The Primacy of the Personal

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The primacy o the personalSynthesis report | May 2009


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About WWFWWF-UK, the UK arm o the worlds leading independent environmentalorganisation, is at the heart o e orts to create the solutions we need strivingor a One Planet Future where people and nature thrive within their air share o the planets natural resources. To make this vision a reality, we are addressingthree key environmental challenges in partnership with governments,businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world:sa eguarding the natural world, tackling climate change and changing the waywe live.

WWFs education programme was established in the early 1980s, encouragingschools to put sustainability at the heart o school li e. WWFs programmeprovides schools with a range o engaging and inspiring activities which showhow all schools can play a part in striving to live within the ecological limits o one planet.

More in ormation about WWFs work can be ound at:ww .org.uk/oneplaneteducation


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The neglect o the personal dimension in development at rst sight seemsbizarre. It is sel -evident to the point o embarrassment that most o whathappens is the result o what sort o people we are, how we perceive realities,and what we do and do not do.

Whether change is good or bad is largely determined by personal actions,whether by political leaders, o cials, pro essionals or local people, byinternational currency speculators, executives o transnational corporations,non-government organisation (NGO) workers, or researchers, by mothers,athers or children, or by soldiers, secret agents, journalists, lawyers, police, orprotesters.

Especially, what happens depends on those who are power ul and wealthy.One might have supposed then that trying to understand and change theirperceptions, motivations and behaviours would have been at the centre o development and development studies, and a major concern or the IMF, theWorld Bank, other donor agencies, governments and NGOs.

Yet there have been ew studies o individual o cials as leaders. Studies o greed and generosity are ew. There are quite a number o institutes devoted todevelopment studies but there is, to my knowledge, no institute devoted to thestudy o greed or power.

Part o the neglect stems rom academic culture with its anathema o evangelism, its value o objectivity, and its search or general rather thanindividual explanations. More potently, perhaps, the neglect is a de ence.It can disturb pro oundly to refect on what one does and does not do. Itembarrasses to be con ronted by poverty and su ering compared with onesown condition. When a poor armer in India asked me my income I couldnot reply. To put the personal to the ore in this editorial is to expose my ownhypocrisy and to make it di cult to continue. But hypocrisy is no excuse orsilence- Robert Chambers (Ideas or development: refecting orwards, Instituteor Development Studies, Sussex, 2004)


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Contents

Context 1

1. Introduction 3

2. Report Structure 6

3. The current education system 8

4. The experience o people leading change ineducation in England 12

5. Systemic change in the education system 16

6. Sustainability, ecology and nature 22

7. New cultures o learning 27

8. Sustainability and innovation in education 31

9. Conclusions 34

10. A terword: the primacy o the personal 36

Appendix 1: List o contributors 38


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ContextIn February 2009, The Guardian education section eatured these headlines:Where now a ter damning indictment o education? and Tests blamed

or blighting childrens lives. On the same day, The Telegraph declared:Generations o pupils let down by ocus on tests and The Independentquoted: Schoolchildrens lives are being impoverished.

These startling headlines were prompted by the Cambridge Primary Review 1 which had just released its ndings on the current state o primary educationin England. Three years in the making, the Cambridge Review is hailed asone o the most comprehensive, independent reviews o government primaryeducation policy since the 1967 Plowden Report. Timed to coincide with therelease o a major government-commissioned review by Sir Jim Rose, theCambridge Review and the Rose consultation constitute a watershed momentin education policy review.

Meanwhile, somewhat removed rom English policy debates, in the UnitedStates, the Brightside School in Washington DC has been struggling. Some12% o children are pro cient in reading and 8% in mathematics. As apredominantly A rican-American school, there is a statistical likelihood that onein seven A rican-American boys currently at the school will end up in prison.

To address these challenges they have joined orces with Harvard economist,Pro essor Richard Fryer, to run a unique experiment called Capital Gains.

Its very simple. Pupils are rewarded nancially or good per ormance. I they dowell by a certain set o indicators then they get paid. Students can earn up toUS$100 every two weeks or good per ormance. The experiment, running overtwo years, with three schools, aims to show that shi ting the basic incentiveor learning, rom a combination o values to more purely economic, producesresults that other incitements cannot match.

Fryer, the Harvard pro essor who designed the experiment, appeared on aBBC Horizon programme proclaiming I dont like learning, I like what learninggives me, presumably meaning wealth, status and power. What then is thepurpose o schooling? What constitutes an education? What is our educationsystem doing to and or our children?

Two recent publications, Too Sa e or Their Own Good (Michael Ungar, 2007)and Last Child in the Woods (Richard Louv, 2007) have raised awarenesso the consequences o the growing separation o children rom the naturalworld. They are not being given the opportunity to take their own risks orresponsibilities. Their experience o the natural world is mediated throughtelevision or supervised visits. Wandering around the local area alone, buildinga den or climbing trees is not allowed as they are seen by adults as toorisky. This is resulting in a generation o anxious, overly cautious or oolhardy,

reckless individuals who lack the common sense and resilience to handleadversity. They remain dependent children rather than independent youngadults.

1. See website:primaryreview.org.uk/Publications/ CambridgePrimaryReviewrep.html


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The terms bubble-wrapped kids and nature de cit disorder are nowbecoming common currency, but what implications do they have oreducation? How do we develop childrens resilience? What role do schoolsplay in providing opportunities or children to reconnect with the natural world?

The Cambridge Review, the food o critical headlines, and experiments witheducation such as Capital Gains raise deep and undamental questions. Theyare signs o a contemporary debate about the very nature o education, o schooling and o learning. While much o the ongoing debate is conducted inclassic policy orm, through reports and counter-reports, the situation demandsmore rom us.

How do we eel about the Cambridge Review? About the headlines? Howdo we eel about the Capital Gains experiment? Do we want our kids to bepaid or per orming well? What do we eel about the idea that our childrenare becoming increasingly alienated rom their natural environments? How dowe eel about the idea that generations o children have been let down by theeducation system? Not simply what do we think but how do we eel?

In order to adequately address the undamental questions posed byCambridge, Rose and experiments such as Capital Gains we will have to getin touch with and connect with our emotional, as well as intellectual drivers.Why do these things matter to us? We have to ask ourselves why? many times over. Actions that come rom this deeper level, rom the level o passion, o anger and o love, will uel our e orts to act and change.

The termsbubble-wrapped

kids and naturede cit disorderare now becomingcommoncurrency, butwhat implicationsdo they have oreducation?


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1. IntroductionWe now eel we are su ciently trusted across the system to be able to bringtogether a representative group to explore the purpose o education as weenter a period o rapid environmental world change, with implications or social,economic and governance paradigms. It is clear that sustainability can onlybe addressed by signi cant changes in the way humanity relates to the planetand its resources What will an education system look like which will enablechildren to be happy, ul lled citizens o this new world?

- rom WWF-UKs Infuence within the English Education System 2003-07 2

Someone should be studying the whole system, however crudely that has tobe done, because no gluing together o partial studies o a complex nonlinearsystem can give a good idea o the behaviour o the whole.

- Murray Gell-Mann3

In April 2008, as part o WWFs Vision or a One Planet Future programme,WWF-UK and Reos Partners set out to convene a number o stakeholders inorder to explore, refect on and initiate shi ts in the English education system.

We started with a rm belie ; based on long experience, that tinkeringpiecemeal with the system would not result in the kinds o changes that ourcontemporary context demanded. The required approach would involveunderstanding, grasping and acting on the system as a whole.

Taking Nobel Prize-winning physicist Murray Gell-Manns words to heart, webegan our work, however crudely, o understanding the English educationsystem as a whole, and not simply the parts.

This report outlines our approach and summarises our teams understanding o the situation, and it refects a highly complex system. The report is a synthesiso our interviewees diverse perspectives on the education system, and shouldnot be seen as WWFs policy position on education.

I. Understanding the whole

What does it mean to try and understand something as complex as theEnglish education system as a whole?

