice) of education that simply focuses on the transmission of knowledge from teacher to students, without providing students with opportunities for “grasping’ the world”, that is, to come to an understanding of it. This is a collection of essays in three parts – Finding Awe in


Action, Skills for Life and High Impact Learning. Across the essays you will read how Character Education arises from social contexts and how it develops as more purpose and insight is afforded to learners. A simple model is suggested titled “A skill set for Action”. We, as adults and educationalists, seek authentic work and meaning, children are no different. Beautiful work appeals to our intrinsic motivation and our uniqueness, it rises above the banality of performance and production – it becomes an ethic. This is not just wishful thinking as evidenced by the success of


XP School at Doncaster, or the 150,000 students across Expeditionary Learning Schools in the U.S.A. demonstrate. The students have made their stand for plurality, excellence and virtue. Accountable to their peers (in a small team called crew) they demonstrate that they, students in the poorest communities, will stand up for the greater good, achieve far beyond expectations, they stand for their communities and make change a reality. Better World Projects encourage schools to engage in work that bridges differences, joins scholarship with service, and helps students take ownership of their learning. Such projects also support students in learning deeply about a topic through the act of documenting their work and presenting it to the world. If there are three words that encapsulate the essence of my


book it is: “Action is boundless”. It is through action and through reflection that we may celebrate our individual potential for change - our world, our lives and what we may bring to society. As per Arendt’s concept of natality - we are distinguished by our capacity to act uniquely - each of us can change the world. (Or at least our own world!). Indeed, one might say there is Awe In Action.


Kevin’s book Awe in Action, Delivering High Impact Learning is available to purchase on Amazon.co.uk


British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)


Schools need more resources than the


“little extras” This month, regular Education Today contributor PATRICK HAYES, Director of BESA, examines the government’s additional budget grant for schools.


Chancellor Philip Hammond came into significant criticism when announcing additional budget for schools to spend on the “little extras” in the autumn budget at the end of October. A poor choice of words, and it’s wholly understandable that the


teaching unions were up in arms as a result. As the joint general secretary of the National Education Union, Mary Bousted, put it: “Enough is enough. Schools are being failed by a chancellor with a tin ear to the desperate situation they find themselves in.” Others rightly pointed out that more additional money was being


given to fill pot holes than to assist schools. They had a point. But from a resources perspective, at a time when cash-strapped


schools are looking to cut back on all-but-essential resources and are too often forced to compromise on quality, or even to ask parents to fund purchases, the commitment of £400m for expenditure on educational resources is a welcome step in the right direction. Schools have long been missing out on essential resources, and it’s


not just parents who are being asked to pay. A recent sector survey found that 94 per cent of teaching staff have paid out of their own pockets for essential classroom materials. This is why we launched the Resource Our Schools campaign last


year, working with subject associations and representative bodies such as the NAHT, Naace and the Association for Science Education, to ensure every school has access to the resources they need to deliver the education that our children deserve. While there are doubtless efficiencies to be made, the impact of


cutting back resources upon a child’s education should not be underestimated. There is powerful evidence to show that resources matter – from the size of the furniture, to the quality of the science equipment. While some say the money given in the budget is insufficient - and


in the scheme of what’s needed to tackle the issues of teacher pay and recruitment and retention it’s a drop in the ocean - but it’s important to recall that while an extra £10,000 per primary school and £50,000 per secondary school in England may not seem much, the average primary school only has a mere £34,270 to spend on resources each year; and the average secondary £148,910. In the context of this, the additional expenditure will surely be welcome. What this should not be is just a “one off” gesture, however. A


comparable fund should be made available to schools on an annual basis to ensure every school has access to the resources they need to deliver the education that our children deserve. It is our hope that this is the first step to making more dedicated


funds available for educational resources in the 2019 Spending Review. If you haven’t yet signed our Resource Our Schools statement, we


would encourage you to do so. Please lend your support to ensuring schools don’t just have the “little extras” but are resourced to the level that our children deserve. Visit: www.resourceourschools.com for more information.


uFor information from BESA contact: u020 7537 4997 upatrick@besa.org.uk uwww.besa.org.uk


December 2018 www.education-today.co.uk 13


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