Permalearners Arise! Part 2

Part 2

In Part 1 we explored the idea of how natural ecostystems and the ethics and principles of permaculture can teach us valuable lessons about complex inter-linked, co-dependant and symbiotic systems and how they function to achieve the optimal conditions for growth, equity and sustainability. We explored how each micro part of the ecosystem plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining this balance; whilst being responsive to any external threats and challenges to the wider ecosystem. This should challenge us to think afresh about the value we place on those 'minor' roles within the system and society that actually ensure the system functions as designed. All aspects of the ecosystem are equal, valuable and important no matter how seemingly 'minor' their role. In addition to this we considered how knowledge, although crucial, is nothing without the wisdom needed to use it to achieve a positive impact on society. 

Here in Part 2, I want to shine a spotlight and examine in greater depth the current design in our educational system and some of the challenges that impact on our role as educators within the wider ecosystem of society and address some of the important, if challenging, concerns raised by Terry Mackie (@TerryMac51) in his thread found here.

Quality Teaching

The quality of teaching within lessons and across phases is of utmost importance and has a significant impact on the productivity of the system and the fruit produced. Whilst there is a growing hunger, desire and opportunity for quality professional learning via groups like Network Ed Cymru, Research Ed, Swansea Ed, Brew Ed Cymru and local PLN groups within schools, the system itself needs to cultivate a culture of continuous professional learning on a range of different levels and in specific areas. This is best achieved through an organic approach because trying to genetically engineer this culture has failed on a number of attempts and approaches through various forms of Professional Learning Passports and CPD days. Wisdom dictates you cannot create an organic, curious, hungry, resilient and reflective practitioner by forcing another's agenda on them and create additional workload for them in the process. This is a part of the genetically engineered data driven monster approach that has plagued our classrooms for too many seasons. Collaboration at local level is the seedbed we should be looking at and then linking this with wider cluster collaboration to determine how this can be best achieved. 

Equity in this area is another huge consideration for the overall design. Each school is unique and has a different set of challenges to wrestle with. Funding, resources, buildings, equipment, facilities and capacity all contribute to the practitioner being able to focus on their role. School systems vary so much and considerations of school culture, ethos, aspiration and sustainability are at the core of ensuring the practitioner is given the time, space and access to expertise to develop their craft. These matters are outside the remit of the classroom practitioner and have to be considered at a different level - leadership, local authority and consortia in collaboration with government. For maximum yield, we need equity for each seedbed to allow for organic growth to occur naturally.

If in reality there are issues with individual seedbeds (schools), then they need support and guidance for sure. The idea is this support should seek to cultivate the conditions needed for improvement through addressing the inequalities firstly and then encouraging local solutions to those issues; to ensure any improvement is organic and sustainable with regard to wellbeing. Is the current design in line with creating the right conditions or is it still reeling from years of data driven genetic modification that has only served to worsen the deprivation gap and alienate practitioners and leadership in the process and promote poverty. 

Deprivation and the 'attainment gap'

It is never an easy task to reflect with integrity, honesty and purpose at poverty and the huge challenge it poses. In comparison to 3rd world countries, I use the words poverty with care here because poverty comes in many forms, many are rich in community and co-dependence but have little to no wealth in the form of things. On the other hand, in Cymru we seem to have a wealth of things but very little in terms of community and co-dependence. To this end, I am working with the definition found here:  

A person lives in relative income poverty if they live in a household where the household income is below 60 per cent of the UK median household income.

Just a quick Google search on the matter led me to this:

Around 200,000 children are living in poverty in Wales, or one in three of the total, according to a new report from the Save the Children charity. In addition, as many as 90,000 live in severe poverty. On both counts, Wales has the highest rate of child poverty of any nation in the UK.

Add to these heart-breaking facts we have a postcode lottery here in Cymru where those areas of significant poverty are localised in specific areas and as such have a huge impact on the overall function of the design goals. Local schools can and do the best they can to address the effects of such significant poverty, and the implications on growth of our young seedlings, but it stands to reason that in some areas this will be a massive uphill battle. 

This is wrapped up in a package called Free School Meals (FSM) and is a statistical measure used to judge the effectiveness of the school in terms of academic performance. I smell genetic engineering and inequality within this measure and it belongs to the data driven era that we need to overcome if we intend to actually improve the situation. However, this is also beyond the scope of the classroom practitioner yet is a real threat to their effectiveness because of the potential academic and wellbeing issues it causes.

