In this installment, educationalist Ken Robinson calls for a transformation, rather than a reformation, of education. This transformation must come from the grass roots.
Education is a political hot button as it has economic, cultural, and social ramifications. Many governments around the world take an interest in, or even strictly control, the education system, aiming to improve standards, retain at risk youth, and address the economic needs of today. Despite many programs, including the push for standardisation, things have not improved. Education can’t be standardised because people are not standard.
Modern education emerged from the industrial revolution. Traditional education served industrial purposes, was structured in a pyramid, from basic education for all to higher education for a select few, and functioned according to industrial principles. Industrial principles emphasise conformity, compliance, and linearity, and are related to market demand. High school and higher education work as factories, task specialisation and time segmentation like a conveyor belt.
Three forms of understanding are required for transformation: “a critique of the way things are, a vision of how they should be, and a theory of change for how to move from one to the other” (p. 58). Education shouldn’t be seen as an industrial system but an organic, complex and adaptive one. Robinson translates the four principles of organic farming — health, ecology, fairness, and care — into education which cultivates. The basic purposes of education are: economic, enabling students to become economically independent; cultural, enabling students to appreciate their own cultures and respect those of others; social, enabling students to become active and compassionate citizens; and personal, enabling students to engage with their inner world.
Children are natural born learners, and play is fundamental to learning, but a depersonalised education system fails many. Personlisation means”[r]ecognizing that intelligence is diverse and multifaceted; [e]nabling students to pursue their particular interests and strengths; [a]dapting the schedule to the different rates at which students learn; [a]ssisting students in ways that support their personal progress and achievement” (p. 83).
Key to the reformation, then, are teachers. Good teachers, like gardeners, create the best conditions for growth. They fulfill three essential purposes for students: inspiration, confidence, and creativity. It is essential to balance creative, technical, contextual, and critical elements. To achieve this balance, teachers engage, enable, expect, and empower. Teacher training should require practical training with expert mentoring, study of the ideological history of teaching, various teaching movements, theories of learning, psychology, and cognitive sciences, and an understanding of education in different countries. Professional development is essential.
Reframing curriculum in terms of competencies is a good idea, and Robinson suggests eight competencies: curiosity; creativity; criticism; communication; collaboration; compassion; composure; and, citizenship. He argues that a balanced curriculum should give equal status to the disciplines of the arts, humanities, language arts, mathematics, physical education, and science. The idea of disciplines opens up the possibility of interdisciplinarity. The curriculum must be diverse, deep, and dynamic.
Teachers, principals, and parents are imperative to change. Leadership should be about climate control, rather than command and control. Some people won’t want to move — leave them alone. Partner with people who are capable of movement, and of moving.
The focus of this book is the US educational system, but there are some illustrations from countries other than the US.
For Ken Robinson’s website, click here.
Click the link for summaries of Finding Your Element and Learning to Be Creative.