FED YOUNG LEARNERS COUNCIL AT No 10 HELPING TO SHAPE EDUCATION THINKING

The FED's extensive and wide-ranging consultation process takes into account the widest span of stakeholder voices in the largest qualitative research project ever undertaken across the English education system.?In July this 2 year consultation will be complete and distil its qualitative findings into a unique quantitative database.

Our workstream steering groups and series of stakeholder councils have helped generate, sequence and evaluate by ‘listening’ to stakeholders opinion and provide opportunities to share opinions and access policy makers.

We are particularly proud of our FED Learners Council?- a group of some 30 young people and students aged 16-25, including also some learners later in life who represent a range of collective interests for the future of education in England. They are young people who are?passionate about the role of education in improving the lives of young people, communities and wider society.

Since?Autumn 2021?this group have been contributing views not only to the national consultation but also sector bodies such as OFSTED.?Last week they were invited into No 10 Downing Street to share their views.

The meeting aimed to explore young people’s agency and voice in bringing about change, including through a long-term planning framework for education, and to discuss how learners could be more involved in shaping their education in this context. It aimed to discuss how Government could have a more regular dialogue with young people.

Amongst many points made were?“If young people could shape the curriculum, there would be far more passion to learn.”?–?“Students are being told: “Your options don’t matter, this is how we do it.” –?“Young people of colour shouldn’t feel the responsibility of educating other young people on issues facing their communities, the curriculum should do that.”-?“Children are being told to pick, but their pathway is chosen for them.”?–?“We need to understand that children need room for growth, and are not a set package from the get go”-?“We must equip young people for life post-education.”

Amongst the proposals put forward by members of the Learners Council were the inclusion of students on all school Governing Bodies and the creation of a Youth Steering Group at the Department for Education.??Rory Gribbell - No.10 Senior Policy Adviser commented following the meeting that “It was a genuine pleasure. They are such an impressive bunch”.

In the same way, a reminder that our other FED Stakeholder Councils have joined the debate on a long-term plan for education and contributed a wide range of views to the forthcoming 2022 FED report.?

As we come to the close of the cycles of workstream meetings this month, we would also like to thank all those workstream steering group members who have worked tirelessly to bring their expertise to the thinking on a much-needed long-term plan for education in this country.

?To hear some of the workstream co-chairs talking about their work visit our website and hear?Essie North talk about workstream 1,?Emma Knights talk about workstream 2,?Lizzie Watts talk about workstream 3?and?Al Kingsley talk about workstream 4.

As we pursue a national agenda for the need to create a long-term plan in education, our workstreams are increasingly recognizing the importance of?PLACE.

Workstream 3 is increasingly of the view that tackling literacy and numeracy is important but not enough.? Social mobility requires much more than this. Different regions have different needs - a central approach cannot address these specific localised needs.?

In this context, we were delighted to see the work in the South West?see here??being commended by?Sir Michael Barber?Chancellor of Exeter University and?Professor?Tanya Ovenhope?from Plymouth Marjon University both involved with the work of the FED. We have this month also engaged with the exciting work being carried out by?Place Matters?-?a partnership committed to?accelerating the impact of?place-based change through learning?chaired by our Advisory Council member?Dame Julia Cleverdon.

It is so important that the FED continues to develop its role and the space for combining expertise and for sharing ideas.