General Secretary Blog : What is Education For?

Industrial action might be foremost in many of your minds at the moment. The ongoing Soulbury pay dispute is certainly taking priority in our work at this time. Strikes across the public sector are drawing lots of attention from the media. Unions have never been more relevant and it's never been so great to be part of the movement -  Heart Unions Week (13 – 17 February) was a great way to celebrate! Thanks to those of you who shared your comments and love for b

Having painted that backdrop, this month’s blog is not going to be about striking, fair pay or workers’ rights (or rather, not really...)

Inn between many meetings and conversations with sister unions this month, I have also been involved in a series of ‘workshops’ being run by the Department of Education around SEND and Alternative Provisions. These workshops have an agreed confidentiality - which means that I can’t tell you the content of those discussions. However, one thing I believe I can share is a comment posted by a parent representative in the 'chat' following something I said.

‘@Cath Lowther - you are my new favourite person!’

I didn’t think I had said anything particularly ground breaking, but this heartfelt endorsement by a parent with lived experience of our education system was so uplifting. It made me reflect on my words, and their impact spoken as an Educational Psychologist. I brought to the table our bread and butter – psychologically informed and person-centred observation. My comment drew on the evidence around the factors known to contribute to positive mental health: a sense of belonging, grounding in one’s community, meaning in life, self-determination – some of the ‘ordinary’ experiences that we all need access to.

These are some of the core points our education system, and the ways in which we meet the needs of all children and young people, must embrace.

I have just started reading the book Inadequate by Priya Lakhani, on the recommendation of a Trainee Educational Psychologist who is embarking on doctoral research around young people’s views of our education system. In the first chapter, Lakhani writes,
‘There is no honest conclusion other than that our efforts at reforming the current [education] system have taken us as far as they probably can, and it’s time to start over’
She then reflects that to ‘start over’ there is a need to identify a focus for that revision. ‘What is education for?’ is a question that has been posed to me by many when discussing the AEP’s priority to campaign for a review of our education system. 'What education is for' is something we need to further examine, but Lakhani’s suggestion chimes well:

Schools should provide children with opportunity and choice when they leave formal education. This includes a solid knowledge base, but also the skills, attitudes and characteristics that will help them succeed. They require solid citizenship skills, as well as the resilience and tools to deal with new challenges, such as mental health issues, social media, automation of jobs in certain sectors, and further unknown challenges on the horizon. Above all, kids should be safe and happy.  (p. 43)

Educational Psychologists need to be at the table when there is a restart to our education system. We will be talking about how to make sure that children and young people flourish- as whole people - and not a collection of ‘attainments’ or ‘standards’. This is what psychology is and what Educational Psychologists do.

This is also why Educational Psychologists deserve a fair pay increase – not just to ensure we can pay our bills (which of course helps!) but to preserve one of the many precious resources making sure our children and young people are safe and happy in education and beyond.