Our approach required a departure rom the dominant culture o social scienceresearch and perhaps the dominant culture o education, which, somewhattouchingly, continues to insist that increasingly complex, inter-related, wholescan be understood through study o the parts.

As one scientist puts it, We are accustomed to thinking o going rom parts towhole in some sort o summative manner. We think o developing the whole,even o making the whole, on the practical basis o putting parts together and

making them t it implies a linear sequence, rst the parts, then the whole The implication is that the whole always comes later than its parts.

Someone shouldbe studying the

whole system,however crudelythat has to bedone, because nogluing together o partial studies o acomplex nonlinearsystem can give agood idea o thebehaviour o thewhole.

Murray Gell-Mann

2. WWF Internal document3. The Quark and the Jaguar


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Our departure rom dominant approaches and our search or other ways thatwould support our desire to grasp the whole, led to orming a partnershipbetween WWF-UK and Reos Partners. Reos brought in approaches tounderstanding and working with whole systems developed over the last 15years o working in complex social systems.

We began with the primacy o the personal as a way into the whole, with theidea that the whole is nowhere to be encountered except in the midst o theparts. Our aim was to conduct a number o interviews to start addressingthis neglect o the personal, and, in the process connect with how peopleunderstand their own work, their values, what they do and dont do, andcritically the why? o their li es work as an individual.

II. The dialogue interview process

The interview process we employed, the dialogue interview, is di erent romtraditional act- nding interviews. A dialogue interview is a long, unstructuredinterview over 1-3 hours, in which the interviewee is asked about the narrativeand purpose o their work.

The primary purpose o the dialogue interview is to cultivate the start o a newrelationship, while building a shared understanding o the education system.It o ers the interviewee an opportunity to refect on the current reality o theeducation system and, more critically, their role within that system.

How did they get to where they are today? Why are they doing what theyare doing? What were the actors that infuenced them to do what they do?

What were the contextual actors? What were the personal reasons? Thiso ten enables the interviewee to refect on the sources o their own innercommitments to e ecting change in the wider system and can sometimesreinvigorate or resur ace their deeper intention.

The secondary purpose o these interviews is or participants and the deliveryteam to gain a broad, whole understanding o the current state o theeducation system rom people who constitute the system. All too o ten theinterviewee is a stakeholder in the system who rarely has access to the depthand diversity o perspectives that exist across the system, even as they spendall their time in it. The dialogue interviews provide an opportunity to gain justthat insight and allow the participant to begin to experience rst-hand the

multiple realities and logics operating across the whole system.

Every interview is conducted with two members o the team present, aninterviewer and a scribe. A ter the interview the pair spends some time de-brie ng their impressions, exploring the judgments that are sur acing orthem and sharing the opportunities they see emerging. The notes are madeanonymous and posted online (on a password protected site) or the widerproject team to read and digest. Interviewees are given the opportunity toreview the transcript o their interview.

It could be argued that taping an interview is congruent with the positiviststance, where a precise digitial (and mathematical) encoding o thephenomenon o hearing, seeing, and smelling someone tell their story hasmore validity than the subjective experience o the listener. The decisiono either choosing to tape interviews or not can be seen as one practicaldimension o a wider sociological debate, that between the subjective and the

The secondarypurpose o these

interviews isor participantsand the deliveryteam to gain abroad, wholeunderstanding o the current stateo the educationsystem rompeople whoconstitute thesystem.


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2. Report Structure This report is structured into six meta-themes, created out o the originalthemes that emerged rom the synthesis process. Together they constitute themain body o this report, and are outlined below.

I. The current education system

This section explores the ideas that interviewees had on a range o eatures o the existing landscape o the English education system, covering the ollowingtopics: the national curriculum; the role o the civil service in education;regulation in education and worksheet culture in classrooms; assessment andmeasurement in education; issues o sel -esteem in schools; the class systemand social division in education; and the prevalence o emale teachers.

II. The experience o people leading change in education

In this section, interviewees discussed their own personal experience andrefections on the process o leading change or sustainability in education.

They covered a range o eatures including: acting or the common good;rethinking the purpose o education; leadership qualities; personal inspirationto act; hope; the experience o isolation; and the importance o asking di cultquestions.

III. Systemic change in the education system

In the third section, the understandings, ideas and opinions o interviewees aregiven under the rubric o systemic change. Many o the views derive directlyrom interviewees rst-hand experience in implementing change in education.

The ollowing sub-themes are provided: the need or systemic change acrossthe education system; the need or e ective communication about change; theidea that change begins with the sel ; the understanding that real change takestime; the importance o working within the system; and an overview o themany barriers to change, articulated by di erent interviewees.

IV. Sustainability, ecology and nature

Sustainability and environmental and ecological approaches to education weremajor themes in the majority o the interviews. In this section, intervieweesdiscussed sustainability as they experience it, and make suggestions as tohow sustainability, in its broadest sense, could become a major priority ineducation.

During the interviews, the ollowing questions were addressed: What issustainability? What are we doing about it already? What more could wedo? How is it prioritised? Where does sustainability t in the curriculum? Inaddition, interviewees discussed ideas o ecological approaches to education;the role o individuals, local schools and communities in driving change;personal experience o nature in early development; and understandings o theimportance, and experience, o incorporating nature and the environment intoeducation.

This report isstructured into six

meta-themes,created out o theoriginal themesthat emergedrom the synthesisprocess.


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V. New cultures o learning

In this section, ideas or the uture o learning and education are discussed.Ideas came rom experience o best practice and also visions or the uture.

The ollowing topics are covered: understandings o what learning means

and what enables learning; the importance o relationships in learning; theimportance o care in education; the value in thinking di erently; the need orsupport or teachers; the role o a teacher in learning; and the limits o teachertraining, enabling others, and creativity and constraints.

VI. New ideas and innovation in education

In the nal section, interviewees discussed new and innovative ideas thathave been and are being developed in response to the current needsthey experience in education and among young people. The question thatemerges is: what do young people need rom education in order to thrive in

contemporary English society and in the uture, as increasingly global citizens? Among these ideas, the ollowing sub-themes emerged: education that istailored to social context; experiential education; connection to the community;the importance o local history, culture and place; empowering young people;and the li e skills that are needed or living success ully in the 21st century.


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3. The current education system This section outlines how di erent interviewees working in the contemporaryeducation system in England experience, understand and perceive it.Interviewees covered a range o subjects and discussed issues with some o the rameworks and institutions that currently comprise the education system.

The ollowing topics are covered:

I The national curriculum

II The role o the civil service in education

III The regulation o education and worksheet culture in classrooms

IV Assessment and measurement in education

V Issues o sel -esteem in schools

VI The class system and social division in education

VII The prevalence o emale teachers

I. The national curriculum

A range o interviewees identi ed problems with the existing nationalcurriculum in England. There was a range o perspectives on issues includingthe implications o the link between the national curriculum and the nationaleconomy and the gap between the national curriculum and sustainabledevelopment. The alternative to the national curriculum, some intervieweessuggested, is a system where education is more tailored to individual learningneeds, and some critical refection is given to what teachers are teaching theirstudents.

As soon as you try to tie it [the national curriculum] down it is prescriptiveand that may not be right or everyone, this is not about one size ts all. DavidHargreaves was doing a presentation on Personalised Learning recently andhe described this as customised learning where the o er is tailored to theindividual, developing the skills you need, not the skills I think you need. Movingrom the Henry Ford curriculum to the Fiat Punto version.Schools advisor

The national curriculum is dread ul. I hated what was going on. In the 60sand 70s schools had control over the curriculum and could determinelocal content. The 90s got worse: constraint, de-skilling, serving globalcompetitiveness.

