Paces

O brave new world! That has such people in it! Jim Knight's ideas for schools & governors

I'm just going to quote this. I first found it via twitter on the excellent Clerk to Governors blog, where there is a link to the original Times Educational Supplement article by former Schools Minister Lord Jim Knight from which it is taken.

I went to school and began teaching in a world in which the vast majority of schools were maintained by the local education authority. The Director of Education was king (usually, rather than queen) of the local council castle. Consider now the educational world that is, according to Jim Knight, coming into being, as represented by his ideas here, Do-gooder governors must now do better:

"But as the government drives more school autonomy, with every school an academy, governors are being loaded with more responsibility. Simultaneously, local authorities' role in education is diminishing. The clear consequence of the move to free market schooling is an urgent need to improve school governance.

The move towards autonomy from local authorities is now unstoppable [my italics]. The trend is for schools to form themselves into clusters so that they can achieve economies of scale for procurement and specialist staffing. This too should be embraced, and every school should be required to join clusters of 10 to 20 schools, ideally with primary, secondary and special schools within them. This allows for more all-through and more inclusive education to develop.

These clusters should then become hard federations with a single governing body. This means that, rather than trying to have 25,000 governing bodies, we would be aiming at having just 1,500-2,500; each with high levels of skills for supporting and challenging school leaders.

No. I cannot resist a comment, just as the modern State cannot resist the temptation to compulsion. Consider the whole of this extract and then consider the force of the single word "required" in the middle of the penultimate sentence of the second paragraph.

 

Hanif Kureishi can't skip .... but he is an artist of his own life #CondEd

Here's an article I think most of us in Conductive Education will understand. Unfortunately, it's in yesterday's Sunday Times Magazine section, behind Rupert's paywall: Think and You'll Miss It by writer Hanif Kureishi.

He begins with an amusing admission that, having recently tried, he cannot skip with a rope; his 13-year old son, on the other hand, to whom he handed the rope, "did the whole thing backwards, singing a Beatles song".

Which leads him shortly to:

"My son who can skip and sing, found it difficult for a long time, to read and write at the level of others his age. At primary school he was castigated, even insulted and punished for his inability. After the experts were called in, he was investigated and berated some more, and finally labelled dyslexic and dyspraxic.

"There is, at least, some relief in diagnosis. One is not alone, joining a community of others who have, it appears, a similar condition. But can the inability to do a particular thing be described as a "condition" at all. Would the fact that I can't do the tango, read music or speak Russian be considered a "condition"? Is it a failure of my development? Am I ill?"

He then considers that he was "not much impressed by the imagination and curiosity of the experts" who used an "awkward, objectifying language" and quickly began to talk "fashionably, about brains and chemicals", observing that "Biological determinism is one of psychology's ugliest evasions, removing the poetic human from any issue." ... "What I'm talking about here, I believe, is the attempted standardisation of a human being, and of a notion of achievement that is limited, prescriptive and bullying".

I doubt I can do justice to the main part of his article, but here goes. An 18-year old known to Kureishi, mentioned having been given Ritalin to help him focus, "his mind, he said, kept going off in numerous directions". Rejecting Kureishi's suggestions for alternative causes, the young man, says Kureishi asked himi if "given the choice, I wouldn't prefer to focus at will". This leads Kureishi to consider his own teenage years when "I wanted to be good at things, but, like the Ritalin boy, I fell badly behind at school, finding myself not only unable to learn but at the bottom of my class".

He then goes on to make a powerful case for the value of distraction, provided that the individual be able to "distinguish between creative and destructive distractions by the sort of taste they leave ... and this can only work if he is, as much as possible, in good communication with himself - if he is, as it were, on his own side, caring for himself imaginatively, an artist of his own life."

"There might be more to our distractions than we realised we knew. We might need to be irresponsible. But to follow a distraction requires independence and disobedience; there will be anxiety in not finishing something, in looking away, or in not looking where others prefer you."

It's a challenging thought.

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All the italics here are mine.

 

What is the purpose of schools? asked Anthony Seddon

What is the purpose of schools?

Writing in the Sunday Times (£pay site) a couple of weeks ago (“Think Tank: New Ideas for the 21^st Century”), Anthony Seddon, Master of Wellington College, approved much that Michael Gove has done as Education Secretary, whilst suggesting “If he has a blind spot, however, it is his lack of a vision for the purpose of schools”.

“Gove has let exam passes become the all-important validator of the worth of a school .... Exams, are, of course essential. They allow us to measure the progress of students and school performance. But they are not the whole purpose of schools. The objective that Gove needs to prioritise now is character building.”

Seddon sets out his case by calling on: David Levin, co-founder of the Knowledge is Power Programme, (who realised … “those who possessed character strengths such as resilience and tenacity” were succeeding at university, not necessarily those who had been the top students at their schools); Angela Duckworth, (“a psychologist who showed that self-control could be a more reliable predictor of students’ university success than IQ”) and Martin Seligman (“a pioneer of ‘positive psychology’, who had identified no fewer than 24 character strengths that could be developed in schools”).  With Dominic Randolph, Head of New York private school, Riverdale, David Levin reduced Seligman’s 24 character strengths to 7 “which they made the cornerstones of their respective school’s programmes”:

• self-control
• grit
• zest
• social intelligence
• optimism
• gratitude
• curiosity

Noting “Independent schools, as we all know, major on the development of character”, Seddon points to examples of state schools that are “showing the way”: King Solomon Academy primary school in northwest London; West Kidlington primary school in Oxfordshire; and Kings Langley secondary school in Hertfordshire.

