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    • Archive for September, 2011

    Tackling literacy is not so simple

    Posted on Sep 30, 2011 06:00:41 PM

    Literacy among the adult population needs dicussing, and the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) is pleased that The Guardian is highlighting the issue.

    A recent NIACE inquiry into adult literacy found that those with the poorest literacy skills have been helped least over the past 10 years, and that we need a range of ways to help them improve their skills.

    But it is important not to reduce a complex issue to a simple problem that can be easily fixed. People with poor literacy need to be taught by qualified and experienced teachers. Of course they can be supported by union learning reps and other champions. They can be helped by peers, friends and families.

    But it is highly unlikely that someone who is illiterate will learn to read by using a paperback book for a couple of hours a week, one-on-one, in six months or less. Would you want your children taught in that way?

    Tackling literacy is not simple. It needs ongoing investment, creativity and commitment. There is

    still a huge amount of work to do in schools, in post-16 education, and with adults, many of whom are in the workplace.

    Westfield is to be applauded, along with many other employers, for the steps they have taken. As should the publishing industry for the pioneering work it has done through the quick reads initiative.

    There is a big role here for parents and carers too, as research shows that a child’s achievement is influenced more by parental involvement in learning than any other factor.

    Adults are very rarely illiterate, but at least one-in-five need help to develop their confidence in reading, writing and speaking.

    This requires a range of approaches – not least to attract those who hated school and dread the thought of going back to learning.

    We need to work together to offer a range of the right opportunities for adults to gain the confidence they need to succeed and to encourage their children to do the same.

    We owe it to those we have, collectively as a society, let down so badly to give them the best learning experience we possibly can.

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    Core subjects are key to education reform

    Posted on Sep 29, 2011 06:05:05 PM

    Exams

    Maths, English, single sciences, a language and history until 16 should be combined with an A-level Baccalaureate. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA

    The indicators are not good. This week’s OECD performance measures, Education at a Glance, suggests the east is starting to overtake the west in skills. In the PISA league tables, the UK has dropped to 28th in maths while the Asian tigers hold the top spots. Today, five Conservative MPs set out what can be done in After the Coalition, a new book which suggests an agenda for the future of the Conservative party. We do not believe that falling down international league tables is inevitable. But to arrest decline, a radical change in our attitude to education is required.

    The British education debate frequently focuses on how the ability or background of students has an effect on their attainment and outcomes. Some argue for a “mixed” catchment so that peers can have a positive influence, others argue for wholesale selection so that bright students from low-income backgrounds can benefit. Bright, low-income students do need a clearer path to success, but a system has to reward work as well as flair.

    In the most successful countries, Canada and Germany for example, all students are required to work hard to “pass the year”, and if they don’t there is the sanction of being held back. Those who work hard and achieve can progress faster through the system, for example taking a harder maths class or additional courses in new subjects. Britain should adopt this “escalator” policy to motivate students to work.

    Many students cut off career options at 14 when they drop critical subjects such as the single sciences and modern languages. The numbers studying these subjects has plummeted in the last decade. Those from low income backgrounds have been worst affected; only 24 per cent of students on free school meals took a language at GCSE.

    In the modern world a core general education is a requirement of most employers and universities. Virtually all the countries that bypass Britain in league tables specify these subjects until 16, including Canada, France and Germany. We should and must expect more. A rigorous core including maths, English, single sciences, a language and history until 16 should be combined with an A-level Baccalaureate of high quality A-levels that gives students a clear signal about what universities want. A strong technical or arts Bacc with employer or institutional sponsorship should also be available for 16- to 18-year-olds. This will provide students with a clear path to success.

    The current examination system is costly and lacks public trust. We are the only country in the world with an “independent regulator” because the structure is so complex. I am a free marketer, but this is no free market with heavy government specification and perverse incentives. The competition has been to try and lower the bar.

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