Academic

I can see the logic o the national curriculum and its not t or purpose. Itdoesnt allow sustainability to underpin the whole curriculum. Its predicated onthe capitalist model o churning out more consumers.Head teacher

What are the next steps [ or change]? Opening up the curriculum. We needto start agitating to get sustainable development valued as an important parto the curriculum. We need champions at a high level e.g. Ann Finlayson,

Jonathon Porritt, who will badger government. We need champions atindividual schools. There is not one single avenue.Subject association

I can seethe logic o

the nationalcurriculum and itsnot t or purpose.It doesnt allowsustainability tounderpin thewhole curriculum.Its predicatedon the capitalistmodel o churningout moreconsumers.

Head teacher


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But Im a big believer that you should never teach anything you wouldntteach to your own children. I always ask teachers would you be happy i someone taught this to your child? Its a challenging question! You shouldalways be proud o what you teach.Education consultant

II. The role o the civil service

On the subject o the civil service, some stakeholders discussed the rigidity o power and modes o accountability o the civil service with regard to education.Some suggested that the power to infuence education needs to shi t beyondthe realm o the civil service.

There are a massive number o people that believe the education system isnot working. We need to shi t control o the education system away rom civilservants. In private, MPs agree with what we are saying. Most civil servants areproducts o private education. We need a body that argues against civil servantcontrol o education.Education consultant

Ive talked to DCSF many times, but it made no di erence. Ed Balls madehis rst speech to DCSF a ter he became minister. He said all the things heintended to do but at the end the head o DCSF said: thank you, that wasvery inspiring but youll be gone in 18 months. So well eed what you said intoour planned programme, i we can. Where is the democracy?Education consultant

III. The regulation o education and worksheet culture

On the topic o the regulation o education, various interviewees spoke o thenational curriculum creating prescriptions or teaching that restrict teacherscreativity and their e ectiveness in teaching and enabling learning. Furthermore,a ew interviewees elt that the demands o the national curriculum did notallow time or critical refection on the purpose and logic o what was beingtaught and how.

It doesnt happen because o the constraints o the system: accountability,goals, O sted. These are real pressures that cant be ignored. How to dosomething about these pressures? We need to take teachers away romworksheet culture. My daughter is a teacher, she is constrained on what shecan teach by the national curriculum.Subject association

She [my manager] liked lots o worksheets. We had a di erent way o workingand struggled. My approach was more practical.Teacher

In school, teachers are on a treadmill, there is no control o timings, the bellgoes and there is no opportunity to ollow things. There is never time to stepback and refect on the question: why are we doing it like this?

Schools advisor

In school,teachers are on

a treadmill, thereis no control o timings, the bellgoes and thereis no opportunityto ollow things.

There is nevertime to step backand refect on thequestion: why arewe doing it likethis?

Schools advisor


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IV. Assessment and measurement in education

A number o interviewees raised the issue o measurement speci cally, whodoes the measuring and assessment? Some interviewees discussed theinfuence that those doing measuring and assessment have on the school

and the classroom. Some interviewees spoke o the need to rethink whatthe role and value o measurement is; how we measure what really mattersin education and development; who decides what really matters; and how tomeasure non-academic skills and development.

The problem with education is that some things are easy to measure but theydont mean anything and are not going to change lives. When my students goand get jobs I want them to have the skills o being able to communicate andtake responsibility.Head teacher

[What is needed is] education or li e rather than education or an academicsubject. But how do you account or childrens progress in this? It is di cult tomeasure in terms o government targets. How do you measure shi ts in valuesand behaviour change?Subject association

V. Sel -esteem in education

Many interviewees proposed that sel -esteem is a serious issue in educationand that the prevalence o low sel -esteem in schools is an importantcontemporary issue. It was ound that low esteem o the school overall was aproblem, as well as the sel -esteem o individual students. Some interviewees

mentioned that this was particularly acute in disadvantaged schools anddisadvantaged geographical areas. Some argued that the notion o success inan academic setting is o ten viewed in narrow terms o academic success. Itwas suggested that other kinds o skills such as body intelligence, social andemotional intelligence, creativity, leadership and other skills also need to berecognised, nurtured and ultimately, valued or seen as success in children.

I ound that they all su ered rom low sel -esteem.Head teacher

Basically the community deserves a better deal i you dont believe you canchange, youll get nowhere. I you believe in yoursel then you can change theworld.Head teacher

You meet so many people who eel theyre ailures because they ailed atthe academic stu . Education is the most important phase o li e but wedevalue children. Its not surprising we have a generation growing up who eeldisen ranchised.Education consultant

People only live up to expectations peoples capacities are ar greater thanthe expectations put on them.

Government body

The problem witheducation is that

some things areeasy to measurebut they dontmean anythingand are not goingto change lives.When my studentsgo and get jobsI want them tohave the skillso being able tocommunicate andtake responsibility. Head teacher


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VI. Class and social division in the education system

Several interviewees commented that, in their experience within the Englisheducation system, class divisions have strongly infuenced young peoplesperceptions o themselves and their sense o sel -esteem. Some suggested

that schools have not been designed to support young people romeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Some believed that this mightbe due to education policy makers lack o experience and understanding o the di erent experience o children rom lower income brackets, when theythemselves had come rom more privileged and middle-class backgrounds.

In education there are too many middle-class policy makers and no notion o what its like to live in poverty, with no money, no opportunities. We have got tounderstand what that eels like, not the other way round.Head teacher

Class division is a problem that is so instilled. Once set up, these kids [ romlower class backgrounds] get repeated messages o being lower. I you aretold something when you are young, it will get integrated.Teacher

In lea y areas, kids are socialised and well skilled. Here, some kids cannotspeak or are not toilet trained be ore they come to school. The gap betweenthe haves and the have-nots angers me. Middle-class parents send theirkids elsewhere, maintaining the gap between rich and poor.Head teacher

VII. The prevalence o emale teachers There was a diversity o views among interviewees that the lack o maleteachers in schools is an issue. Some elt that the ratio o male to emaleteachers has an impact on schools.

Yes, there are a lot more women who teach, there were always more womenon the course. Its not really a problem or me.Education consultant

A lack o male teachers is a problem.Education consultant

In lea y areas,kids are socialised

and well skilled.Here, some kidscannot speakor are not toilettrained be orethey come toschool. The gapbetween thehaves and thehave-nots angersme. Middle-classparents send theirkids elsewhere,maintaining thegap between richand poor.

Head teacher


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4. The experience o people leadingchange in education in England

The majority o those interviewed were leading change and sustainabledevelopment in schools; they were making bold changes in education indiverse and creative ways. In the interviews, they spoke o their personalexperience in trying to make changes and improve schools and education andwhat they had learned rom this experience. The ollowing topics were covered,and are explored in more detail below:

I Acting or the common good

II Rethinking the purpose o education

III Leadership qualities

IV Personal inspiration to act

V Hope

VI The experience o isolation

VII The importance o asking di cult questions

I. Acting or the common good

Many o the interviewees spoke o their impulse to act or the common good. This included concepts o right and wrong, social justice, ghting hypocrisyand a duty to act or the common good.

O ten in education you get brownie points or saying the right thing. I wasbattling against the un airness o the education system.Head teacher

I was a school governor at age 22 because no one was standing up oryounger teachers. I have a strong sense o right and wrong and airness. Thereis an arrogance that comes with the moral authority to act.NGO

I threw out the rulebook and the curriculum. I asked what is our moral

purpose? What kind o human beings do we want kids to be? It was veryreeing or the sta .Education consultant

II. Rethinking the purpose o education

Many interviewees raised the issue o the need to rethink the purpose o schools and education with teachers, parents and children. Some suggestedthat there is a real need or a new, more holistic approach to education thataddresses the complexity o contemporary issues and realities.

A very valid question is: what is education or?Subject association

I threw out therulebook and the

curriculum. I askedwhat is our moralpurpose? Whatkind o humanbeings do wewant kids to be?It was very reeingor the sta .

Education consultant


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You can ask undamental questions o education. What better place is thereto ask these types o questions?NGO

What is the role o schools in society? Where to start! Its more important nowthan ever to be in partnership with the parent. You have to take responsibility.Head teacher

Teachers need to ask what is my ultimate purpose? Its not to deliver literacy,its about the uture.Subject association

III. Leadership qualities

Some interviewees discussed the important qualities o leadership in schools.

