Leadership

Educating For The Modern World

This CBI/Pearson Education and skills annual report says that education is the number one driver of productivity, business, and economic prosperity. But more than this, a world-class education system is essential for social justice and a fairer society.

According to the report, four in five businesses plan to maintain or increase their spending on training, but there has been a sharp drop in apprenticeship programmes because of the Apprenticeship Levy. Worryingly, the number of businesses engaged with schools or colleges is down by almost 10% – something that must reverse if the education system is to prepare young people for the modern world and work.

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      string(3304) "The report represents 28,000 businesses and reveals that 85% of firms are expecting to maintain or increase investment in training in their workforce. Currently UK employers spend £44.2 billion on training expenditure each year. When asked about the impact of the apprenticeship levy, the report highlighted a drop in the number of firms offering apprenticeship programmes (from 83% in 2017 to 70% in 2018). 59% of those firms that offer such programmes have experienced difficulty in recruiting apprentices or expect to do so in the next three years. And over a quarter (26%) have taken the decision to absorb the levy as an added cost of doing business. Business engagement with young people in education reduced from 81% in 2017 to 75% in 2018. Encouragingly, two-thirds of respondents (65%) want to play a greater role in supporting schools and colleges. Key Findings: The apprenticeship levy must be reformed to include: Allowing use of funds to cover a wider range of costs for training (59%) Greater flexibility in spending levy funds including their transfer and pooling (51%) Less bureaucracy to make the system more responsive and more user-friendly (47%). Key T-level survey findings: 41% of employers think T-levels are important as part of developing technical qualifications fit for the future Given their early stage, it is unsurprising that 42% of companies were unaware of T-levels, demonstrating the importance of better communication of these reforms to employers Nearly two-thirds (64%) of businesses largely or wholly unaware of 45-day work placement element of T-levels. The top three ways businesses currently engage include visiting schools (83%), offering information about apprenticeships and traineeships (70%) and giving careers advice and talks (68%). The top two reasons firms struggle to engage with schools include: 48% of firms say that there is too little guidance/support on how to make encounters worthwhile for young people 47% find processes difficult and time consuming (including DBS checks and health and safety requirements) 81% of employers indicated that readiness for work is one of their three most important considerations when recruiting school and college leavers. 87% of businesses that employ graduates have maintained or increased their levels of graduate recruitment over the last year. 54% of those firms with ties to higher education have increased their engagement over the past year, with just 6% cutting back. 62% of firms are expecting to retrain at least some employees to take up new roles in the year ahead, with over half of those businesses identifying new technologies or new services driving the need to retrain Nearly nine in ten (87%) anticipate upskilling employees in their current roles during next 12 months. The single most common driver behind upskilling is the need for employees to acquire new skills/knowledge to raise productivity (reported by 74%) followed by the introduction of new technologies or services (63%). WEB LINK Educating For The Modern WorldKeywords Education, modern world, higher-skilled roles, vacancies, investment in training, workforce, apprenticeships "
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Leadership

Educating For The Modern World

7 Nov 2018

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      string(372) "... and levels in the Framework     · Ensure that accredited courses place greater emphasis on enabling pupils to understand the changing social significance of religion in the modern world    · When reviewing the Framework, consider whether the two attainment targets for RE are an effective basis for planning and assessment.Local authorities, in ..."
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      string(613) "A report on religious education in schools and the impact of locally agreed syllabuses.  
Recent world events have raised the profile of religious education significantly and schools have new responsibilities to promote community cohesion. Those with responsibility for RE therefore have the task of ensuring that children and young people are able to make sense of religion in the modern world and issues of identity and diversity. This report looks at the progress made in enhancing the provision for religious education in recent years.