So what is the purpose of schools? Of the purpose of schooling? Or, for that matter, the purpose of Education?

When I read this, I wanted to ask a couple of questions:

What is the purpose of parents?

What of upbringing? Is it even meaningful to talk of the purpose of upbringing?

 

 

 

 

 

All human beings are transformable. Last Year in Hong Kong. #CondEd

I’ve not recently been doing as much leisure reading as usual. Half-read is my ‘Christmas book’ “Charles Dickens: a Life” by Claire Tomalin.

Also half-finished is a  book I started ‘before the fire’ Trevor Royle’s “Civil War: The Wars of the Three Kingdoms 1638-1660”.

Nearly finished, though something quite else, is “The Hungry Cyclist: Pedalling The Americas In Search Of The Perfect Meal” by Tom Kevill-Davies.

One book I  bought just a few days ago and am now reading for the third time, although admittedly a rather slim volume, is “Last Year in Hong Kong:  Four presentations to the 7th World Congress on Conductive Education, Hong Kong, December 2010” by Andrew Sutton, with a Foreword by Ivan Su, Corporate Programme Coordinator at SAHK.

Here are four snippets on the theme of transformability:

“This ambitious [research] programme that I was following – part psychological, part pedagogical, part philosophical, - some of it practical, some academic – was directed to understanding and demonstrating the transformability of human beings as a product of their social experience”.  p.17

Makarenko – Vygotskii -  Luriya – Feuerstein – Zazzo and Wallon “…. all bore the same central message: the development of  human beings is not fixed, they are not destined to be as they are – they are all transformable.” p.18

[But] “…. there is no coherent concept of pedagogy, upbringing, education that is transformative”. p.18

[conductive education] “… demonstrating yet again that the development of human beings can be transformed by properly structured social intervention”. p.18

“Exposure to Conductive Education had introduced the notion that disabled children’s development can be transformed by disciplined, optimistic, determined and organised educational experiences, in the family and at home”. p.34

Highly recommended to anyone who cares about the future of conductive education wherever you are.

Footnote: on the day I sat down to write this post, DfE published data that, according to BBC News, showed that "Struggling pupils don't catch up". BBC reports:

Just one in 15 (6.5%) pupils starting secondary school in England "behind" for their age goes on to get five good GCSEs including English and maths, official data shows.

The government data published as part of secondary school league tables suggests the majority of schools are failing struggling pupils.

The Comments make depressing, and sometimes cheering, reading.  In the context of "transformability" make of it what you will. I know what I think.

On sharing data. Lessons for conductive education centres maybe?

Just a link, really. The article speaks for itself.

"Data for Promotion. Engagement and Reporting" source Stanford Social Innovation Review.

"Many organizations use selected statistics, data, or other information in press releases and calls to action, but we may not look at those numbers or statistics as stories that compel us to share, respond, and take action."

Expanding the Evidence Universe: Doing Better by Knowing More

This came my way via Mike Chitty on Facebook.

"Expanding the Evidence Universe: Doing Better by Knowing More": A paper prepared for the 2011 Harold Richman Public Policy Symposium. "Salient point: there is valuable knowledge that is not absolutely certain knowledge.

By dint of a bit of digging around, I found a reference to it on a blog "Striving for Change" (which led me to a website for Strive Network:

Education is a lifelong experience that begins well before a child ever sets foot in a classroom and continues long past a cap and gown commencement.

What if we could support every one of our children, from cradle to career, to have the meaningful educational experience to which they are entitled? How great would our impact be?

I bookmarked that site because it looked interesting enough to return to.)

Anyway, back to expanding the evidence universe. You can find the paper in google docs or if it works I might be able to set up a link to a downloadable .pdf file as follows here: Download Expanding the Evidence Universe Dec 2011

"The idea that nothing is worth knowing unless you know it for certain has its place, but not when applied to complex social programs and policies.(i)  We can learn so much, including about program effectiveness, without insisting on absolute proof."

I like the sound of that enough to read the whole paper. You may have noticed the footnote number (i) at the end of the first sentence just quoted. The footnote reads:

"This is the idea that the late MIT organizational theorist Don Schön described as “epistemological nihilism in public affairs,” the view that nothing can be known because the certainty we demand is unattainable.

I can't help smiling at that, "epistemological nihilism in public affairs". One of the main reasons our Special Free School status (and by the Big Lottery before that) was turned down was because we could not evidence with sufficient certainty demand from parents. I always thought that if Steve Jobs had had to evidence demand for the iPad before he got Jonathan Ives to design it, two of my Grandchildren would never have found out that they couldn't live without it!

"Epistemological nihilism in public affairs"! What a phrase. I just love it!

PS No doubt someone will let me know if the links don't work.

