Shonagh Reid is an equity, diversity and inclusion consultant supporting
organisations to create a truly inclusive working environment.
‘When we let children leave lessons we devalue education’. Are we missing the point?
Recently in the UK, there has been a discussion on twitter about whether or not students should be allowed to leave the classroom once a lesson has started. Some assert that letting a child out of a classroom implies that the education in the classroom is not valued highly enough. To paraphrase, ‘students need to know that the lesson is vital, therefore they have to remain in it’. The conversation then moved on to behaviour of students, specifically the idea that students leaving classrooms may engage in graffiti, vaping and smoking in the toilets. Onward, to the lack of support from school leaders who promote poor behaviour by not dealing with it strongly enough.
As someone who has been an Assistant Principal for Behaviour and Attitudes, I fully understand the importance of boundaries and structure for young people to learn in. Indeed, for some children school can be their safe space. Order and calm is essential for them. We know from a range of different sources such as Teacher Tapp and articles in the TES, that poor behaviour is often cited as the reason for poor retention of staff.
I can simultaneously hold the belief that order, structure and calm are necessary for good learning to take place, and that young people can generally be trusted to take ownership of that learning and their own bodies.
Young people are well aware that their education is vital. I think they know this too well and feel pressured. When I was at school, the world was a significantly different place. Education was different. Industries and jobs were very different. Societal pressures were very different and social media didn’t exist. Technology is moving apace, and the jobs of the future don’t exist yet. So why are we so confident that our current ways of teaching and learning are suitable for today’s learners.
Our education system is largely unchanged since the Victorian era. The world, however is completely different. This view that learning has to take place in a classroom, with everyone facing forward, in the quiet is not in tune with our modern lives or modern ways of work. I work with organisations who are purposefully giving staff more agency and trust. They support staff to take breaks when they need to and trust them to get the work done to a high standard. They support flexible working. They are working to challenge discrimination. They listen to staff to create a comfortable working environment because they know that this is key to retention and productivity. Education doesn’t seem to be anywhere near this, and more importantly, it isn’t preparing young people for this way of working.
What about staff? Post covid the world is changing and teachers continue to vote with their feet choosing different career paths which are more in tune with modern life and reasonable expectations of a person’s stress and work levels. What are we really doing to make education an attractive work environment (note I didn’t say career)? Teachers expect more.
As the exchange on Twitter implies, we are not tolerant. We can’t understand that a young person may need to take breaks from pressure. We don’t seem ready to understand that trauma exists, that this might be a factor in a child’s response to what is happening to them and the stressful environment they are in. There continues to be a failure to recognise protected characteristics and the specific challenges these bring to all stakeholders.
What if we were able to create a flexible education system which prepares young people for modern ways of working? What if we replicated those ways of working to meet the needs of teachers? Are we making our young people culturally aware so that they can excel in international collaboration that hybrid working has encouraged?
If we look at the etymology of the word, ‘educate’, we might want to reflect on: to what extent we are leading our young people and showing them the way? How are we revealing the outside world to them? How are we nurturing and supporting them? Are we looking after their minds? Do we promote intellectual and cultural development?
This article first appeared in Engage 27.