Folder: Leadership Briefings Issue 2.08 (20)"
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      string(2601) "become the statutory basis for locally agreed syllabuses, allowing for some local determination of specific content to reflect local circumstances· the Framework could become the basis for the inclusion of RE within the National Curriculum· Consider ways in which SACREs might be enabled to play a stronger role in promoting the priorities of community cohesion and educating for diversity.The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) should:· Develop further guidance to support the effective use of the Framework in constructing agreed syllabuses· Provide further opportunities for SACREs to share good practice    · Extend the range of accredited courses for RE to ensure that the needs of all students are met    · Secure greater continuity and progression in RE for the 11 to 19 years age group by aligning the assessment criteria for accredited courses with the attainment targets and levels in the Framework     · Ensure that accredited courses place greater emphasis on enabling pupils to understand the changing social significance of religion in the modern world    · When reviewing the Framework, consider whether the two attainment targets for RE are an effective basis for planning and assessment.Local authorities, in partnership with their SACREs, need to:· Consider ways in which SACREs can be better supported to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities effectively    · Use the Framework rigorously in reviewing their agreed syllabus, and thoroughly assess the impact of their existing syllabus on standards and the quality of planning and assessment    · Consider how the work of SACREs might support further the promotion of community cohesion and educating for diversity.Secondary schools should:· Improve the quality of curriculum planning and assessment, particularly at Key Stage 3    · Use their locally agreed syllabus more systematically and effectively to improve provision for RE.Primary schools should:· Improve the quality of teachers’ RE subject knowledge    · Focus on RE in the course of whole-school development work, where appropriate.All schools should:· Ensure that RE contributes strongly to pupils’ understanding of the changing role of religion, diversity and community cohesion.Providers of ITT should:· Strengthen the arrangements for selecting and training RE subject mentors to ensure that trainees receive high quality training.NotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Questions PublishingDate CreatedJuly 2007Enquiries to:rchima@qiis.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Making Sense Of Religion

9 Jul 2007

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      string(4681) "13Reference………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Future schools: theprofessional developmentchallengePaul Clarke poses startling questions about the nature of improvement, the purposeof education and the viability of the society we are preparing children for. He says thatwhilst we need to consider our hopes for the future, these are defined by what we dotoday, with a new emphasis on professional development in terms of growth and service.What has drawn the modern world into being is astrange, almost occult yearning for the future. Themodern mind longs for the future as the medievalmind longed for heaven. Wendell Berry (1977) TheUnsettling of America p.56■■■ The future begins now!One of the frequently heard claims about school andcommunity improvement and their accompanyingregeneration programmes is that they will pave theway for a better future, and a brighter tomorrow1.In education speak this translates into the form ofour bright new buildings bringing about a smarterworkforce, a more literate generation of youth,leading to a population more suited to a knowledgeeconomy. But what drives these utopian dreams isnot the aspiration for individual emancipation; ifthat were so then we would be educating our youngpeople to deviate and challenge convention. So wehave to ask ourselves what is all this improvement for?Likewise, there is little point in educating our youngpeople so that they can become the latest cohort ofconsumers hell-bent on exploiting and draining thefinite resources we have at our disposal. Little point ineducating our population for what effectively comesdown to ecological genocide. Much of modern living isbased upon the myth, perpetuated by any of a numberof professions and services ranging from education,to business to politics – promising ‘things can onlyget better’.The future as it is conceived in education andeducational reform, has our modern world in a tight,totalitarian knot. It is often presented to us in a formthat suggests we can neither avoid its arrival, nor,seemingly, step onto a different track to meet it. Thetension of the knot is created through industrialization,our complete dependency upon the belief that through1. Almlov and Moberg 2008Future schools: the professional development challenge ■■■■■14…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….“This preoccupationwith the ‘new,’ meansthat we abandonthe adequate orthe acceptable inpreference for thelatest version ”this industrialization all of our lives will get better. Thisis the modern day opiate of the people; it transcendsnational boundaries and forms the fundamentalview of economy, that industrialized commerce andproduction are the route, and the only route to thePromised Land. It is a vision of the future that bindstogether the collective global modern mind; it leadsus to believe that all the cars and planes, cookers andcomputers, ipods and ipads, hoodies and trainers, andproduce of every kind are all mere prototype versionsof their final future-perfect form. This preoccupationwith the ‘new,’ means that we abandon the adequateor the acceptable in preference for the latest version.For example: my operating system on my computer,prompts me every time I start up themachine, telling me that I need toupdate my software, but my needs aremet perfectly adequately with what Ialready have installed, on a machinethat is more than three years old andde facto obsolete.Education is locked into the verysame mode of thinking. We havegrown accustomed to ‘BuildingSchools for the Future’ and EveryChild Matters in the UK, or No Child Left Behind inthe USA. Worldwide national systems for schooling arelocking into the effective improvement model. It is apowerful toxin, and it plays on the public imaginationas personal choice, and on the professional mind asperformance culture, it defines our plans, and it drivesour spending habits in such projects"
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Professional Development