Among these ideas were the importance o collaboration, teamwork,empowering others and sharing leadership responsibilities.

I think great leadership is about doing yoursel out o a job. Empoweringothers until they dont need you anymore. Great educators are great leaders!Education consultant

What is generally expected o head teachers is impossible. As a system itsset up the wrong way. In industry you never have just one person accountable.Steve Munby rom National College had an idea o distributed leadershipaccountability. Not just the burden on head teachers but others who will alsoshare the load.Head teacher

Its a team e ort. The senior leadership team is very committed to our vision. They are critical but share sustainability principles.Head teacher

IV. Personal inspiration to act

Many o the interviewees were inspired to act to improve things in their schoolor area, sometimes without much support. They reported that they drew theirinspiration rom di erent sources: amily members, teachers they had beentaught by, academic study, and their own inner drive. Several intervieweespointed out that more inspirational people are needed in education.

My main infuences are all the teenagers I have ever known, because Imalways a teacher at heart. I love enabling others rom the boss to the postroom to do the best they can.NGO

My biggest infuence is probably my grandmother.NGO

Kids are desperate to have role models. Role models should be encouragedand rewarded.Teacher

Teachers needto ask what is my

ultimate purpose?Its not to deliverliteracy, its aboutthe uture.

Subject association


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V. Hope

Some interviewees described their hope that underpins their hard work. Theyalso mentioned their resilient, positive attitude; their belie in humanity; and theirbelie that it is possible to e ect change.

Why worry? I you cant change it, dont worry. I you can change it, thenchange it.NGO

A desire never to give up, picking up on positives, very good at explaining howthings can be di erent, serving people, change one person at a time, morepeople. I I give up, then the next person gives up. Giving a positive example.Government o cer

I have a pro ound belie in humanity and humans ability to do good. Humans

also do terrible things but Im an optimist.Education consultant

VI. The experience o isolation

Some interviewees spoke o the isolation that they had personally experiencedor witnessed when trying to change things, or pursue sustainable initiativesin their schools. A clear need was identi ed or sustaining the energy or newideas and initiatives in schools. Di erent stakeholders recounted how theypersonally received support to make a di erence rom di erent sourcesincluding local government, teachers, school, amily and others.

The head teacher is great here but at times Im a lone voice. Ive met lotso teachers who have ideas or sustainability but its not possible to push itthrough.Teacher

Make teachers eel like they are not alone, there is support out there. How dowe make teachers eel like they are not the only one in the school? You have totry and get the head teacher involved or it alls apart.Government o cer

VII. Asking di cult questionsSome interviewees proposed that or trans ormative change to occur,challenging questions are required on topics that we dont currently have theanswers to. They suggested that challenging questions about the way thingsare currently can make people eel uncom ortable. There ore con dence andcourage is required both or people to ask and to answer such questionsabout the education system.

I have a pro oundbelie in humanity

and humansability to do good.Humans also doterrible things butIm an optimist.

Education consultant


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Questioning the big picture is good, and new fexibility is given to teachers, butI know not many teachers are con dent about this new reedom.Subject association

I would ask the question no one else would ask.Head teacher

Being challenging doesnt guarantee you know the answer, you just want toask the question.Government body


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5. Systemic change in the educationsystemUnder the theme o systemic change in the education system, stakeholdersdiscussed a range o ideas, many o which can be grouped into the ollowingsub-themes:

I The need or systemic change across the education system

II The need or e ective communication about change

III The idea that change begins with the sel

IV The understanding that real change takes time

V The importance o working within the system

VI An overview o the many barriers to change in English education raised,and o ten experienced rst-hand, by di erent stakeholders

I. Systemic change

A common view among various interviewees was that change on a smallor incremental scale is not enough: within the education system change isneeded at a whole system level. For systemic change to be achieved, it wassuggested that there is a need to identi y the levers and interventions that canimplement large-scale change.

There is a lot o ddling about whilst Rome burns. We need radical action butit will involve pain ul change but not necessarily in terms o quality o li e.Head teacher

The big barriers [to sustainability] are only voiced by individual teachers Its asystems thing, multiple interventions are needed.Subject association

Unless the whole system is radically remodelled, things wont improvesubstantially.Head teacher

I spent eight years in the classroom, and I understood how little teachersare prepared to change. Someone told me it would be better or me to teachteachers.Government body

I always wanted to change the system. I had a vision o what I wanted theschool to be. I got the job but the school was a mess, a complete emotionalmess. Demotivated, everyone elt useless. But there were people that werepassionate about the community. They were just told to deliver the curriculum.Do it more, do it aster, deliver better results.Education consultant

Unless the wholesystem is radically

remodelled, thingswont improvesubstantially.

Head teacher


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II. E ective communication about change

Various interviewees spoke openly about the need or e ective communicationabout the current reality o the education system, what needs to change andwhy.

We need to communicate why people arent happy with the current system.We need to communicate to people that their instinct is right. We need tocommunicate to the government what needs to be done to help childrenbecome responsible citizens.Education consultant

I want to change the way people see kids and the western education system.I just want to get my message across.Education consultant

III. Change begins with the sel

Many o the interviewees articulated the idea that change begins with thesel , centred on changing personal behaviour and living out aspirations in theworld. Some had ound realising their aspirations and changing their ownbehaviour and choices to be empowering. A ew interviewees mentioned thator behaviour change to occur, people need support.

I dont fy, I cook on wood, and I cycle everywhere. Being in the samecommunity as the kids rein orces the message o sustainability. The only thingyou can really do is change yoursel and, i you do that, you can hope that theworld might change.Teacher

Its critical that citizens take responsibility or their own lives. People needsupport and encouragement to develop skills, capacity, vision and space orrefection. Its democracy, directed not by the values o an institution, but by thevalues o an individual.Think Tank

IV. Change can be slow

From on-the-ground experience o implementing change, various intervieweesreported that changing the education system takes time, and that change isgreatly infuenced by the level o political support or change.

Its di cult to infuence big institutions; its like a tanker moving.Government body

Change is slow, unless there is political will. Its very di cult to change peoplesbehaviour. Some ministers are supportive but then move on; then a lessknowledgeable person arrives.Government o cer

Change must come rom the heart. Its slow and rustrating and seriously notast enough.Civil servant

I dont fy, I cookon wood, and I

cycle everywhere.Being in the samecommunity as thekids rein orcesthe message o sustainability. Theonly thing you canreally do is changeyoursel and, i you do that, youcan hope thatthe world mightchange.

Teacher


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V. Working within the system

Interviewees made the point that to bring about change in the educationsystem, working with people within the system is imperative. It was alsosuggested by many that the di erent agencies and institutions, such as primary

schools and secondary schools, need linking together. Some intervieweeswent on to say that the development o a consistent set o belie s and valuesthat continue throughout the whole learning experience, which would involvelinking di erent actors within the system, is also required.

Primary and secondary schools need linking. I not, they will be less e ective.Its more e ective i you can link up the whole education system.Government o cer

What would be great would be i we were all working together. Seamlessprogress rom babies to adults where schools and other agencies worktogether.Head teacher

VI. Barriers to change

Almost all our interviewees spoke o their knowledge and experience o barriersto change and sustainability. Di erent interviewees identi ed di erent barriers tochange that they had experienced across the English education system. Themajor barriers identi ed by the stakeholders are:

a) Too many new initiatives and policy changes to keep up with

b) The responsibility or sustainable development is limited to a ew actors andwider support is needed

c) Parents

d) Economic priorities

e) Assessment

) The curriculum

g) The structures

h) The limits o conversations

i) Schools are disconnected rom systemic priorities

j) Public discourse and public understanding o the need or change

a) Too many new initiatives and policy changes to keep upwith

Some interviewees suggested that teachers are already overloaded withcommitments so there is not enough time or space or new initiatives thatmight be sustainably ocused.

