Education in the UK is undergoing huge changes. The UK government published a White Paper this year concerning changes in education funding. Unfortunately, if a child is returning every day to a home where no one reads, the subject of conversation revolves around the current soap operas and no one is even interested enough to ask the child what they are learning, then all the money in the world won’t improve that child’s general education.
What is better education?
The best education comprises support from home as well as academic opportunity at school. Stories in The Daily Mail, earlier this year, highlighted how two pupils could attend one of the UK’s most expensive schools and still let both their parents and their school down. Many parents may have received a less than adequate education themselves and feel nervous about talking to their child’s school about the curriculum, payment for excursions and other issues. Increasingly, schools that wish to engage with parents use an online platform, for example, www.parentmail.co.uk, in order to inform parents and simplify payments for meals and excursions. This service is free for all parents.
Public versus state
There is a popular misconception that the more expensive the school, the better the scholastic results. Of course, these schools have splendid laboratories, extensive libraries and, usually, excellent exam results. They also have many dropouts. The actor, Laurence Fox, famously left Harrow early and Richard Branson didn’t do too well at Stowe. Well-funded public schools aren’t a guarantee for future success.
Education needs money
The recent Education ICT Conference cited the need for greater investment in education, and stressed that technology in schools in the UK has become a ‘high spend consideration.’ If a child wishes to succeed in today’s competitive and fast paced world they will need to have an excellent grasp of the rudiments of IT. Funding in the home is as important as well funded schools. An article in The Guardian by Alan Milburn points out that many bright children, who perform well at primary school level, don’t do well in secondary education as a result of family social problems. A combination of excellent teachers, and more help for disadvantaged families, might resolve this situation.
What is education?
Education should be an enlightening experience. It isn’t just about learning facts and figures; it’s about firing the imagination and helping a child develop their curiosity, so they want to learn. Children have different IQs. This is where an able teacher will be able to help an individual child develop their own set of skills and interests.
Most people can remember a certain teacher who sparked their imagination, so, yes; better funding will improve the UK’s education system if teachers’ pay were increased. It is a national tragedy that some UK schools have to rely on Portakabins with leaking roofs as classrooms, and many children come to the classroom hungry. In a perfect world we’d have enlightened parents, eager children and a perfect curriculum, until that day schools should, at least, have adequate resources to do their job properly.
