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What are schools for?

University of School of Southampton Education

What are schools for?

Reflect upon your perceptions of the purposes of schooling

Contrast this with the current situation and proposed developments

Explore your understanding of your role as teacher

University of School of Southampton Education

What are schools for?

University of School of Southampton Education

What are schools for?

Academic (exams)

Vocational (jobs)

Education for life (social)

Skills based curriculum?

Subject based curriculum?

Personalised curriculum?

Personalised curriculum?

University of School of Southampton Education

What are schools for?

The distinction between academic, vocational and social is crude, as they mask other issues, e.g. is education about cultural transmission of values

BUT the distinctions are important and raise fundamental questions

University of School of Southampton Education

What are schools for?

What knowledge, skills and understanding do young people need? What do young people in C21st need to know? What really matters?

Where does your subject fit in?

What does your subject need to cover?

How does this fit in with your perception of your role as a teacher?

How should young people learn?

Academic (exams)

Vocational (jobs)

Education for life (social)

University of School of Southampton Education

So what really matters - What should schools be doing (pupils’ perspective)?

As you read these views from pupils, what issues emerge?

School is the mould, which shapes our future. It is where we spend the most valuable time of our life – childhood. Yet I know from first hand experience that many aspects should be changed: the cold and impersonal attitude of teachers who drive for results, results, results, instead of creating happy memories and valuable life experience for young people. These young people far from being ‘an empty pot ready to be filled full of knowledge’ are simply a locked case, their potential to be released by careful nurturing and gentle encouragement from a caring teacher… Captivation of imagination guarantees a lesson will stay with a person and not be forgotten the moment the classroom is vacated

Angela, 15, Croydon

University of School of Southampton Education

Schools may be getting good academic results but they are not helping the pupils as individuals Joanna, 13, Wokingham

School, education centre, seat of learning, house of knowledge, academy. All synonyms for the place where the renowned English education ‘takes place’… Conveyor belt or production line would be more accurate. Schooling is a process, taking in the many square, hexagonal and octagonal pegs and cutting off eccentricities to leave bare, uniform, round pegs… Education …creates in the young people of today a cynicism and as Twain the great cynic put it: ‘There is nothing sadder than a young pessimist.’

M., lower secondary, Ilford

University of School of Southampton Education

Teachers should be under 49Sophie, 9, Richmond

I think teachers should be a little bit barmy and dance and not just sit down and drink tea and coffee

Kirsty, 10, Cardiff

Who wants to be spoon-fed at a snail’s pace? Who wants to be mentally or physically poked and prodded into an alert and responsive state of being by angry stupid teachers… I don’t understand why teachers ask so many questions. It seems to me that it is the learner that should ask the questions. Give us the freedom to ask questions and do us the courtesy of helping us find out the answers

Hero Joy, 14, Kent

University of School of Southampton Education

In my dream school, standards will be set for every child separately. I don’t like the way children are expected to do this by seven and that by eleven, plus, if you have not achieved all those things by sixteen then you are told you won’t get a decent job ever! This is very harmful to all children. The children who do well in exams think they’re better than the kids who can’t read! Surely we can’t go on thinking like that! Kate, secondary, London

Trips, Let’s go! We all love trips, and we can learn so much from going and seeing things. Numeracy and literacy hour can be very boring. LET US OUT!

Kimberley, 11, Swanick

University of School of Southampton Education

The classroom, where it all happens… with hard plastic chairs. We have to work on them 5 days a week, and I can tell you, it isn’t the most wonderful experience

Melanie, 12, Ammanford I would like a school with kind and quiet people and a

teacher who would help me when ever I got stuck and at dinner time, when I walk into the dinner hall it would be quiet and not loud. And a school with friendly people in it. And I’d like a school where I would not get bullied in the playground and in school. And no bullies in the school and all the teachers are nice and friendly

Jessica, 9, North Shields

University of School of Southampton Education

To make a good school I would say you need trust. Trust between a student and a teacher, between students, between teachers, and the whole school. You need fairness: teachers shouldn’t show favouritism, they should keep it inside; and students should be expected to behave in lessons and get good treatment back. To make a good teacher you have to be fair by expecting the students to your rules and treating them fairly back.

Natasha, 12, Belper My dream school would be one that could offer all

students comfort, security, friendship and a fun and interesting education Sarah, 13, Guildford

University of School of Southampton Education

Over to you…

What do you think schools are for…