In trying to attain maximum efficiency from the current system, we have hacked away at the services and support networks that sought to address the issues caused by poverty. How successful has it been? Are we seeing an improvement for those communities affected with the blight of poverty? Have the interventions and political and financial establishments been effective in turning this situation around? 

Let's just consider literacy for a moment in view of the significant poverty we face in Cymru. Can poverty have an impact on literacy? Another quick Google search came up with this and clearly shows 3 significant effects:

• children do not have as much exposure to language
• poverty changes the way the brain matures
• children who come from poverty experience high levels of stress

It's encouraging to see the article goes on to show some of the ways educators can influence change but ultimately, the system design has to address the root cause of the blight if real progress is to be realised. Tackling the poverty is the sustainable solution to the problem and this is also beyond the function of the practitioner in the classroom. Without question, this raises important questions for the quality of teaching and how to enable our learners to read but any intervention without adequate funding is just pie in the sky if the intention is to eradicate the blight in the first place. No wonder so many seedbeds are struggling; and in spite of this pest they are doing amazing things. 

Welsh Language

The old political football!! I do not intend to get into the should we/shouldn't we debate, and as a Welsh speaker I'm conscious of my own bias. That said, I would like to address this in terms of a new plot in the garden. At present we have 3 different plots in the garden. The first is Welsh medium where all learners receive their education through the medium of Cymraeg. The second is Dual Stream where learners receive 50% or more of their lessons through the medium of Cymraeg and the other through English. The 3rd plot is English medium where all learners receive a small percentage of time to learn Cymraeg. Welsh Second Language is the ridiculous term we use for this plot.

Now it seems that most learners in the first plot are doing well and are functional in both Cymraeg and English when they leave school. In the 2nd plot, I am unsure of the outcomes but would suggest that functionality in Cymraeg would be achieved (sorry for lack of knowledge in this area) However, in the 3rd plot we have a minority of learners who are functional in Cymraeg when they leave school.

There is no shadow of a doubt that our immediate concern should be addressing the 3rd plot and to realise it is also the largest plot of the three. There is also a postcode lottery here too because Cymraeg is more prolific in particular areas of Cymru and this has an impact on the plot whether we want to admit it or not. I want to avoid my own bias and not start digging but the facts are undeniable and report after report has shown that we need to radically re-think how we manage this plot if we are going to improve its yield in moving forward. What can we learn from Welsh medium at primary level and the intensive courses that have been successful in some parts of the country? Where is the joined up thinking and continuity throughout the system? This needs to be included in the design itself if we want to rescue this plot in the long-term.

Leadership and Accountability

In drawing these thoughts to a close, leadership and accountability go hand in hand and I hope I have convinced any who have read this far that the data driven monster that has plagued us for so long needs to be dealt with.

In terms of accountability, we have to address what we want to measure. In encouraging the natural growth of our citizens, academic success is only a part of the whole. The current design places far too much emphasis on this as a means of measuring yield each season. It is not the only factor!! Without question it's vitally important as it lays the foundation for so many other things and serves to ensure acquisition of knowledge which is the starting point of all learning. Now, contrast this with how leadership within the current design are encouraged to adhere to the principles of the data driven monster's desires for data and statistics to prove its own worth. Our leaders are a product of the accountability that is thrust upon them and are emaciated in their leadership due to the chains placed upon them. They cannot wander and encourage the garden to become all it could be because they're wrapped up in a myriad of other duties and actions that do not contribute very much to the overall health and growth of the ecosystem. What a waste of talent and experience!

My view may be simplistic but our leaders at a local level are as battered as the practitioners in the classroom. The overall design needs to free them to be the leaders they want, need and can be. They need freeing from the concept that only academic growth is needed as the remit is too narrow to be sustainable. We must re-evaluate what we consider as important and valuable and then create the right conditions and work hard to cultivate the flower beds for maximum yield. Our leaders are the over-seers in this endeavour and their role is vital but only if they are free to exercise that role effectively and learn to collaborate effectively with other leaders at local, cluster and regional level. They crate the climate and culture around the plot. They along with teachers and support staff need their own vision as custodians of the ecosystem and the means to have the desired impact on the overall design of the new system.

Part 3 will conclude the series where we will zoom in a little more and hopefully provide the opportunity to launch the PermaLearner Revolution.

#15MFCymru