Who should direct education policy: politicians or educationalists?

Before 1988, schools had education freedom. The freedom to control the UK curriculum. Schools were trusted to teach what they felt was 'right' and important for their pupils.

Since the 1988 Education Act, education legislation has been under Government control. The politicians, who in many cases have a non-education background, have made the final decisions regarding the education of our future generations. Those children who started school in 1988 are now in their mid thirties. Did they receive a better education than their parents? What is a good education?

 Education policymaking

Educationalists have continued to advise, but in many cases their ideas and advice has been dismissed as the politicians make decisions based on ideology and personal experience. An example is the great work and dedication of Mick Waters in advising how to develop the curriculum. Michael Gove was the ultimate example of how personal views impacted on education. David Laws, the Lib Dem's former Minister for Schools (and now head of the Education Policy Institute) stated in a Guardian interview that the quality of education policymaking is and has been poor.  

No one can ever dispute the importance of education. However education is, and has been for a long time, seen as important in gaining 'votes' and achieving political goals. This is evident in the lead up to the 2017 election and the link with school budget cuts.

‘Those who control what young people are taught, and what they experience - what they see, hear, think and believe - will determine the future course for the nation' - Blaker 2003 

 Aligning to requirements

Education policy is a tool that has been used to ensure it 'spreads the word', controls knowledge and has the appropriate political outcome. Assessments (testing and exams), curriculum, teacher standards and school inspections are the key instruments in ensuring political control. Think through the last decades of educational change. Ofsted inspections, teacher competency, naming and shaming of schools with regard to inspection outcomes and performance tables.  Ofsted inspections in primary schools have changed the curriculum, although maybe unintentionally. Schools will align to how they are measured. If they are judged on maths and reading, their curriculum will align to those requirements.

'The complexity of the individual learner is ignored through the insistence of a system that the learner conforms as defined by political intervention' - Guinier & Torres 2003 

Political policy over the past few decades has failed to recognise the social, moral and political changes that have been happening in society. 'Guiding' education policy on how things are taught rather than why things are taught. Using SATs results and Ofsted inspections as a tool to implement political policies and affect educational direction. 

Teaching is not modelled on pedagogy. Primary curriculum skewed, narrowed and unbalanced in favour of time allocated to the two tested subjects of maths and English – Boyle 2006 

 Recent Ofsted research

I am pleased that Amanda Spielman, Ofsted's Chief Inspector, discussed findings from recent research into the primary and secondary curriculum. 

• "Schools in England are focusing on tests and exams, rather than giving pupils a good grounding in a wide range of subjects. A good school curriculum should lead to good exam results." This is true, but a curriculum builds skills over time and therefore will achieve long term results. The Government wants 'quick' short term gains
• "Testing in school clearly has value." No one can deny schools and pupils need to be measured, but she is encouraging schools in England to focus less on drilling pupils through past papers and more on widening their knowledge and horizons. I totally agree, but schools are not practicing papers to improve knowledge and understanding, they are practicing exam technique. The ability of the pupil to confidently 'sit' and complete an exam. An athlete may practice and train individually, but needs to practice and mentally prepare for race conditions. They may be an elite athlete, but may not perform under race conditions.
• "Good examination results in and of themselves don't always mean that the pupil received rich and full knowledge from the curriculum". Will that mean school Ofsted judgements will not be so heavily influenced by the performance in maths, reading and writing. Especially in areas of deprivation, where so much work is unseen and has to be taught as foundations to ensure future success in the measured.
• "Teaching to the test, rather than teaching the full curriculum, leaves a pupil with a hollowed-out and flimsy understanding." No one can deny, learning is about building a solid structure, based on solid foundations. Some pupils need far deeper foundations than others as their learning is built on a very fragile base. 
• "Less academic children being particularly hard-hit if schools drop subjects such as art to focus on core ones'. For those less academic children are still being judged on their English and maths even though they may have made amazing progress emotionally and socially.
• "Restricted subject choice for low-attaining pupils disproportionately affects pupils from low-income backgrounds." Those from low income backgrounds need opportunities and a curriculum to let them succeed and blossom in areas that are not measured by testing. 

'Test scores correlate with parental income rather than actual student performance'  - Guinier and Torres 2003

The line in the sand has been drawn

Ms Spielman has now expressed her views, but are they the views of an individual or those of the political machine? In the past, Ofsted has been regarded as the tool to enforce Government policy. Ms Spielman in her high-profile role is expressing her views that seem to be gaining increasing respect within the teaching profession. 

The school curriculum is the responsibility of the Department for Education and the politicians. They state that schools should provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all children, but at the same time more primary school pupils are achieving the expected standard of a rigorous primary curriculum. Why are schools increasing results? They are now concentrating on ensuring the curriculum is aligned to achieved the desired measured outcomes.

Roll on the next round of school Ofsted inspections and their outcomes as the 'visitors' look at the curriculum and make their judgments.

One thing we do know is inevitable as the DFE and Ofsted reposition 'the goalposts' with regard to political power. Teachers will be left to pick up the pieces of the educational reform, while ministers come and go. 

Why did you decide to become a teacher? Tell us now in our quick poll.

You can read more from me regarding my views and opinions on education right here on the InfoMentor blog. You can also find out more about InfoMentor which is a teaching and learning resource that has been specifically designed to make life easier for schools by reducing workload for the modern teacher.