We need 'wider view' of education

I RECENTLY stumbled across this quote and it struck a chord with me. I believe that we should see the current local education predicament in a similar way.

The present crisis is loaded with the expectations of politicians, parents, teachers and children. All fear that if the 'wrong' choice is made it could lead to the education system failing the children and community it is intended to serve. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the current system is failing and things must change. This is not a local problem or even a national one, it is an international issue. There is no one to blame for this. It is a direct result of the way we perceive and define success.

If we are to make the right choices, we first need to pause and change our focus of attention. We need to shift toward a wider debate of 'how do we define success?' It is only then that we can effectively move forward and develop an education system that is fit for purpose. It is a discussion that must involve all within the community.

Last month the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development released its latest world rankings for education based on standardised exams in numeracy, literacy and science. Britain came 20th and the USA 28th. Current thinking often defines success as achieving a certain number of GCSEs, A-levels, a university degree and preferably a master's. Assuming that you manage to jump through these hoops, financial security and happiness will be yours. This idea is cultural and educational dogma – a set of beliefs accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. Andrew Lloyd Webber, Wayne Rooney, Richard Branson, D'Arcy Bussell – are they successful? Is the number of GCSEs they attained relevant?

So let's explore how we might define success. Sir Ken Robinson views the purpose of education as 'to enable students to understand the world around them and the talents within them so that they can become fulfilled individuals and compassionate citizens'. To achieve this we need to move away from the current, narrow, view of education, which is both defined and constrained by the emphasis placed on exam results.

We need to see schools as vehicles for our children to discover, develop and nurture their individual gifts. If we can help our children discover their passion and place equal value upon each, success will follow. 'If you find a job you love, you'll never work a day in your life.' We need to dissolve the divisions between vocational and academic areas of study, giving equal weight to both.

Why is this of utmost importance? Well, whether we like it or not we live in rapidly changing times. Our lives have been dramatically transformed with the technological advances over the past 20 years. The internet has brought with it increasing connectivity and speed of communication. It is no surprise to discover that there has been a corresponding increase in stress-related difficulties in both young and old. Locally and nationally there is a rise in school absences, exclusions, eating disorders, drug and alcohol dependencies, depression, anxiety and self-harming. All of these are simply symptoms of a growing sense of dissatisfaction, disillusionment and disengagement.

So here's the opportunity we have in Guernsey. We are poised at a point where we can continue along the same well-trodden path. One that is flawed by the fundamental tenets it holds at its core. Alternatively, we can choose to do something different. Something that will enthuse, engage, empower and excite our children, teachers and community. Who knows what personal, economic and social benefits this may have?

We could start by exploring the purposes of education:

Economic: To enable students to become economically responsible and independent. This is of benefit to the community as much as the individual.

Cultural: Allowing students to understand their culture and respect the diversity of others.

Social: Helping young people to be active and compassionate citizens.

Personal: Enabling young people to engage with the world within them as well as the world around them. The current system is focused almost entirely on the exterior world and there is little emphasis on the inner, personal, world.

We need to understand that 'what people contribute to the world has everything to do with how they engage with the world within them'.

Might these four areas provide a framework and backdrop for any future, successful educational system?

We must keep the question of success and the purposes of education in our minds as we consider what to do with our schools. If these become our focus then I believe we have the potential to come up with an inspirational solution, one that will inevitably be of interest to the world.

'Revolutions are defined not only by the ideas that drive them but by the scale of their impact. Whether or not ideas provoke revolutions depends on circumstances – on whether they resonate with enough people at the right time to move them to action.'

Come on Guernsey, the time is right.

CHRIS ROBILLIARD,

Les Escaliers,

Rue des Escaliers,

St Martin's,

GY4 6HZ.