From the Other Side of the Desk
Education Generation's Weekly Newsletter
When you cast your mind back to your own schooldays, I wonder how you remember your student council.
Some of us hold great memories of them, perhaps even with time spent serving as a member. Others, well, not so much. But whatever our own lived experiences, the role of the student council has now become indispensable in how schools of the future are going to be shaped.
An effective student council can and should affect virtually every aspect of school life. We are no doubt already familiar with some of these. Raising morale, increasing school spirit, and fostering a harmonious and inclusive community are, of course, on the agenda.
But there’s so much more.
Top of the list is how student councils can help shape future-ready schools and learning environments, and help schools incorporate AI in ways that are sustainable, context-specific, and ethical. While student councils are expected to voice student needs and expectations to school leadership in every area, the area of integrating educational technology is one where they are vital. They are able to guide schools in creating AI-enhanced learning spaces that are innovative, dynamic, and aligned with the demands of the 21st century.
My most recent article - Navigating the Future - explores in greater depth the impact student councils can have on how tomorrow’s schools will be formed. Beyond the all-important experience and skills students can gain from being a part of these bodies, their contributions are invaluable, and should be recognised as such.
Far more than just being yet another part of the school system, school councils are catalysts for change, voices of the future, and the heart of the school community.
And isn’t this exactly what we’re encouraging our children to contribute, wherever they may be.
Extra Credit Reading:
Influence of Student Councils Participation in Decision Making on Management
How Student Councils Can Promote Peer Wellbeing With Mentoring
EDUCATION GENERATION
Would you rather your children be happy or successful?
While it is, of course, by no means a clear cut binary, it often is presented as one. It’s not helped by the way most educational systems work. Learn by rote, pass the exam, but forget everything the moment they walk out; or take longer, with skill-based learning and experiential education, and embody the knowledge they gain…
It’s a no-brainer which most of us would choose - at least, in an ideal world.
But this is not an ideal world, and the vast majority of tertiary educational institutions still rely on test scores to determine who they will or won’t accept into their hallowed halls.
Even before that, schools rely on ratings and reviews, particularly through inspections, to determine their rankings. There is no doubt that within rigid systems of assessment, whether it be for people or places, students and communities that are already vulnerable become even more handicapped, thus perpetuating a system of disadvantage.
With the long overdue recognition that the current system of school inspections are skewed, with enormous negative outcomes outweighing any possible benefits - including system inconsistencies, staff and student stress, rising student dropout numbers, and an inability to retain teachers - an inquiry has been established in the UK, called Beyond Ofsted. Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) is an official UK government agency that inspects services providing learning and education, and is a name that never fails to strike fear and trepidation in the heart of anyone in the British school system, particularly with their “no-notice” inspection policy implemented from 2015 onwards.
The recently published Beyond Ofsted inquiry report is telling, with teacher after teacher criticising the system, the inspection, the inspectors, and the process they were subjected to, both before and during. Of particular interest is the number of staff from schools rated either ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ who are scathing in their feedback, and their desire to find a better way forward. The overriding experience can be surmised in the following quote, but spoiler alert: 97% of participants thought inspections needed a complete or substantial overhaul, with only 0.4% believing it worked well, with levels of distrust that were through the roof.
“The inspection process can therefore be described as toxic, as in Hetrick’s (2023) definition of a toxic organisation as one that causes harm over a considerable period of time. This is not only because teachers cannot trust the judgements made by the inspectorate but because the additional work and worry produced by the need to perform is damaging to their physical and psychological health.”
However, it is heartening that this inquiry is focussed on finding a better system of ensuring that schools deliver an acceptable quality of education, while supporting staff wellbeing and retention, thus enhancing outcomes for all students within the system. The report calls for a new vision, while making global comparisons using the PISA top nine, with countries as diverse as Japan, Estonia, Finland and Ireland included.
There is no doubt reform is needed. There is also absolutely no doubt that schools need to be accountable and transparent to the communities they serve. The report recommends “self-evaluation through a long-term relationship with an adviser” as being the best approach to school improvement - and I am in full agreement.
Letting change reverberate throughout the system will result in improvements for all, including and especially for our children - who we all want to be both happy and successful.
THIS WEEK…
Listen to:
As a first-time toddler parent, I’m always on the hunt for anything that’ll make my life easier. There, I said it! And having said that, I’m fortunate to have been recommended the BBC’s Listen and Play radio series, which not only makes my life easier, but enhances that of my child. Fostering early learning through songs, music, movement, and speaking and listening skills, this series is made up of about 67 episodes of about 15 minutes each. The website even talks you through how best to make use of this great resource, complete with links to teachers’ notes and follow up activities. So to any fellow toddler parents reading this: you’re welcome!
Watch this:
Being British, I’ve grown up exposed to all the drama of the royal family, particularly in recent years, so I couldn’t resist checking out the Netflix series The Crown. A superb fictionalised dramatisation of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, I still can’t decide whether the writing is better, or the acting. My vehemently anti-monarchist wife recommends watching it whether or not you’re in support of royalism, which is high praise indeed.
Worth reading:
While unabashedly America-centric in its focus, the Messaging This Moment handbook holds some interesting insights about communication, and how to persuade others. Written by Anat Shenker-Osorio - “America’s most provocative and paradigm-challenging messaging expert” - and published by the Center for Community Change, this handbook is offers an incredible depth of clarity on the art of influence. A great window into how the progressive movement is presenting agendas important to both grassroots groups and the nation holistically, it is well worth a read, if only for it key takeaway:
“A great message doesn’t say what’s already popular; a great message makes popular what needs to be said.”
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As always, do feel free to reach out at any time - I’d love to hear from you.
Yours in the spirit of inquiry,
Alexander