People are walking away rom [government] initiatives. There is initiativeoverload one a week! How can they take them all seriously and whenpro essional development is not valued?Subject association

What wouldbe great would

be i we were allworking together.Seamlessprogress rombabies to adultswhere schoolsand otheragencies worktogether.

Head teacher


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b) The responsibility or sustainable development is limitedto a ew actors

Some interviewees mentioned that currently there is not enough support orthose pioneering sustainable approaches to education and there is a risk thatwithout the minority, sustainability would all o the agenda.

It makes you wonder what would happen i champions o education orsustainable development move away? Would [SD] crumble or would it betaken orward?Subject association

c) Parents can be a barrier to sustainability and change

Several interviewees mentioned how teaching children about sustainabilitycould sometimes cause disharmony with their parents. For instance, whenyoung children wanted to make sustainable choices but their parents werenot aware o , or interested in, sustainability and sustainable behaviour choicessuch as air trade, recycling and reduced car use.

I taught kids about air trade and now their parents are upset.Head teacher

Ive asked the kids to calculate their carbon ootprint. I had kids calculatecarbon ootprint, but Ive yet to nd a good carbon calculator or kids. Kidso ten dont have a choice over transport because it is their parents decisionhow they get to school. Carbon ootprint calculators dont deal with ood

and that is one issue that kids can choose. They can choose to buy locally,sustainably sourced. They can say Im not going to eat that because o anethical belie .Teacher

d) Economic priorities

Some interviewees elt that the approach o policy-makers towards educationwas driven by economic, not social or sustainable priorities.

My own experience at DCSF, a lot is around economic bene t, its driven by

economics, reducing energy and resource costs. Theres not enough joined-upthinking.Teacher

At the moment, kids go in, take exams and go out. Its like actories; thatshow I justi y my pay.Teacher

e) Assessment

A ew interviewees elt that the high value given to assessment, as opposed to

other aspects o learning, was a barrier to sustainability in schools.

Assessment is also a prohibitor to sustainability in schools.Head teacher

My ownexperience at

DCSF, a lot isaround economicbene t, its drivenby economics,reducing energyand resourcecosts. Theres notenough joined-upthinking.

Teacher


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) The curriculum

The curriculum was perceived by some interviewees as rigid and prescribed,without space or creativity, sustainability, multi-disciplinary thought andpractical skills.

At the moment, the curriculum is a barrier: subject silos, the subjects donttalk.Government o cer

The curriculum is so prescribed and subject ocused. Other topics are notthere, perhaps because they are not valued.Subject association

g) Structural inertia

The structures o the education system are power ul and institutionalisedacross the country.

The structures we live in are power ul structures, sometimes we cant changethem.

Academic

h) Conversations that exclude the purpose o education

Some interviewees elt that there was a lack o critical or refective discussionon what education is and what it is or.

Because we dont have a discussion re: what education is supposed to beabout, we dont change.Head teacher

i) Schools are disconnected rom systemic priorities

Some interviewees suggested that acting systemically and supportinginnovation are seen as being costly and potentially waste ul, and that thisattitude was a barrier to systemic change or innovation in education.

The structures welive in are power ul

structures,sometimes wecant changethem.

Academic


25/44

What is problematic with school-based innovation are two things: schools areunresponsive to systemic priorities. Openly, they only care about local issues.Secondly, innovation is high resource, or completely new and doesnt worki its seen to be wasting energy and resources. The government solution is ahighly centralised response, literacy and numeracy. Its slow, di cult, low buy-inand low innovation. Bottom up change ocused on systemic change is whatsneeded to be resourced. A very speci c model o change is needed, ocusedon innovation, cognisant o context and equally highly networked.Think tank

j) Lack o public discourse

A ew stakeholders raised the issue that the public are not aware thatthe education system is not addressing contemporary needs and issues.

There ore, it was expounded, this presents a barrier because there is notan understanding o the need or more public awareness o the issues in

education or the need or a more sustainability-oriented system.

Public discourse is divorced rom the need or undamental changes ineducation.Think tank

Public discourseis divorced rom

the need orundamentalchanges ineducation.

Think tank


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6. Sustainability, ecology and natureIn this section, sustainability and the environment are broadly discussed inthe context o the English education system. Discussions covered existingapproaches to teaching sustainability in schools, and belie s around thepotential o ecology and nature in education. Various interviewees put orwarddi erent understandings and analyses o sustainability as a concept as appliedto education. Interviewees discussed sustainability and the application o sustainability in schools. Some also refected on sustainability in their owneducation, such as their experience o nature in development.

The themes o the interviewees discussions can be grouped into the ollowingtopics and questions in relation to schools and sustainability:

I Sustainability

a) What is it?

b) What are we doing about it already?

c) What more could we do?

d) How is it prioritised?

e) How is sustainability prioritised within schools and the curriculum?

) Where does sustainability t in the English curriculum?

II Ecological approaches to education

III Sustainability and change need to come rom the grass roots

IV Personal experience o nature in early development

V Nature in the curriculum and teaching

I. Sustainability

Six key questions came up among interviewees discussions o sustainability:

a) What is it?

There are di erent ideas about the meaning o sustainability overall and alsoin the eld o education.

The rst barrier is to agree what sustainability means. The second is to embedit in the whole school.Teacher

There are di erent shades o green though. One leader in education didsustainability but saw it as a way to increase SATs, quite a utilitarian approach.

Another leader did lots o stu on sustainability and achieved a lower carbonootprint. I perceived a personal commitment to preserving the natural world.

They could rise above accountability o national curriculum and have a more

rounded approach to sustainability.Head teacher

The rst barrieris to agree what

sustainabilitymeans. Thesecond is toembed it in thewhole school.

Teacher


27/44

b) What are we doing about it already?

Several interviewees made the point there is a risk that attempts to bring insustainability do not produce real change.

Education, or sustainable development [ESD], has gone wrong. For example,producing a taxonomy o skills or ESD is ollowing the same mindset as thepredominant global competitiveness model.

Academic

c) What more could we do?

Some interviewees suggested that sustainability is locally situated and buildslocal communities.

An ideal ESD would be locally based: encouraging local democracy andhealthy community.

Academic

Its important to look at everything in a local way, ideally school ood shouldbe local, the dinner ladies are local. Someone, a woman, Angie, broughtvegetables or school meals rom the garden locally. Not trucks with packagedood. Again try to encourage schools to do its bit in its own way.Teacher

d) How is it prioritised?

Some interviewees suggested that making a commitment to sustainability ismaking a commitment to the uture o society and peoples interaction with theenvironment.

I we cant get it right in schools we are in really big trouble: in the long-termwe are going to have to gure it out. I humans are going to be on Earth, weeither become extinct or we gure it out.Teacher

e) How is sustainability prioritised within schools and the

curriculum? There are views among interviewees that messages about sustainability are notconsistent and that top-level support is necessary or sustainability to grow andfourish in schools.

There are also mixed messages rom DCSF. They have no options orsustainability. There was more on sustainability on the old SEF.Teacher

You need top level support to lter it down. I there is clear direction with clearcommitment, people will ollow.Government o cer

I we cant get itright in schools

we are in reallybig trouble: in thelong-term we aregoing to haveto gure it out. I humans are goingto be on Earth,we either becomeextinct or wegure it out.

Teacher


28/44

) Where does sustainability t in the English curriculum?

Some interviewees elt that sustainability ought to be the major priorityto support young people to live in changing global environments, amidenvironmental degradation and other contemporary issues.

Sustainability should be central: problem-solving, carbon neutral We needto create opportunities or children to understand living in global societies.Government body

II. Ecological approaches to education

Various interviewees suggested that there is a need or an alternative modelto the current model o education one that is more ecologically infuenced,

joined-up and more creative. Many voiced a concern that current models o change within education will only make super cial changes.