BY SHONAGH REID • April 15, 2024
Defining Success in Education: Bridging Gaps for a Better Future Education is often seen as the gateway to personal and societal advancement through personal betterment. But defining success in education requires a deeper understanding than just academic achievement, it isn’t just about qualifications or certificates. Rather educational success is about ensuring access to learning that is inclusive, equitable and quality-driven. It’s about equipping students with critical thinking skills and the space to be creative. A quality education fosters holistic approaches, promoting emotional, social and intellectual growth. On a societal level, educational success is about ensuring we value and appreciate a society wide distribution of knowledge and skills; that diversity of thought can be just as important as orthodoxy. Ensuring Access to Education that Meets Individual Needs Traditional western forms of education based within on e-size-fits all models are inadequate in a world where learners have diverse backgrounds, abilities and needs. A shift is needed away from the top-down deficit model approaches which assume teaching and learning is transactional or akin to filling empty vessels, or as Paulo Freire described it, the Banking Model of teaching. Success in education will come from programmes that respect differences between individuals and across communities, using, for example, adaptive learning approaches. Additionally, integrating support for learners with neurodivergent needs or disabilities, as well as promoting (and indeed funding) digital literacy, can ensure that education is individual but also focused on the emancipatory effects of education. Gender and Racial Equity: The Pillars of Inclusive Education Gender and racial equity are crucial components of a successful education system and a founding component of Sustainable Development Goal 4. Although there has been significant progress here, disparities globally still persist. Barriers such as gender-based violence, early marriage and inadequate school infrastructure pose challenges for the international community. Similarly, racial inequality in education can manifest in various ways, from lower access to quality schooling to biased curricula that don't reflect diverse cultures or histories. To address these disparities, education systems should continue to develop policies that promote gender-sensitive curricula and address the specific needs of marginalised groups. Investing in female education, particularly in underserved areas such as sexual health, has been shown to create a ripple effect that benefits entire communities. Similarly, anti-racist educational frameworks can help to make sure that all students, regardless of their race or gender, receive the same opportunities to thrive. Creating a Better Future: What Needs to Be Done? Most importantly, we need to keep talking about SDG 4 — providing inclusive and equitable education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The more SDG4 is part of the global conversation the more likely it will become part of the taken for granted expectations of all countries and communities. The more academics like me discuss it in our lectures and have it in assignments, likely the more we are to normalise high quality, free primary and secondary education with our future global leaders. But more than this SDG4 should be at the heart of grass roots conversations, in every classroom, playground, and café. The more we talk about it the more a part of our global culture equitable access to education will become. Ultimately, success in education will not be defined by what certificates students attain, but by how well we equip individuals and communities to navigate and shape the world. Education should empower individuals, communities and nations to achieve their full potential, breaking down barriers that have traditionally limited access and opportunity. By striving for inclusivity, equity and quality, we can build a future where education truly is for everyone. BIOGRAPHY Dr Matthew Round is an academic and educator, who has worked with children from 3 years old to PhD students. Having been a science teacher, pastoral leader, and senior leader in schools in the UK, he now works in Higher Education and his current research focused on the emancipatory philosophies of Pierre Bourdieu and sex and sexuality education.
Every child deserves to feel safe and included at school but, sadly, that’s not always the case for children with food allergies. There are now around two children in every classroom with a diagnosed food allergy in the UK, and 20% of food allergic reactions occur in schools. Yet new research by the NASUWT teachers’ union, in collaboration with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, has exposed the barriers faced by too many of children with food allergies, which can leave them feeling excluded and isolated. The survey of almost 1,900 teachers revealed that 67% have had no allergy awareness training. One in five teachers has never been taught how to administer an adrenaline auto-injector which could save a life in a food allergy emergency, and almost two thirds (60%) don’t know or are unsure of their school even has an allergy policy. Despite a huge rise in allergies in the UK, there is no specific mandated guidance on how children with food allergies should be supported or how and when staff and team leaders should be trained. There is no funding for this either. That’s why Natasha’s Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity, has created Allergy School. The £1 million, national programme for teachers offers nurseries, primary schools and out-of-school clubs and groups a suite of free resources, including films, engaging lesson plans and assembly packs and a self-assessment to see how allergy friendly they currently are. All are mapped into the National Curriculum to make them easy to use for all age