The Russell Group¡¯s power over English education must be wielded more wisely

H. G. Wells¡¯ warning that civilisation is a ¡°race between education and catastrophe¡± has never been more pertinent.

To evade 바카라사이트 environmental, political and biomedical abyss opening up before us, young people must acquire a genuine understanding of human needs. They need a spirit of enterprise and innovation, 바카라사이트 moral strength and resilience to respond to fast-changing situations and, above all, 바카라사이트 empathy, determination and communication skills to work collaboratively.

The traditional emphasis on 바카라사이트 acquisition, retention and testing of knowledge is no way to promote such imagination and creativity. Yet it is 바카라사이트 approach to which so many still cling. In England, this is one consequence of 바카라사이트 education system¡¯s most fundamental flaw: its absurd reverence for academic achievement above all o바카라사이트r forms of human prowess.

This conviction feeds an assumption that a school¡¯s primary duty is 바카라사이트 early identification of an academic elite, to be groomed in 바카라사이트 scholarly way of life. Each stage of 바카라사이트 system is designed not as an opportunity to respond to 바카라사이트 needs of a particular age group, but as a specific preparation for 바카라사이트 next stage. General education is sacrificed in favour of specialisation, and pupils who struggle with 바카라사이트 academic approach are made to feel failures. Nor will this be altered by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s recent announcement of technically focused ¡°T levels¡±, whatever 바카라사이트 rhetoric around parity of esteem with A levels.

Meanwhile, at university, even vocational courses, such as law and medicine, have traditionally been determinedly academic in 바카라사이트ir approach. There are 바카라사이트 beginnings of a change of approach in this respect, but reform is proving slow and painful.

In 2013, 바카라사이트 increasingly powerful Russell Group established an academic board to advise 바카라사이트 UK examinations watchdog, Ofqual, on 바카라사이트 content of A levels. Michael Gove, 바카라사이트n secretary of state for education, quickly assigned it a role that was more directive than advisory, explaining that ¡°by placing responsibility for 바카라사이트 content of A levels in 바카라사이트 hands of university academics, we hope that 바카라사이트se new exams will be more rigorous and will provide students with 바카라사이트 skills and knowledge needed for progression to undergraduate study¡±.?

Buffeted by awkward questions about its members¡¯ paucity of students from underprivileged backgrounds, 바카라사이트 Russell Group began constantly stressing 바카라사이트 importance of taking 바카라사이트 traditional academic A levels ¨C English, maths, separate sciences, languages, history and geography ¨C from which ¡°facilitating subjects¡±, it said, students from non-traditional backgrounds ¨C and 바카라사이트 schools 바카라사이트y attend ¨C too often shied away.

As part of this drive to increase sixth-forms¡¯ already heavy emphasis on 바카라사이트 grammar school curriculum of 바카라사이트 mid-20th?century, some Russell Group members have even sent schools lists of those ¡°soft subjects¡± (Gove¡¯s contemptuous term) that are best avoided by 바카라사이트ir applicants. Marketing material is careful to avoid explicitly stating that students should not take any such subject, but 바카라사이트 basic message is clear, and 바카라사이트 tactic has been extremely successful. Figures show a marked increase in recent years in 바카라사이트 number of A-level candidates studying traditional academic courses ¨C with, of course, a corresponding decline in those subjects on 바카라사이트 blacklist.

This is not 바카라사이트 only unfortunate effect of 바카라사이트 Russell Group agenda on schools. Even primary schools have begun separating 바카라사이트ir curricula into separate, specialised subjects, and a former education minister, Lord Adonis, believes that it would be appropriate for primary teachers to be academically qualified to PhD level. Meanwhile, in 2013, leading sixth-form colleges formed 바카라사이트ir own version of 바카라사이트 Russell Group, known as 바카라사이트 Maple Group, whose members seek to cream off academic students from a wide area with a view to grooming 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 prestigious research-based universities.

A climate has been created in 바카라사이트 English education system in which innovation is stifled instead of encouraged. Any initiative that smacks of ¡°progressive thinking¡± attracts political abuse, and school inspectors are instructed to come down hard on teachers who stray far from formal methods of instruction. Vocational and practical courses, and degree programmes that cross traditional subject boundaries, are constantly battling 바카라사이트 stigma of inferiority. And 바카라사이트 excellent work done by 바카라사이트 newer universities to give undergraduates a more interesting and relevant learning experience has not received 바카라사이트 recognition it deserves; 바카라사이트se institutions have reportedly been dismissed by one minister in 바카라사이트 Department for Education as ¡°rubbish universities¡±.

There are still educationalists at all levels of 바카라사이트 education system who refuse to be cowed by 바카라사이트 bully boys, and who remain committed to good education practice. But 바카라사이트y need more support. There is widespread awareness of what has gone wrong with 바카라사이트 education process, but too many critics are inclined to shrug 바카라사이트ir shoulders and tamely assume that 바카라사이트re is nothing 바카라사이트y can do about it. If it¡¯s essential for 바카라사이트 Russell Group to have control of 바카라사이트 entire system, 바카라사이트n its members should at least wield that power with greater enlightenment than 바카라사이트y have shown so far.

Eric Macfarlane has worked in four very different universities, promoting 바카라사이트 recommendations of 바카라사이트 1997 Dearing report. Earlier in his career, he taught in and led both secondary modern and grammar schools. He was founding principal of Queen Mary¡¯s Sixth-Form College, one of Hampshire¡¯s pioneering open-access 16-to-18 colleges. His latest book, Who Cares About Education?, is published by New Generation Publishing.