PQE0041

Written evidence submitted by the Soroptimist International of Southend-on-Sea and District

We believe Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire Attributed to W B Yates [Poet 1865-1939]
 

1              The purpose of education for children of all ages

The Oxford dictionary defines education as a Process of giving or receiving systematic instruction and an enlightening experience. Education, which derives from the Latin educare – to lead out - should at all stages of their formal education in schools and colleges:

• Lead children from the known to the unknown, rather than cramming them with facts and processes their previous knowledge does not allow them to absorb

• Prepare and enthuse them for the next stage of a life long journey of learning, rather being a welcome destination that is reached when formal schooling ends

• Equip them with the appropriate skills, abilities and attitudes to empower them, and to enable them to work and to achieve their potential as confident citizens

2              The measures that should be used to evaluate the quality of education

2.1              Measures are already in place to monitor attendance and achievement against set standards and these have some relevance to measure children’s input and the outcomes of the teaching for each child at the end of Key Stages. However, by putting data into the public domain, too much emphasis is placed on results in schools, rather than individual achievements. Particularly for young children who are still developing their knowledge and have come from very different starting points, this makes for unfair comparisons.

2.2              Measures need to look longer term to evaluate success against a full range of criteria. Recording individual successes to give a picture of each child’s learning journey is more relevant than publishing results of standardised tests. Recording [which may be done by children as well as adults] needs to include:

• Knowledge – with a wider range of experiences in academic subjects. A less rigid delivery of the curriculum is needed giving more opportunities to discuss and practise strategies that promote valuable learning for life, for example about fitness and health, budgeting, catering and technology.

• Skills – For example, numerical skills should include applications to real life situations like using a bank account and domestic budgeting. Literacy skills should include how to apply for work and the enjoyment of reading around topics relevant to interests, and helpful when searching for employment or for other information. Technology skills must make young people aware of the benefits and pitfalls of using technology for communication.

• Understanding and Attitudes – The programmes about living together as citizens in England need revising and pulling together to emphasise teamwork, responsibilities – personal, community-wide, national - and appropriate relationships [a statutory programme of PSHE for all could cover this]

3              How well the education system performs against these measures

3.1              Our educational measures focus too heavily on academic abilities and do not measure skills and attitudes.

3.2              At Key Stage 3 and 4 employers are not sufficiently involved in formulating the skills and attitudes required for employment now and in the future e.g. technology, lifestyle roles.

Once the right things are in place in our education system, evaluation processes can be more focussed, and flexible to fit the aims and goals for each child.

January 2016