Revamping Education

There is a developing belief that schools should all sing to the same hymn sheet, that by abolishing private education and bringing British education under one state umbrella, we can achieve some form of genuine meritocracy. I don’t know how true this sentiment actually is.

Currently, 93% of students are in state education, and 7% are in private education. Generally, everyone takes some form of GCSE and they are ranked according to how well they do in certain exams - with emphasis on English and Maths. The problem is that everyone is forced to compete academically which, although holds value for future job prospects, limits the amount certain children can develop their talents. This is especially true at a time when the arts are being consistently deprived of funding.

When we think about what a good education system ought to look like why do we assume that every child should compete with every other child on the same broad things? I’m not talking about some elite competition scheme either, I mean why should people who excel in sports, music, academics or art have to be measured against people with a different set of skills? If a child excels in football they get the opportunity to go to an academy which will bench them against equally talented individuals. Would it be fair to measure someone with no sporting talent or, even, a medical disability against an athlete to determine life outcomes? Probably not. And while academics are probably more important to the functioning of society (i.e., illustrating mathematical competency for jobs) why should it be fair that someone with a learning disability is measured against people who are academically much stronger?

This is especially true if that person had other skills – say in art or music – which would be a much more fruitful avenue for flourishing. My point is that rather than homogenise schools so that everyone competes against everyone else over academic skills, schools should specialise in different fields. This would allow children to get (a) a more tailored education, and (b) an enhanced ability in their specific talents. So where do private schools fit in?

There is one type of policy that can allow poorer students to gain access to private schools – the voucher system. The voucher system in essence means a parent can exchange their child’s funding from the state for a voucher which can then be ‘cashed in’ by private schools. With a cap on tuition fees, poorer parents can use the voucher system to access education which they normally would be excluded from. This means that if I were to have an academically gifted child, but didn’t have enough money to allow them to genuinely compete with richer students, I could access the government’s funding for that child to place them in an environment which best suits their needs.

By implementing this concept in arts, sports, and music children get a better chance of honing their talents. And when it comes to children with learning difficulties, schools would be able to specialise in teaching styles that best suit students who struggle academically. And yes, I acknowledge that there are some issues with systems like this, however, I do believe it gives children a greater chance to maximise their potential and flourish.