Beautiful conductive education photograph from Sussex in 1989 #CondEd

The title says it really: a beautiful photograph from a CE session in 1989 in Sussex.

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#CondEd is a twitter 'hashtag'

Is the incidence of cerebral palsy static or increasing?

Here's an odd mention of cerebral palsy. It comes in  article warning about the dangers of toxic modern chemicals on humans and human development. Perhaps incorrectly, we tend to think of the incidence of cerebral palsy as being static. This research would suggest not, potentially at least.

In yet another warning, researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and the University of Southern Denmark predicted a “silent pandemic” of brain conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy and attention deficit disorders, identifying 202 substances known to poison the brain as “the tip of a very large iceberg”.

The whole article can be found in today's Daily Telegraph "Human bodies contain too many damaging chemicals".

Make what you will of it and of the reference to cerebral palsy. Googling "silent pandemic" + "Mount Sinai School of Medicine" seems to link back to work first reported in 2006. Adding "cerebral palsy" brings up a variety of years including links - like mine - to today's Daily Telegraph and similar articles. Maybe it's all just a re-hash of 'old news'? Still, the notion that the incidence of cerebral palsy could be increasing strikes me as worth checking out.

"Moved, amused and entertained" - a Xmas thanks from our Chair of Governors

Because our Chair of Governors, Christine Goldsack, does not herself post on social media, I thought I would share with you her open email to all parents and staff of Paces School. They deserve every congratulation, compliment and celebration. In return, I am sure they would want to offer their thanks to Christine and the Governors. Well done everyone! Here's Christine:

"Dear All

"Most of the Governors attended yesterday's production of 'Noah's Ark' and 'Songs from the Sound of Music'. We were as moved, amused and entertained as all the children's families who attended and so pleased to see the children's very obvious enjoyment in taking part. Many of the children have made really good progress since we last saw them in action. We would like to thank all the staff for giving us and them so much fun, only achieved by a great deal of dedication and loving hard work by them and the pupils.

"Can I also take this opportunity to thank the Parents of Paces, in particular Darrel and Jane Mettam, Jill Wimpenny and Stacey Mitchell. Yesterday you saw them organising the Grand Draw and selling the promotional goods - I have sent more than 100 cards this year, very proud that each one was designed by a Paces' pupil. Interestingly, I am receiving many too from friends who attended the Garden Party and also bought some! The PoP team has done an amazing job all year; they have raised a great deal of money which has helped complete the new classrooms and will help further improvements to the school's facilities; Jill takes the lead on organising the excellent termly Newsletter which is so professional and interesting; Jane organises the photographs each year, and so on. Attending PoP's monthly meetings, or asking to be mailed with information so you too can contribute ideas and help, is a way of being involved and showing your appreciation. Why not come along and join us - Darrel will circulate everyone with the date and time of the next meeting.

"Well done everyone, and a very happy Christmas to you all.

"Christine Goldsack, Chair of Paces' Governing Body."

Conductive education is so much more

Sometimes, I expect we all read statements purporting to be about conductive education with which we profoundly disagree. For me, one such appears in the English version of the very welcome introduction to the World Congress in 2013 (the link is to a pdf file download) which I am hoping to attend.

"[Conductive education's] objective is to enable physically and multi-disabled individuals to actively participate in society by means of intensive and systematic training and practice."

Let's just agree, for the sake of argument and for the moment, that the objective of education for all of us is that we "actively paricipate in society". I clearly recall teachers at the grammar school I attended in the 1950s and 60s having much the same aspiration for us pupils.

My problem with what is written here is that I baulk at the notion that there is a group of pupils, children if you wish, whose education or upbringing - the very processes of becoming active participants in society - is best defined or achieved "by means of intensive and systematic training and practice".

My problem is that I baulk at the notion that the distinctive feature of conductive education, the essence of what sets apart what we do from what others do whose objective is also that individuals become active particpants in society (a claim I suspect most teachers in mainsttream schools would make), is that we do so by "by means of intensive and systematic training and practice".

As if, in both instances, that is all there is to it. How intensive is "intensive"? How systematic is "systematic"? How much more "training", how much more "practice" is necessary should the conductor or child falter? Is that it, then, in a nutshell? Intensive, systematic training and practice?

When the videomaker asks me what is different, what is special, about conductive education, my answer should be that we are more "intensive and systematic" than any other form of pedagogy or upbringing?

Dr Hari wrote: "Conductive education enables individuals to build up a new quality of life and a new quality of intention to achieve higher levels of co-ordination and some increase in coherence and power .... For the everyday course of life this means that the individual is able to establish aims (intentions), to retain them, to monitor progress towards them, to resist failure and to overcome obstacles to their achievement."

Perhaps I just do not believe or accept that it is possible to "build up a new quality of life and a new quality of intention" through "intensive and systematic training and practice" alone.  Alone? Then there is something else involved? For me, absolutely so. For me, anyone who thinks that what is distinctive, different, specific, about conductive education is that it achieves what it achieves through ""intensive and systematic training and practice", quite simply misses the point. Conductive education is so much more.

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See further "We Are Not Alone" by Ray Kohn for e-Conduction