Plan Challenge of studying other education systems The strengths of London schools The underlying...
-
Upload
karen-elliott -
Category
Documents
-
view
214 -
download
0
Transcript of Plan Challenge of studying other education systems The strengths of London schools The underlying...
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
BUILDING ON SUCCESS IN LONDON SCHOOLS
Saturday 8th February 2014 Institute of Education
What can schools learn from the best education systems?
Peter MortimoreFormer Director of the Institute of Education, University
of London & former Professor i pedagogik, Syddansk Universitet.
Plan • Challenge of studying other education
systems• The strengths of London schools• The underlying problems of the English
system• Some comparative data• Possible ways to improve• What next?
Challenge of studying other education systems
• Difficulties– Contexts of national history, culture and customs– Barriers of language and understanding– Limits of access
• Benefits– Realisation that there are alternatives– Observation of how schooling and society are
linked– Improved understanding of one’s own system.
The London tradition
• Pioneers like Alex Bloom• The work of the London County Council• The ILEA• The London Challenge.
Strengths of the education system• Reasonable aims• Adequate functioning• Generally good local government• Good tradition of Governing Bodies• High quality teacher education• Generally high quality of teaching • Generally good school leadership• Efficient local management of schools• Plus music, art sport & fun.
Ambiguous features
• Spending on the system - a fair distribution or cash for favourite schools and projects
• The National Curriculum• Assessment• Faith schools• The National Reading scheme• Inspection.
Weaknesses of the system
• Over-dominance of Westminster• Lack of affordable pre-school care• The market model of schooling• Impact of private schools• Selection• Children’s stress• An obsession with measuring ability.
Ability• A national obsession with sorting people by
ability• IQ scores or broader definition
[intellectual, social, emotional, physical and artistic capabilities, skill in using luck, capacity for hard work, resilience and sense of strategy]
• Need to take account of energy, curiosity, motivation, stamina, resilience etc.
• Skill of making the most of what you have• Insecurity of not knowing one’s own ability• Power of expectations.
A lesson from history• Education systems cope well with pupils coming
from relatively advantaged backgrounds• Pupils from poor family backgrounds do less well
everywhere (though exceptional individuals buck the trend)
• The achievement gap is one of education’s greatest challenges
• Some countries – like Finland - are good at reducing this gap (England did well 1950 -2000).
So how does England compare with the Nordic countries
in terms of data?
Lower secondary STR (EAG 2013 Table D2.2)
Den Fin UK Nor Swe0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
11.8
9.3 15.2 1011.3
PIRLS READING 2011Mean and achievement gap
Denmark Finland Norway Sweden England0
100
200
300
400
500
600 554 568
507542 552
85 83 83 83109
TIMSS Maths 2011Mean and achievement gap
Grade 4
Denmark Finland Norway Sweden England0
100
200
300
400
500
600537 545
495 504542
92 91 91 87122
2012 PISA Reading average scores and achievement gap
Den Fin Nor Swe UK0
100
200
300
400
500
600
495524
504483 499
113 127 131 142 129
Percentage of poor readers (below level 2)
source PISA 2012 Table 1.2.11. Vol 1, page 320
UK Den Fin Nor Swe0
5
10
15
20
25
30
21.4
16.7
10.9
20.9
25.8
Proportion of working populationwith tertiary education
(EAG 2013, Table A1.3a)
DEN FIN NOR SWE UK0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
3439 38 35
39
1
Participation in life-long learning (Eurostat – Lifelong learning 2008: % of 25-64 pop)
DEN FIN NOR SWE UK0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
30
2319
32
20
Adult average literacy proficiency(OECD Skills outlook 2013 Figs 2.2b & 2.3a)
DEN FIN NOR SWE ENG0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
270 288 274 279 270276 297 275 283 266
1
16-65 16-24
Happiness table (Bradshaw et al, 2009)
Overall rank COUNTRY
1 Netherland
2 Sweden
3 Norway
4 Iceland
5 Finland
6 Denmark
24 UK
Unicef 2012 index of relative poverty
Country %
Denmark 6.5
Finland 5.3
Norway 6.1
Sweden 7.3
UK 12.1
So how good is England’s performance?
• A mixed bag for PIRLS • Good but with achievement gap in TIMSS • Average in PISA with reducing achievement gap• High tertiary but not lifelong learning• And our children are less happy.__________________________________• The obvious question is why is it not better?• The next question is how to improve?
So what can we learn from better systems?
• Pre-school is good and school starting age is 6 or 7• Much less testing and few league tables• Less pressure on pupils, teachers and parents• Trust is highly valued• School is seen as preparation for democratic life• Life-long learning is encouraged by slower pace
and built in catch up points• Societies appear less selfish.
Possible ways forward• Immediately
– Ensure all schools have common funding, powers and governance
– Abolish league tables– Outlaw selection– Open up faith schools
• While exploring ways – To ensure all schools have a balanced intake– And a more even spread of effective teachers
• And working towards– The integration of private schools.
Conclusions• England has excellent teachers but a muddled
system• It has strengths but also weaknesses and English
school pupils appear less happy than their counterparts
• Remedies are available but politicians will ignore them unless we can persuade the public to demand change
• We must maintain our enthusiasm for education - its impact might be limited but it still represents the best hope of creating a better society.
Education under siege: why there is a better alternative
Peter Mortimore
Published by Policy Press and also available as an E book
[http://www.policypress.co.uk/]