groups. The resources also introduce Arlo, the friendly, food-allergic armadillo – a puppet which helps to educate children about food allergies in a positive and engaging way. The free resources, for children aged 3 to 11, are available at www.allergyschool.co.uk Allergy School has been developed in partnership with The King’s Foundation, St John Ambulance, the children’s charity Coram Life Education and Tesco Stronger Starts. It has received messages of support from His Majesty, The King and the Government, as well as schools, teachers and parents. His Majesty, King Charles said: “Improving understanding of this issue is so important for keeping children with food allergies safe and ensuring they are able to participate fully in activities at school or in our wider communities.” The aim of Allergy School is to transform understanding of food allergies in schools so that children with food allergies feel empowered, included and protected. I know from personal experience that it can be really hard to keep a child with food allergies safe in school. My daughter Natasha was diagnosed with food allergies as a young child and finding a nursery where she would be safe was extremely difficult. When she started school aged 5, it was only when she had a severe allergic reaction to milk on a school trip to the zoo that staff finally took her food allergies seriously. Natasha died when she was just 15 from a food allergy to sesame. She ate a baguette sandwich that didn’t list sesame seeds on the food label, but they had been baked into the dough of the bread, invisible to the eye. Had the baguette been labelled properly, Natasha would not have eaten it, and she would be alive today. Natasha’s death put us on a mission to campaign for change. Government, schools, teachers, parents and pupils need to come together to support children with food allergies in this country. Our new Allergy School programme will transform levels of awareness and understanding of food allergies in a positive and engaging way for all children. BIOGRAPHY Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, founded The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity, with her husband Nadim after their daughter Natasha died aged 15 from an allergic reaction to food in 2016. In 2021, Natasha’s Law came into force which improved food labelling. The charity funds medical research and campaigns for a safer world for people with food allergies. Tanya has been awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to people with allergic disease.
We reach success in education if all people know exactly how to live up to their potential. This requires not only formal knowledge and learning, it includes a deep understanding of self through introspection. The secret sauce of a successful education includes information, sometimes encyclopaedic knowledge as well as an awareness of our own desires, experiences, passions and aspirations. Successful education happens when a beautifully open mind meets critical thinking; and when connecting the dots leads to problem solving and openness to the wonders of the world. I am not talking about a romantic setting: give everyone a book and they can study by themselves and all will be good. Successful education goes beyond school and formal education. It comes from people who challenge us or make us do things we don’t want to, from different situations, personal struggles or an inspiring influence. These are opportunities to thrive and suddenly we realize we went beyond what we think we can do and we outgrow our own expectations - thanks to other people. We meet excellent teachers in our family, within our group of friends, at our internet community or at school or university and we learn from and with them and they inspire us - these people have an impact on us. I call this ‘people-associated learning’ and consider it the most profound and life-changing education method. What is the opposite of successful education? If we stop learning, if we don’t accept that the only constant in life is change. By reaching a point where we say, ‘I know it all’, we have failed. Successful education teaches that we always evolve and this comes with continuous learning and development. This makes us fit for the future and enables us to adapt to always new circumstances. It is about being able to divorce a previous idea and embrace a new one, it is the ability to change. We constantly receive input from our educators and rely on them. A worthwhile goal in successful education is to reach a degree of independence and freedom to educate ourselves with the aim to share our knowledge with other people. This is a wonderful path, however, not an easy journey. If someone is believing in us, it is much easier to go the way we want to go - despite obstacles. With the help of others, we will have the courage to overcome all the speed bumps and setbacks and we will have the guts to educate ourselves. Nothing is better, makes us happier and contributes better to the world than fulfilling what our purpose is. This belief in us is by someone who is around us & makes all the difference: they can challenge us, they see achievements in us which we yet to cannot see, and they see of how much more we are capable of. Go and find the people in your life, who tell you this one lifechanging sentence: I believe in you. BIOGRAPHY Vanessa Herder is a scientist working at The University of Glasgow in Scotland. Her work studies the early immune response of virus infections aiming to understand what drives a severe and lethal outcome versus a mild disease. She did her PhD in multiple sclerosis research, followed by a doctoral thesis about a virus infection causing brain malformations. She is a trained veterinarian and after finishing her specialisation in veterinary pathology in Germany, she moved to Glasgow to focus on the pathogenesis of systemic and respiratory virus infections, including SARS CoV-2 and influenza virus.