Two years ago I signed up to the eco-schools. Weve done a ew good things. The reality is that very little has changed.Teacher

We need to look at the Montessori model, the Scandinavian model. Thesemodels are ecologically joined up, creative. Ours is narrow and stulti ed.Head teacher

We have a cross-curricular approach to education. Next week we ocus onlyon trees but we include everything. We are working to become a green fag

eco-school, campaign or school gardening, we get so much out o it. []Sustainability and the environment are embedded in the curriculum. We have apaper bank and a recycling bank. The children call me an eco- reak.Head teacher

III. Sustainability and change need to come rom the grassroots

Many interviewees elt that change and a push or sustainability need to comerom the grass roots. Similarly, some suggested that it must not be prescribedrom above or outside. Others proposed that contextual knowledge is essential

in the movement towards sustainable education and there ore local people arewell situated to drive change. A ew proposed that both the third sector andpeople acting on the ground ought to create changes within the educationsystem.

I you harness the energy in the people things can really happen. That hasgalvanised my idea about how to create change. Rather than sitting in a roomorcing the world to comply with your views.Teacher

The whole idea is a bottom-up system; you dont impose sustainability on thekids.Teacher

I you harnessthe energy in

the peoplethings can reallyhappen. That hasgalvanised myidea about howto create change.Rather than sittingin a room orcingthe world tocomply with yourviews.

Teacher


29/44

Bottom-up change ocused on systemic change is whats needed to beresourced. A very speci c model o change is needed, ocused on innovation,knowledge o context and equally highly networked.Think tank

I sustainable schools strategies are seen to be compulsory strategies romthe government they will be less e ective. Its much better to come rom thevoluntary sector, which engages with hearts and minds. It would be good tocontact schools that dont yet do Education or Sustainable Development: themovement needs bodies, not government policy, nor local authority pressure.Civil servant

All schools like ours are described as maverick as we make changes withoutgovernment. We didnt wait or policy to change. We need to change practiceto drive policy change.Education consultant

IV. Personal experience o nature in early development

In quite a number o the interviews, nature and early experiences o naturewere perceived to be very important in the development o adults and children.Many interviewees recounted their own experiences o nature in their owndevelopment paths.

I can see that its so di erent or kids that dont go into nature. For example,on a eld trip in Swanage a kid was scared o the rain, they had never been inthe rain because they were always inside. They had never been exposed to the

ull orce o stormy rain.Subject association

I have interviewed eight head teachers o eco-schools. The commondistinguishing eature was childhood empathising or connection with thenatural world.Head teacher

I read Rachel Carsons Silent Spring and it really got me going, also mychildhood experiences were geared towards appreciating the outdoors wedid a lot o camping and walking.Subject association

V. Nature in the curriculum and teaching

Some interviewees advanced the idea that nature is also a resource orteaching and learning. Some interviewees had ound in their practice thatnature is use ul as a place to teach, learn and grow and there ore relevant toteaching, learning, development and tackling behavioural problems.

You could take children outdoors and treat them as adults. You could seechildren who were pretty horrible in the classroom come back alive.Subject association

You could takechildren outdoors

and treat themas adults. Youcould see childrenwho were prettyhorrible in theclassroom comeback alive.

Subject association


30/44

Creating the wildli e garden as a curricular resource was one o my proudestmoments Bringing some awe and wonder into kids lives.Head teacher

I you nd something a child enjoys doing, o ten take them outside. Give thema kni e, woodwork, make a re. I nd that this is the best way to connect withchildren who have discipline problems.Head teacher

Creating thewildli e garden

as a curricularresource was oneo my proudestmomentsBringing someawe and wonderinto kids lives.

Head teacher


31/44

7. New cultures o learning Among the interviews there was a diverse array o ideas or the uture o learning and education. Some o these ideas were currently being carried outin the interviewees own work; others were ideas, directions and proposalsor the uture. Among these discourses, these ideas can be grouped into twobroad areas: ideas or creating new supportive cultures o learning; and newways o learning in connection to context and local communities. The rst partis outlined here and the latter appears in the next section.

Many interviewees stressed the importance o support or teachers, to enablea more supportive culture or children. They stressed it was important orteachers to unpack their understandings o the role o a teacher in learning andexpand training or teachers. Finally, some spoke o the need to enable othersand build capacity at multiple levels rom student to teacher. The ollowingtopics are covered:

I Understandings o learning

II The importance o relationships

III The importance o care in education

IV The value in thinking (and doing) di erently

V Support, learning and refection or teachers

VI The role o a teacher in learning

VII The limits o teacher training

VIII Enabling others

IX Creativity and constraints

I. Understandings o Learning

There were di erent views among some interviewees o the nature o teaching,and their understanding o learning and their experience o how children learn.

A ew interviewees proposed that learning and the ability to learn are necessaryto be able to thrive amid changes in the contemporary world. Otherssuggested that education must be able to adapt to di erent rates o learningamong children.

Real learning is not complicated to enable, but rare.Government body

To thrive in the ace o change, young people need to love learning and becapable o learning throughout li e.Think tank

We are born curious and school beats it out o us.Government body

Children progress in their learning at di erent rates.Government body

To thrive in theace o change,

young peopleneed to lovelearning and becapable o learningthroughout li e.

Think tank


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II. The importance o relationships

Many interviewees reiterated the importance o strong relationships betweenstudents and teachers as a rm oundation or learning. They suggested thatthese connections and relationships between peers/students enable learning,

community cohesion, care and support, and create inclusive environments.

Through a relationship you create, you can make someone want to learn.Teacher

I you have some kind o relationship then you have the beginning o li e longlearning.Head teacher

I thought I could walk in and do the job [teaching] but you have to earn theirrespect. I realised the way to de eat them was to like them.

NGO

III. The importance o care in education

There were various views o the importance o the practice o care in schools,as well as in classroom environments. Some interviewees believed that it wasimportant that care ran throughout the school rom teacher to student. Thesigni cance o an ethos o caring was raised.

You have to create a caring environment where students start caringthemselves. This is how schools should be caring and welcoming.

Government o cer

There should be more ocus on well-being and an understanding that a childwho is unhappy at school will not learn well and there are a number o thingsa school can do to make sure the child is happy. It can be the whole ethos o the school, the environment, the ood provided, the relationship that childrenhave with their peers and teachers. I it is an open school, children can talkabout their eelings. I a child is having issues at home, a school can providecounselling.NGO

IV. The value in thinking (and doing) di erently A ew o the interviewees advanced the idea that there is an urgent needto think di erently and act di erently, and to push the boundaries o whatis already in operation in the education system. Some held the view thatenabling young children to appreciate di erent views and mindsets was also animportant skill.

Schools need to do new things, not what they are already doing in a di erentway.Civil servant

I you dont push you dont know where the limits are.Government o cer

I you dont pushyou dont know

where the limitsare.Government o cer


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Appreciating multiple perspectives is a li e skill that is required now. You willcome across people with di erent views that are very valid to them. This ishappening in geography, Im not sure its happening in other subjects. It couldbe a principle o the national curriculum.Subject association

V. Support, learning and refection or teachers

A number o interviewees proposed opportunities to learn and refect, whichwould support teachers in their jobs by sustaining their energy, their drive toteach, and their ability to support young people.

I someone [a teacher] is keen, they can lose energy i they dont get support.Government o cer

When I discovered action research it made such a di erence to how I refectmysel and gave me a more productive way o refecting.Teacher

Ranger training: heuristic, it is really made my head expand. It was all abouthow you as an individual constructed your own role and responsibility as aranger. I loved it. I elt in control o my own learning.Government body

VI. The role o a teacher in learning

On the topic o the role o teachers in learning, some interviewees suggestedthat it was essential that teachers recognise their own infuence in childrensdevelopment and use this positively. Some suggested that their role as ateacher is more like a connector than an expert. Others had mixed experienceso teachers in their own schooling.

I believe in young people. You can change lives. Teachers are in a privilegedposition. You are a power ul group. You can change lives.Head teacher

I can remember that I had teachers who were supportive and help ul and alsoI had teachers who were like bullies really.NGO

VII. The limits o teacher training

It was raised by various interviewees that teacher training and personaldevelopment is currently limited to the areas prescribed by the nationalcurriculum. Some mentioned that there is no teacher training available in sel -directed learning, personal development or sustainable development, despite aclear need or it.

