An Oxford School of Thought report on prospective education provision and policy
A vision for the
future of primary education
A vision for the future of primary schools gives a view of where we are now, where we should be, how we get there, why it’s important we get there, and makes some suggestions for the relevant policy changes.
Introduction
When education issues are addressed by politicians the tendency is to discuss outcomes only in terms of GCSEs and A levels, often with regard to PISA comparisons with other nations. There is frequently little consideration or understanding of the importance of early years and primary education – the years which provide the foundations for attitudes to learning , skills, and knowledge.
State funding reinforces this view with more spent per capita as children progress through the education system and the adult-child ratio widens as children grow older. An implicit component of many of the suggestions made here is that funding should be substantially improved for early years and primary schools to emphasise that all stages of learning are of equal standing. Improved government funding for nurseries and early years provision generally, is vital for the future of the nation and has the potential to be economically self-sufficient over a relatively short time span.
Our concern is, as Paul Goodman put it in his 1960 book Growing Up Absurd, that people have “ceased to be able to imagine alternatives”. The current education system is widely accepted and “is the only possibility of society, for nothing else is thinkable… there are no alternatives. And when one cannot think of anything to do, soon one ceases to think at all”.
A vision for the future of primary schools gives a view of where we are now, where we should be, how we get there, why it’s important we get there, and makes some suggestions for the relevant policy changes.
We have tried to imagine alternatives.
The layering of educational provision
For decades we have added layer upon layer onto existing educational structures and provision. Our future depends upon maximising the talents we have available to react to a world where the needs are changing all the time.
What provision can guarantee this equality of opportunity? How can we avoid creating layer upon layer of policies which stultify progress, and ultimately deny the potential of our learners? An equitable rationale needs to be developed which breaks down the differences between regions; and mean deprived and privileged backgrounds become of minimal importance.
It has been shown that high quality early years support has a significant impact upon later educational outcomes and a stimulating learning environment from the moment they are children facilitates this. The opportunity for high quality education must be considered a right for all children, as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 28.
The primary importance of learning
To maximise the early educational opportunities for the next generation, one which needs to be ready to face a very changed economic, societal and working environment, three key areas need to be addressed:
Learning context – for social, cultural and economic reasons, it is important that the facilities, buildings and services available and a good school are integral to the wider culture of the community. In addition, recent experiences in the pandemic have highlighted the need for a system of support for each home which encourages good learning opportunities for all.
The learning environment needs to move beyond a primarily knowledge based education system to one which actively encourages social interaction, collaborative skills and creative thinking to achieve objectives. This requires a rigorous and clearly focussed programme of learning approach to the education journey which retains the self-directed learning of the Early Years and removes the many downsides of the high-stakes testing regime. This should also be a system which is based on positive values, enquiry and creativity as well as the involvement of the young person in evaluating their own progress.
Learning resources are now predominantly digitally based. The capacity to manipulate digital information often more than matches the ability to turn the page of a book, well before children can decipher the print. The fundamentals of learning to read need to be suited to each child (not limited to only one option) and take into account the complexities of the English language. Furthermore we must ensure that comprehensive access to technology is better embedded in the learning environment.
These three principles are fundamental to restructuring our education system but there are specific policy changes throughout this paper which aim to provide focus and direction. These key policy changes include:
The creation of well funded and provisioned learning hubs – including Sure Start Centres, early years nursery provision, and improvements in community resources.
The elimination of high-stakes tests, replaced with diagnostic testing internal to the school and bringing parents in as a part of the process
The formation of a strategic education task force – building on the recommendations of the G20 Education Ministers Meeting – including representatives experts who can advance values-based education to help develop ethical intelligence
The design of a broad primary curriculum which delivers enquiry based learning and a modular approach
The removal of the emphasis on restrictive synthetic phonics systems as the only mechanism for learning to read, and restore programmes focusing on critical reading and thinking, and creative writing
A minimum provision of a laptop for every child in every primary school as well as equity of digital support such as – resources for those who lack them, support for those who need it and mentorship for those who are gifted and talented