The character of reforms
by Matt Grist
Are Michael Gove’s planned reforms of education backed up by the evidence? First of all, we might question his basic premise, that education can be the engine of social mobility and greater equality.
If you actually look at the research carried out by Alison Wolf (whom Mr Gove has asked to conduct a review of 14-19 vocational education), you will find that across the developed world, education does not particularly aid social mobility and tends to consolidate or increase existing trends towards greater inequality. Mr Gove should be more honest about these facts instead of indulging our desire to see education policy as a cure for all ills.
In terms of concentrating teaching efforts on core academic subjects, Mr Gove is on stronger ground. The most reliable research we have on the effects of education show clearly that lacking in basic literacy and numeracy has a marked effect on income levels and employment stability, not to mention the strong link between illiteracy and crime.
The best thing an education system can do for its participants is give them such basic skills. But Mr Gove should remember that not everything can be achieved through the national curriculum and that some targeted interventions, like (the privately funded) Every Child a Reader, have been very successful. And if Mr Gove is really true to the research, he would recommend targeting spending on primary education, as this is where most is gained in terms of literacy and numeracy.
Despite the importance of core academic skills, there is also strong evidence that ‘character capabilities’ (being able to stick at things, get on with others, regulate one’s emotions) also have a marked impact both on educational attainment and life chances.
‘Traditionalists’ argue that character capabilities are best taught through an implicit ethos, rather than explicit lessons. ‘Progressives’ argue that these skills are so key that they should be part of the curriculum too. To settle disputes in education policy people tend to think back to their own school days. Mr Gove no doubt thinks back to a school where character was built through ethos and that this is the way forward.
But not all schools are the same and some head teachers may think that explicit learning about character is useful. The answer might be to introduce a more detailed brief on behaviour, including character-building measures, into Ofsted. Then an individual school could decide whether to teach character capabilities or rely simply on ethos, but would be held accountable for imparting these vital capabilities in one way or another.
David Vinter
Social mobility, depends on several factors including education. Specifically in which part of the UK you were born and live. I remember many years ago a young scottish R A F lad doing his national service, having worked on a scottish farm. Wished to make himself a bit of extra cash working at weekends.
My father was a Lincolnshire working farmer, we have little tolerance of the aristocracy round here.
The scot approached my father for extra work with trepidation, he asked me--"Is he THE LAIRD" , as I introduced my father, in the act of scrambling from the inner workings of a tractor and covered in oil. "LAIRD", replied my father, wiping his face, "No lad we don't do lairds here, everybody mucks in as required". And then gave the lad a job at weekends, and got a lesson in how in our part of the world, a self-employed man, expects equal treatment both too and from workers. We don't do bowing and scraping.