The Point of Education

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the RSA, introduces the new Education Charter, a broader vision of education in the 21st century – and he's asking for your support.

Change is in the air. For a generation, policy debates about schooling have tended to focus on structures and the pursuit of higher academic attainment. These issues haven’t gone away and if the Conservatives win the next election we can expect another round of structural reform. But in schools, and in debates among educationalists, employers and students, more fundamental questions are being posed.

By developing a Charter of core values for education, the RSA has put itself at the forefront of the campaign to realise a broader vision of education for the 21st century. The story of the Charter’s development sheds light not only on key debates in education policy but also on the challenges and rewards of collaboration.

The Charter’s life began in a meeting here at the RSA in November 2007. The meeting had been called by a group of RSA Fellows and advisors from other education organisations, including the Edge Foundation, the Innovation Unit and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. We were brought together by a shared critique of much existing educational practice and shared enthusiasm for innovation in schools.

Those present believed that the focus on assessment and narrowly defined academic standards had now become counterproductive. They felt that schools should be aiming to address the wider needs and capacities of children, overcoming divides such as that between academic and vocational ability. Crucially, there was a wide knowledge of powerful initiatives in schools ranging from the RSA’s Opening Minds to Paul Hamlyn’s Musical Futures and the studio schools being developed by the Young Foundation. 

The defining moment in the meeting came when its participants suggested that the RSA form an Education Commission. But, others reasoned, the issue isn't really a lack of ideas or opinions. Rather it is, on the one hand, a failure to join up the various commissioners and developers of innovative practice already in operation and, on the other, the difficulty of mobilising the 'silent majority' among professionals and the public in favour of a more progressive approach. The idea of the Charter was born. 

The next stage was the most difficult (so far, at least). How could we get agreement to the Charter wording? In particular, how could we have something concrete enough to be meaningful but broad enough to mobilise a wide alliance? This was a task taken on by the RSA Education team and which resulted in the words on the opposite page. If we succeeded, it was through the combination of a genuinely inclusive approach - including consultation with almost 1,000 RSA Fellows - and a willingness to be very clear that the whole process relied on people and organisations being flexible. The obvious question for people signing up is ‘what next’? This took us back to the case for better collaboration. Working closely with the Innovation Unit, we drew up proposals for a website that will act as a portal to a wide variety of innovative practice and practical support. Other plans include a regional road show in which schools can find out about a range of initiatives and make links with innovators and other signatories.

In all of this it was vital that the RSA acted as primus inter pares. The Charter is the product of genuine collaboration and the administration behind it is a shared resource for all our partners. This continues our established record of seeding organisations that can take on a life of their own independently of the RSA – the Campaign for Learning and Tomorrow’s Company to name but two. But it also fits our new ethos, in which we seek not just to work in 'partnership' but to be open and generous collaborators.

So it has been a long and sometimes winding road to get us ready to launch but one that speaks to the best traditions and boldest ambitions of the Society. The next three steps will determine whether the Charter starts a forest fire or turns out to be a damp squib.
Our Fellows have the opportunity to join us in making that first step count and creating the impetus for a powerful and compelling launch. How? By signing up to the Charter and putting your collective weight behind our proposition that change is both necessary and possible. For the launch itself, we want to give young people a voice. They are the most eloquent exponents both of the limitations of much current practice and of the potential for change. They also have the most to gain from taking transformative action now.

Step two is to form networks of Charter signatories in towns, cities and counties. We hope that supporters will range from teachers and school governors to local employers, parents and school students themselves. Who knows, perhaps we will connect teachers and pupils in the same school who would never have dreamt they shared similar ambitions and values for education! These networks, armed not only with a common purpose but also with access to the examples and support offered by the Charter website and administration, can be a powerful force for change.

The final step is to turn these loose alliances and varied initiatives into a sustainable organisation that can continue to provide progressive argument and reform. Such an organisation, combining a strong mandate with a unique alliance of different educational stakeholders, simply does not exist at present. 

In the end, it's not about organisations; it's about the gift of learning. "It is the primary purpose of education to awaken a love of learning in young people, and give them the ability and desire to carry on learning throughout life". So begins the Charter. Until that is a purpose embodied in all our schools and realised in every young learner there is much work to be done. 

Four celebrated educationalists put their names to the Charter

Howard Gardner
“In powerful, straightforward language, the Charter puts forth vital considerations for education in the future. Achieving such an education will be an enormous undertaking.
The goals challenge longstanding assumptions and practices that are not easily altered; and, for their realisation, the goals call on both the traditional educational system, and the broader community, including families, professionals, businesses, media, and political leadership. The RSA is well positioned both to articulate this forward looking agenda and to help bring about its realisation in key sites.”

Howard Gardner is Hobbs professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Sir Mike Tomlinson
“Never has it been more important to ensure we develop the talents of every young person. The education system has a key role in this process, but in order to achieve this goal it must re-appraise the fundamentals underpinning our current system. The RSA Charter and the principles it embodies represent a most holistic and practical approach to the challenge. For me, trusting teachers and giving them the freedom to innovate within an agreed framework is vital for success. I wholeheartedly commend the RSA Charter principles to all concerned within our education system.”

Sir Mike Tomlinson is the former chief inspector of schools at Ofsted and is chair of governors at the RSA Academy.

Sir Ken Robinson
"Education is the most powerful investment that any community makes in its own future. The problem for many systems of education is that they are locked into the habits and expectations of the past. For that reason, the challenge is no longer to reform education: it is to transform it. The RSA has a long history of involvement in education and in fostering the conversations that are now essential between education, business and wider movements of social change. The Society’s new Education Charter draws deeply from this history but its focus is clearly on the future. It sets out principles and purposes on which education for the 21st century should be based. The aim is to create a common conversation on how best we can enable this and future generations to make the best of themselves and of the world they will inherit. The faster the world turns, there are few more important conversations to have."

Sir Ken Robinson is an internationally recognised leader in innovation and has worked with a number of national governments.

Alan McMurdo
"In education, ideas come and go but Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has stood the test of time. Self-actualisation, the very top of the 'pyramid', represents a state of maximum growth, fulfilled potential and personal fulfilment. It is our duty and privilege within education to help young people identify and nurture their unique talents. We must expose children to the breadth of human endeavour, set a range of challenging yet realistic expectations and support them when they fail, so that they try again with renewed confidence. Plus, it’s no use having a set of talents if one is not able to use them, through interacting with others. Young people need to develop those ‘interpersonal skills’ of communication, understanding and empathy if they are to take their talents beyond the school gates. This Charter enshrines these beliefs and acts as our manifesto. Our task now is to implement it through actions.” 

Alan McMurdo is CEO and Principal of the Thomas Deacon Academy in Peterborough. These are his personal views.