A Clarity of Purpose

The measure of success/effectiveness of anything is dependent on its purpose, and if its purpose has never been properly defined how can we know how successful/effective it is?

In the education system the ‘purpose’ is mostly implicit (eg through its measures of ‘success’), not explicit, which serves us badly.

If the measure of ‘success’ is academic attainment [eg % of students reaching 5 (or more) GCSE passes, % reaching Grade 5 (or more) in English/Maths, % students going on to University], is this a too simplistic view of what young people need to thrive in the future?
 

Similarly, if the measure of 'success' is in GDP growth (ie money) and/or social mobility (eg linkage to social capital theory) then why are these measures stagnating or getting worse?

In my humble opinion the reasons for this are, at least in part, because:

• The purpose of education has never been made explicit (ie only implicit through the measures put in place) or agreed and is very limited in terms of scope.

• Education is being driven towards a goal / target, without investing in the fundamental foundations necessary / required to deliver it, and without a clear / wide-ranging long-term vision / plan.

All the above points have been emphasised / discussed  in a number of recent conferences (eg the FED National Education Summit June '23), and the second point above particularly refers to foundations such as values, meaning / purpose, ethics / virtue, wellbeing, healthy lifestyles, a sense of belonging / community, and foundational skills / soft-skills (such as communication, collaboration, teamwork, leadership, problem solving, creativity, resourcefulness and resilience) upon which the vast majority of roles / jobs will invariably rely (and new recognition systems need to support).

For the former, a rethinking of purpose, and an explicit, agreed and engaging co-produced definition of purpose, will be essential if we are to help young people to thrive. The current system is predominantly driven by focusing upon competition and individualistic growth, when the future is all about collaboration, teamwork and flourishing … and the ability to creating thriving places, people, and planet ... a shift that's increasingly starting to happen both in the UK and around the world ...

David Clift, Founder of the Good Turns Foundation

 ^† Education with Purpose® and Jewel of a School® are registered trademarks.

[GTF20062023_01]

© Good Turns Foundation 2023