“Why education policy debates need a sociological voice”
21 Mar
By General Secretary Deborah Lawson
An interesting article, “Why education policy debates need a sociological voice” on the IOE blog, warns government that education is part of the solution to social inequality, not the only solution, important as it is.
It is time for government to take this on board and have realistic expectations of the education system, instead of blaming teachers and schools when education does not solve the issue of social imbalance.
The whole school team of teachers, teaching assistants and wider support staff are happy to contribute to the solution and want to make a difference to the lives of pupils – something which is the overwhelming motivation for most of the education team – but it is unrealistic to expect them to be the saviours of social inequality when there are so many other factors in play which influence pupils outside of the school gate.
Do let us know your thoughts…
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On TES website: ‘Care as much as you like: it doesn’t mean you understand teaching’
https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/care-much-you-it-doesnt-mean-you-understand-teaching
Good points well made in this article by Joe Nutt.
Teachers want to teach. They understand all too well the other social, welfare and economic factors which impact on their pupils in and outside of school.
We know that the reason that most teachers enter the profession is because they want to make a difference. They can and do make a difference. Education is part of the solution and not the mythical silver bullet that will re balance society.
“Education policy ‘key to social mobility drive'” (BBC News) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36894931