The pro essional development o teachers is part o their rights. But its beenvery restrained into areas that are prioritised against the national curriculum e.g.literacy and numeracy, not other areas like sustainable development.Subject association

I can rememberthat I had teachers

who weresupportive andhelp ul and also Ihad teachers whowere like bulliesreally.

NGO


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The curriculum or teacher training is even more prescribed than the nationalcurriculum. Its very di cult to change at a personal level. You can workyour personal interests into the programme but you have to meet targets.Sustainable development [ESD] is not part o them.Subject association

From my questionnaire Ive seen that teachers want to put sustainabledevelopment into their teaching but they have no knowledge.Subject association

VIII. Enabling others

Various interviewees pointed out the necessity o enabling and empoweringothers students, teachers and educators to help themselves, to encouragesel -directed learning and development.

Ive had a lot to do with building the capability o the sta . I they are notinterested in changing the school, they should go somewhere else.Head teacher

IX. Creativity and constraints

Some interviewees commented on the absence o creativity in schools bothin the schools they had attended as children and in the schools they operatedin as practitioners. Some interviewees asserted that in primary schools therewere more opportunities or young people to be creative. Some put orwardthe view that the economic demands put on schools, and the demandson children to produce exam results, were barriers to cultivating the naturalcreativity o children and young people.

School was stifing.Subject association

Primary and secondary curricula are di erent. In primary schools its morecreative; there is an opportunity or sustainable development.Subject association

School wasstifing.

Subject association


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8. Sustainability and innovation ineducation

According to many o those interviewed, what and how young people learnrom school needs to be applicable to the real world, particularly in response toa rapidly changing society and environment.

Some interviewees argued that learning must be connected with the needs,issues and realities o communities the schools are located within. There wasa strong desire, among some interviewees, that learning should connectwith local place, culture and history. Many elt that young people should beempowered by the educational experience. Young people, some argued, needto be equipped with li e skills and relationships that will support their capacitiesto handle the non-academic world or the rest o their lives.

In summary, the ollowing topics are covered:

I Experiential education

II Connection to the community

III The importance o local history, culture and place

IV Empowering young people

V Young peoples concern or the environment

VI Li e skills

I. Experiential education

Many interviewees proposed the need or real-world, experiential learningwhere children can observe, touch and eel the curricula they are learningabout, rst hand. Taking children into the environments that they are learningabout conceptually was posited as an e ective way to achieve this.

I you are going to learn about woods you need to go into the woods.Reading about such things as a wood is literally second-hand learning, [its]much more distant.

Academic

Children need hands-on (learning). Planting bulbs teaches more than using aslide. Reality needs to be taken on board. They need experience.Head teacher

Place based learning... Epistemology: some things can only be learned incertain ways. Also motivation: it is easier to learn about the ood chain i youare in a wood.

Academic

I you are goingto learn about

woods you needto go into thewoods. Readingabout such thingsas a wood isliterally second-hand learning,[its] much moredistant.

Academic


36/44

II. Connection to the community

Many interviewees commented that it is important both or schools andteachers to link with their local communities. Many encountered barriers,both at the individual and the institutional level, to connecting with the local

communities that children grew up in. One person raised the question o howto cultivate behaviour in young people that has a positive impact on society,rather than mitigates against anti-social behaviour.

I think o teachers as part o the community. Being around the area where thekids live is important.Teacher

The more I learn about sustainability, the more I realise it is about thecommunity and creating a place that enriches itsel .Teacher

Schools are neutered they cant respond to their local area needs.Head teacher

What is pro-social behaviour? Were always on about anti-social behaviour,but what is pro-social behaviour?Think tank

III. The importance o local history, culture and place ineducation

Some o the interviewees were very interested in local history and place,learning rom other cultures. Some interviewees were keen to incorporatelocal history, local people and local cultures into their teaching and in doing sobring classroom lessons to li e and make teaching relevant to the contexts thatstudents live and grow in.

I am incredibly linked to Celtic thought, landscape, knowledge o the past andascinated by peripheral communities and societies, distance and loneliness.

Academic

All these things we have been experiencing now, we have been experiencingor thousands o years. It makes us not too sel -obsessed: we are not centre o the universe.Head teacher

There are about 5% [o children rom a particular community] that live in theorest. The more I learn about what they do and their ways the more I aminterested in them and they can be tied into local history lessons.Teacher

IV. Empowering young people

Some interviewees commented that young people are power ul, but thatthey are currently disempowered in the education system by adults and thestructures o the existing system.

Young people have amazing power, you need to give them time to do things.NGO

What is pro-social behaviour?

Were always onabout anti-socialbehaviour, butwhat is pro-socialbehaviour?

Think tank


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Young people are worried about the uture and not being equipped to dosomething about it.Subject association

V. Young peoples concern or the environment

Many interviewees suggested that young people are acutely concerned aboutcontemporary issues and the environment. Currently, young people are worriedbut are constrained in the extent to which they can address these concerns bydoing something to change unsustainable trends and behaviour. Older peopledo not always share their concerns.

Children have said to us: we are really worried about ecological issues, youhave messed it all up.NGO

Im always encouraging children to look at conservation and ecology. They arereally worried about it. I have real meaning ul conversations with them. Oldergenerations are really pompous about it.Head teacher

VI. Li e skills or the modern world

Finally, many stakeholders discussed how current approaches towardseducation put emphasis on the academic dimension o education, rather thanemphasising other skills such as the li e skills needed to enter a (post) modernand changing world.

There was a suggestion that li e skills are really needed, in addition to academictraining, or young people to grow and thrive in society when they leaveeducation and enter work and adulthood. Some also raised questions aboutwhich skills are needed to eel con dent to navigate the contemporary social,economic, political environment in England and the UK.

Id like education to meet the needs o each individual child. I realise thisis di cult. What is it that equips children to live a success ul li e, rom theirperspective? What are the li e skills needed or the 21st century? Hasnteducation always had to change to meet the social context?

Subject association

To thrive in the ace o change, young people need to love learning. This isthe job o education. We need multiple aims in education: knowledge, skills,emotion, physical skills, creativity, critical thinking.Think tank

The constant worry is that you ocus on exam teaching. Actually, li eskills are needed.Teacher

Im interested in teaching children how to learn; what li e-long learning lookslike. Curriculum and research are not refective.Government body

Young peopleare worried about

the uture and notbeing equippedto do somethingabout it.

Subject association


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9. ConclusionsWhat story is told through this selection o interviews rom people workingacross and beyond the education system? What can these diverse anddisparate views and logics tell us about the whole? Can the views o manydi erent actors in di erent institutions and geographies tell a commonnarrative?

While it is hard to grasp one consistent story rom this mosaic o di erentperspectives, some clear and meaning ul themes emerge that clearly signalwhat the issues are, what needs to change and why, and where there is energyto change or to do things di erently.

In the rst section, it was demonstrated that many interviewees areexperiencing serious problems with the education system in its current shapeand orm. The majority o interviewees suggested that there are inherent andsystemic problems with the national curriculum, the role o the civil servicein education, and the regulation o education. The underlying message wasthat these structural issues need addressing and need to change. I wewant to address issues o structural inequalities, low sel -esteem, continuousassessment and overbearing workloads, the major eatures o the existingsystem need to change.

Secondly, rom hearing about the personal experience o a range o interviewees who are trying to change or innovate in the existing system, welearned what it takes to address the ailures o the existing system: leadership,courage, refection and motivation. Many o the interviewees had asked hardquestions about the existing ways o doing things and had explored newtheoretical and practical landscape and territory.

In the third section, we learned in more depth about the practical realities o systemic change. Various interviewees suggested an urgent need or systemicchange across the education system. We see what they have learned romimplementing change on the ground in their schools and communities, as wellas what real change could be like and, crucially, what stands in the way o addressing the issues in the contemporary education system.