Future schools: the professional development challenge

22 Jul 2010

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      string(355) "... tedious task they are forced todo. This idea of  being pressured intorevising and learning creates a levelof  reluctance for many young people.However, in a modern day learningenvironment it is important to moveaway from this ideal. Education canbe fun, empowering and motivating;providing it is delivered in the correctway.”Communicate ..."
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      string(5600) "Technology FeatureEducating through a medium with appealICT is a fundamental and infinitely valuable tool within today’s educationenvironment. Students now have regular access to advanced technologies,across many areas of the curriculum. But is it always used to its potential? MikeWilkinson explores how ICT can be utilised to maximise the learning journey ofyoung people – and equip them with skills the will need for their future.contributed effectively tolearners’ personal development,helping them to develop theskills of  working independentlyand cooperatively.Taking the tedious out oflearningThe most effective way to reachyoung people and ensure thatthey are educated in a positivelearning environment is to strive tocommunicate with them in a way theycan understand and which nurturespersonal development. Rather thanThe inclusion of  ICT withineducation is an ideal way toachieve innovative learning.According to a recent reportconducted by Ofsted report,called Importance of  ICT,looks at evidence taken frominspections of  ICT in 177maintained schools. It foundthat students almost alwaysenjoyed working with ICT andwere engaged by tasks thatenabled them to do so.Moreimportantly the report alsorevealed that using ICTmaintaining rigid and traditionalmeans of  education which draws ontextbooks and a teacher lecturing atthe front of  the class, why not connectwith learners via a medium that theyunderstand; that of  ICT. As reportedby FutureLab in its 2009 ComputerGames, Schools and Young People report,“Games are viewed as cultural forms,not just as a sophisticated technology.What this means is that the playingof  computer games has become asignificant social and cultural activity”.This research demonstrates thesignificance of  technology and gaming http://www.teachingtimes.comTechnology Featurewithin society; it has extended frombeing a form of  entertainment toestablishing itself  as an integral partof  life for many and something bywhich a number of  people structuretheir identity. It therefore seemslogical and valuable to exploit thepower of  technology and apply itsability to engage young people to theireducation.I recently spoke with Nick Wall,an ICT leader from HaltwhistleCommunity Campus Upper Schooland he concurs: “A number ofstudents unfortunately have a negativeperception of  learning and view itas a tedious task they are forced todo. This idea of  being pressured intorevising and learning creates a levelof  reluctance for many young people.However, in a modern day learningenvironment it is important to moveaway from this ideal. Education canbe fun, empowering and motivating;providing it is delivered in the correctway.”Communicate in a languagethat learners comprehendIncorporating ICT with games intoeducation can be an even morevaluable way of  applying an appealingelement of  learning. In some instancesteachers are daunted by the inclusionof  gaming, and many think that thismay open a dangerous minefieldwhich could result in children notactually completing any work, insteadjust being disruptive and unruly.However, realistically this is nottypically the case.With effective games basedlearning resources students are notable to simply play games – theyhave to answer questions correctlybefore this can happen, which meanstheir understanding of  a subject isconstantly improving. With studentsable to access many resources viamobile devices, including mobilephones, this enables their learning totake place when convenient. Childrencould be sitting on the bus on theirway to school and rather than theirtime being wasted, it is effectivelyutilised. The same way that a childmight log on to their phone to play agame they’d play for entertainment,they can still do this but the game theyare playing has the added benefit ofaiding their learning.Providing a reward for successis a brilliant way to commend an http://www.teachingtimes.comTechnology Featureindividual for their successes andrecognise that they have performedwell. As the children work throughanswering questions correctly, theyunlock levels and progress throughthe stages. This provides a motivatingand inspiring learning experience andmeans that students truly becomeengaged. It is not a case however, ofsimply adding games-led computerbased learning into education, butensuring that this is done so in aplausible and useful way.Games should draw on areas andtopics that children can understandand relate to. Nick revealed: “Whatis brilliant with a resource such as iam learning is the way that it linksto different themes and topics, theycan aspire to be as good as TomDaley in the Dive 2012 game, whilstin Aargh! Aliens! they can protectthe planet from an alien invasion.The competition element is a greatmotivator – after completing a teststudents can compare their gameresults with fellow learners, both atschool and from around the world. Inorder to improve their game score,they need to do further tests andanswer more questions correctly – theperfect motivation tool. Teachers canalso create their own tests – so no moregroans when revising for a spellingtest! An effective resource should trulyappeal to its learners and provide apositive link between both educationand entertainment.”Skills for the futureWith so many jobs now requiring thebasic ICT skills, it has never beenmore important for learners to obtainawareness of  technology and beable to complete simple tasks usinga computer. Including ICT basedlearning in a student’s education ina fun way facilitates this to happen,whilst also improving the skillsrequired"
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Digital Learning

Educating through a medium with appeal

18 Mar 2010