Our Education System – Tidal waves of change

So, it’s a welcome reshuffle, out with the old, as Gavin Williamson exits his role as education secretary, and in with the new, as Nadhim Zahawi steps in after winning plaudits over the efficient and fuss-free Covid vaccine programme.

This significant and sudden change comes amidst a backdrop of uncertainty, disillusion and a lack of confidence over many of the strategic decisions, vision and expectations for schools as they travel the road of recovery post-lockdown and establish a way forward under growing pressures within their communities.

Now, there may be anticipation and eagerness for direction and clarity, but is there relief or a further tidal wave of uncertainty, as schools await the imminent spending review next month and the alignment of priorities to ensure education provision is able to deliver on the utmost needs and priorities for children and young people.

Schools aren’t strangers to tidal waves of change hitting them without warning with the expectation ever placed upon them to create decisive, coherent and measured policy and practice to ensure children’s education is at the forefront of their delivery.

But this is not without cost to staff morale and wellbeing and children’s experience in schools shaped by a pressure of exam success despite change, adversity or lack of awareness of the mental health crisis and growing levels of need of our children and young people. There is a desperate call for schools to feel listened to, consulted and for them to be led with clarity, care and a focus not just on academic success for children, but the heightened awareness for mental wellbeing to be prioritised, so that the learning environment and culture of schools are responsive, informed and strategic in their approach and implementation of policy, curriculum delivery and pastoral intervention.

The path ahead will not be without its challenges as schools are already shifting into the expectation of success criteria and data analysis with stretched budgets and a range of priority needs and as Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union, highlighted:

“The new secretary of state must be a strong advocate for schools and colleges to be given the resources and funding they need to support education recovery for all children and young people. There can be no more important priority for the future of our nation.”

It must be recognised that it isn’t just the academic recovery curriculum that needs to be at the forefront of the spending review and commitment, but also the 2017 Government green paper: Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision and the promises for resources and a strategic focus on senior mental health leads and mental health support teams in schools. The spotlight is on how this will evolve and develop so that there are significant measures, resources, strategic leadership and wider services available to schools and families and that this can be targeted and sustainable for the levels required.

The ultimate aspiration has to be for our children and young people to experience an education that provides opportunity, innovation, creativity, with a focus on wellbeing and mental health needs being met and supported so that the future generation have the means to live life to the full, to reach their own success and for us to have an education system we are proud of.

It remains to be seen now how the education policy for our nation is led and taken to fruition with the strategic vision and the implementation structure behind it.

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