VIEWS From the pen of... Valerie Hannon


Why do we avoid talking about the purpose of our education system?


This month we continue our series “From the pen of…” in the company of VALERIE HANNON, co-founder of Innovation Unit and author of “THRIVE: Schools reinvented for the real challenges we face”.


Maybe the headline seems too big a question to ask. Or perhaps we assume someone, somewhere, must have settled it. Philosophers


have discussed for centuries what it means to be ‘an educated person’. Today though, when we collectively invest in a universal system of education, what job should we expect that education system to do? Listening to politicians across the world expressing support for education – they all do – you can discern two themes underpinning their reasons why. First, to promote ‘growth’ in the global competition – because education will lead to bigger GDP. And second, individuals (if they work hard and are clever) gain advantage by getting access to the better jobs.


But there is a problem. When we examine the evidence about the trends confronting us in the next 30 or 40 years, it is apparent that these objectives are utterly inadequate. There is now strong consensus from scientists and analysts from around the world concerning a series of environmental, technological, demographic, socio-political, and economic shifts. Of course, they are not fixed – human action can still intervene to shape them - but, taken together, they indicate large scale disruption to our species and the planet. The disruption we face is such that profound changes are needed in the ways that our next generations are prepared to respond and, hopefully, shape them. If our planet is under clear and present threat (e.g. if employment is about to be disrupted through widespread replacement by automation and AI - the evidence on these is compelling) what should be the job of education?


I argue that, today, education must be about learning to thrive in a transforming world.


And what does it mean to thrive? Thriving must happen at four interdependent levels, none of which should be ignored. They are: • global – our place in the planet • societal – place, communities, economies • interpersonal – our relationships • intrapersonal – the self


Looking at the evidence about the likely trends across these four domains, a series of new goals for learning starts to emerge – the achievement of which I believe should be the entitlement of all young people, since to thrive must be their birthright. Designing learning to achieve these new learning goals is challenging for educators, but it turns out that a number of fabulous educators around the world are already doing it; if they can, so can others – and progress would be a lot easier if others joined in. ‘Techno-solutionists’ argue that ‘schools are dead’; that learning will become ‘disintermediated’ and individual learners with Big Data learning analytics and a plethora of digital offerings will no longer need institutions. They are wrong.


Schools as social institutions at the heart of communities will be needed even more. But they will need to be reinvented so that future generations can address the problems which threaten humanity, but that also offer spectacular opportunity. Pathfinder schools in diverse settings around the world are already innovating the focus and the methods of learning to support young people – not just to pass tests, or even get a job, but, in the fullest sense, to thrive.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thrive-Schools-Reinvented-Real- Challenges/dp/0995596204


July/August 2017 British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) Want to know what EdTech


works? Ask a teacher! This month, PATRICK HAYES, Director at BESA, argues that the best source of information about EdTech is the people who use the technology – the teachers.


Peer review is rapidly becoming one of the most influential methods of decision-making across a wide range of sectors, from hotels to books. And Education Technology (EdTech) is no exception.


To mark the first-ever London EdTech Week, we at BESA have recently published a major report into how the impact of EdTech is currently measured in the classroom, featuring survey work undertaken on ICT leaders and decision-makers from 706 schools in England.


We wanted to understand how teachers currently measure the efficacy of EdTech that they use in the classroom. A substantial amount is spent on EdTech each year – over £555m across primary and secondary schools in England, which contain over 3.4 million computers and over a million tablets. So to what extent is this investment working? 73% of secondary schools and 61% of primary schools say that the implementation of EdTech in the classroom is helping them achieve the objectives they originally set out to achieve. It seems it’s making an impact – however independent information regarding this is currently rather scarce.


Only 11% of primary schools and 10% of secondary schools said there is “definitely” enough information available for schools to assess the efficacy of EdTech systems or content solutions.


Instead, schools are relying on teacher recommendations. 44% of respondents from primary schools said they most value recommendations from teachers in their school, as did 36% of secondary school respondents. And rightly so, given they have first-hand experience of what is working in their classrooms.


The least influential source across all schools was the Department for Education, with Local Education Authorities – once an influential source of advice – also close to the bottom of the list.


It is clear that there is no appetite for a return to the days of the quango Becta (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency), which closed in 2011. Schools strongly disagree with the idea that there needs to be a new government agency to offer advice. 85% of secondary schools disagree with the idea, as do 62% of primary schools. However, it is important that a wide range of EdTech solutions are fully considered when choosing what to buy, and information needs to be available to make an evidence-based decision. This is why those deciding which solution to procure should firstly enquire whether the EdTech provider signs up to the BESA Code of Practice, developed in consultation with teachers to ensure quality products being offered. It is also important that the industry works closely with schools and academics alike to ensure that a strong evidence base is developed to show what EdTech offerings work, and what doesn’t. This is why BESA is delighted to be working with the EDUCATE Programme at the UCL Institute of Education to catalyse the development of evidence-based EdTech products and services, helping start-ups to use research evidence to improve and evaluate their products.


While there is rightly no appetite for another government quango, ensuring information is readily available on what EdTech products work in the classroom means that informed decisions can be made. And with the average pupil now spending over half of their time engaging with technology in the classroom, it is essential this engagement is having the desired impact.


For information from BESA contact: Patrick Hayes 020 7537 4997 patrick@besa.org.uk www.besa.org.uk


www.education-today.co.uk 7


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