In the nal three sections the dominant message is about the importance o sustainability and the environment in education. This message is infuencedby our agenda and rom our raming o this work, but it also came rom thepersonal experience o our interviewees: rom the experience o teachingyoung people in nature, or using natural environments to learn and stimulateexcitement towards learning and growth. Despite the issues attached tothe concept and practice o sustainability, the signi cance o sustainability ineducation overall was keenly understood by the majority o interviewees.

Looking ahead, many had ideas and insights into new utures o educationand learning. There were some clear directions or moving orward incontemporary education: critical refection on how to create real learning in

schools, supportive relationships between teachers and students, caringschools and classrooms, support and training or teachers, and the integrationo sustainability and the environment into education and schools.

While it is hardto grasp one

consistent storyrom this mosaico di erentperspectives,some clearand meaning ulthemes emerge


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There was a strong theme o the need or an education system that cankeep up with societal changes in a rapidly changing country and world acingecological threats. The clear message that was ound in the majority o thediscourses was that young people require skills and knowledge that will equipthem to thrive and fourish in an uncertain uture.

These may include tackling environmental issues and environmentalsustainability in their schools; learning how to accommodate multipleviewpoints and perspectives; and learning li e skills that will allow them to makein ormed choices, to the bene t o themselves, society and the natural worlda ter they nish school-based education.

This means enabling young people to learn through doing and experiencing,and cultivating a connection with the physical environment that they live and

learn in. It also requires empowering young people to care or the environment,themselves and each other and moving beyond structures that constrainleadership and creativity. We have learned that some individuals, schools andagencies are doing this already in their realms o infuence, but that this is notenough to change the system or all.

Finally, and perhaps critically, we discovered that because these e orts to bringabout change are currently either geographically located or piecemeal, manyactors eel isolated or alone in their attempts to shi t the wider system.

The clearmessage that

was ound in themajority o thediscourses wasthat young peoplerequire skills andknowledge thatwill equip them tothrive and fourishin an uncertainuture.


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10. A terword: The primacy o thepersonalThe world we have created has outstripped our capacity to understand it. Thescale o interconnectivity and interdependence has resulted in a step change inthe complexity o the operating environment The anchors o identity, morality,cultural coherence and social stability are unravelling and we are losing ourbearings. We are living in a conceptual emergency.- The International Futures Forum.

We are living in what has been described as a conceptual emergency. Whilewe can think o conceptual emergencies in the most macro o terms, suchas policies, standards, systems, institutions and so on, by their very natureconceptual emergencies are also immensely personal. Larger structures aremade up o individuals with a set o belie s, values and understandings. Thesegive rise to countless actions that constitute the larger systems we are workingto grasp and change.

We rarely allow ourselves to consider some o the biggest social issues o ourtime such as health, education, climate change, poverty and democracy inpersonal terms. What questions are we willing to ask ourselves? Are we willingto interrogate our own stories? Are we willing to question our ondest and mostcherished belie s? What is the purpose o 13 years o school-based learning?Is this an appropriate model or the uture? What is the value that school adds,over learning beyond the classroom? What is the new role or teachers? Whatis the role o the wider community in education? Are we willing to considerrefexively the role we have played in the wider situation?

Our approach, which involved posing such questions, proved challenging.During the course o our interviews we encountered a variety o reactionsto the highly personal nature o the process. These ranged rom delightat spending an a ternoon talking intimately and personally, to ba fementas to the need or such a process. Almost all participants o ered us eitherencouragement or eedback that helped us refect on our own approach.

The individuals who participated in this process all exempli ed a degree o personal courage that is all too rare. They refected on their own stories andtheir li e-narratives, in order to serve a higher goal o trying to understand howwe (comprised o many Is) got to where we are today. They articulated

nothing less than a set o socio-historical narratives. These give us a deeplypersonal picture o the education system. Each quote comes rom a narrativethat has its own logic, its own internal coherence and, ultimately, gave us theeeling o stepping into other worlds.

Far rom an antiseptic, impersonal and disconnected analysis, we heardstories o an education system that is intimately part o everyone we spoke to.Stories o personal struggles o growing up, o amily, o politics, o strugglesto experiment and struggles to change; we heard stories o infuences, romgrand athers and grandmothers, to those special teachers that leave indeliblemarks, positively or negatively, on young people. We heard what led thisextraordinary group o individuals to li e-long vocations o integrity and passion

within the education system.

We rarely allowourselves to

consider some o the biggest socialissues o our time


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We also heard that among the hard work o a diverse set o practitioners, thereis an opportunity to work together to address some o the toughest questionsin education and sustainable education.

Our sincerest hope and aspiration or this work is to continue theseconversations and shi t them into an invitation or collective action. We wishto pursue how best we can, together, act on what we have heard and seen;and what it means or us to act together. We are not interested in convergenceto a single action, but rather in launching multiple experiments that have thepotential to shi t some o the underlying trends and issues we are concernedabout.

We have our own thoughts on the way orward. We are, however, trying hardto hold our myriad thoughts, belie s and eelings lightly. This is because wewould like our riends and our critics to join in the work o shaping our collectivepath orward. Tell us what were missing and help us see our blind-spots.

Ultimately we would like to join orces with all those who have the energyand desire to cultivate the kinds o changes that our current situation and thecoming uture demands.

You are welcome to contact us at oneplaneteducation@ww .org.uk.Keep up to date about One Planet Education at:ww .org.uk/oneplaneteducation

The One Planet Education team: Niamh Carey, Mia Eisenstadt,Zaria Greenhill, Wendy Hardy, Zaid Hassan, Liz Jackson, Charlotte Millar,

Rod Sterne, Musta a Suleyman, Kelly Teamey, Hendrik Tiesinga andMorag Watson.

there is anopportunity to

work together toaddress someo the toughestquestions ineducation


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Appendix 1 List o contributors

Beverley Anderson

Children and Learners DirectorateGovernment O ce or the South East

Benedict AroraNesta

Dr Rob BerkeleyDirectorRunnymede Trust

Anna BirneyHead o Leadership and ChangeForum or the Future

Wendy E S CompsonHeadmistressCherry Trees Nursery and Preparatory School

David DixonHead TeacherBowbridge Primary School

Ann FinlaysonCommissioner Education and Capability BuildingSustainable Development Commission

Mr Richard GerverIC-ED

Amanda GreenwoodChie Executive

CDX

Benedict Hren ACS Cobham International School

Pro essor Sally InmanHead o Department o EducationDirector CCCILondon South Bank University

Terry KirkSecondary Science AdvisorNorth Yorkshire LA


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Anne LakeyExecutive Principal

The Durham Federation

Gearoid LaneCentrica plc

Mrs Antonia LeeHead o Sustainability and GeographyMaltmans Green School

Ian McGimpseyHead o EducationRSA

Tim MortonLearning or Sustainability CoordinatorRoyal Borough o Windsor & Maidenhead

Revd Pro essor Michael J ReissPro essor o Science EducationInstitute o Education, University o London

Kit RogersScience Teacher and Sustainable School Coordinator

Priestlands Secondary School

Dr David Selby, FRSAPro essor o Education or SustainabilityDirector, Centre or Sustainable FuturesUniversity o Plymouth, UK

Pro essor William ScottDirector, Centre or Research in Educationand the Environment

University o Bath

Hetan ShahChie ExecutiveDEA

Maggie SmithLecturer in EducationFaculty o Education and Language Studies

The Open University

Gillian TempleHead o Public EngagementOx am Campaigns


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The mission o WWF is to stop the degradation o the planets naturalenvironment and to build a uture in which humans live in harmony withnature by:

conserving the worlds biological diversity ensuring that the use o renewable natural resources is sustainable reducing pollution and waste ul consumption.

WWF-UK

Panda HouseWeyside ParkGodalmingSurrey GU7 1XR

Tel: +44 (0)1483 426444Fax: +44 (0)1483 426409Web: ww .org.uk/oneplaneteducation

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The Primacy of the Personal

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