REFORM OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR - AN OPEN LETTER TO GAVIN WILLIAMSON

1st February 2021

To: The Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Gavin Williamson

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 LET US BE BOLD AND USE THIS COVID MISERY TO EFFECT MUCH NEEDED CHANGE IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM

 It is often said that out of a disastrous circumstance, opportunity beckons. No one can doubt the appalling impact of Covid on all sectors of our (global) society. My focus here is on the education sector, public examinations this year and to look ahead. We are facing an unprecedented situation and the way out seems opaque, particularly to our political leaders. I believe the solution is staring us in the face if we are brave enough to grasp the nettle of real change. The best solution to the current academic year and public examinations is simple: delay its end, not by three weeks or whatever, rather by 6 months; and from this we can actually change the whole academic year calendar and reform other areas too at the same. We should not be daunted by this challenge but excited by it.

Examinations 

At the moment there is a depressing level of confusion and uncertainty around the formal assessment of children at the end of Years 11 and 13, let alone KS2 SATs for 11 year olds, and more broadly for our university students. The solution is actually rather simple: end the current academic year 2020-21 in December and postpone the start of the traditional summer examinations to early/mid November. Enough of minimalist tinkering. 

The disruption to the learning of every student since March last year has been incalculable. It has also highlighted and grown the discrepancies between the ‘haves’ and ‘havenots’. I am in awe of what teachers and school leaders have had to cope with and have the deepest sympathy for all children over the last four terms in the disruption of their basic right to a decent education. I am also deeply moved by the heroism of so many parents trying to juggle working from home with educating from home at the same time. To be fair, amidst a plethora of indecision and U turns, the government has made significant efforts to mitigate some technological inequalities by giving out hundreds of thousands of laptops (though this has raised issues of home internet access for many), and has provided more funding for Schools and Colleges (perhaps not on lunches). Our students need to have an extended year in school to enable them to catch up. We can use this to reset our whole academic year for the future. It would not be that difficult either. 

By ending the current year in December, not July, schools would have the chance to catch up on what has been undoubtedly missed in student learning and it would help to mitigate some of the terrible inequalities that have grown in the last year. The fact is that students learn best in school. We can vaccinate our Society back to some sort of normality by the summer (hopefully earlier) and so schools can function normally for the best part of this calendar year IF we end it in December. But with this postponement comes the (overdue) chance for systemic change. 

Change the whole academic calendar year 

We have the opportunity to bring our school and university year into the 21st century. We currently operate an academic year on one borne from the 19th century. The long summer breaks enabled the harvest to be gathered in; children could be at home for a very long period over the summer because more often than not one parent (usually the mother) stayed at home. Times have changed but the structure has not. I am pretty certain that if we were able to recalibrate the academic year and start afresh, we would not put final public examinations at one of the nicest times of the year: students should be outside as much as possible, not cooped up studying for end of year tests and examinations, sitting them in often unpleasant conditions. More controversially, if we were to redistribute holidays more evenly across the calendar year, the summer break need not be quite so long? But most importantly, let us start with the new academic year beginning in January. 

First, if we were to do this, then we could look at changing the three term model and in fact we can still have a decent break in the summer (5 weeks?). Secondly, by starting public examinations in early/mid November, we could (and should) have post qualification entry to University with these starting their academic year in mid/late January. Thirdly, we could also use this reset to change the way in which we assess students over their two year public examination courses: for example through more continuous assessment, coursework as well as using terminal (sic) examinations for some of their assessment. Fourthly, we could also use technology far more in the assessment process and end the practice of hand writing so many examinations. We bring up – demand - our children to be technologically literate and then examine them in a completely outdated fashion. It needs changing and I genuinely believe these plans are not that radical. I am sure there are other areas we should examine, but I do not wish to overload the DfE/Ofqual at this stage. 

Part of our current problem is our mindset. We, our parents, their parents and those before were educated with the year starting in September. It is what we have always done and known, and we seem to see solutions as limited by the current structure. But surely we must all agree that post qualification entry to University is the right thing to do and that if we started with a blank sheet of paper on Planet Zog, we would not come up with the current academic year structure? Changing it may seem anathema; but we need to do so. 

Let us use this Covid misery to change things for the better and give students, teachers and society a coherent exit strategy and one fit for this century. Step up please, Mr Williamson, and let's see some real leadership. Dare to be Bold.

Mark Eagers