Education for All - the Nuffield review 14-19 education and training in England and Wales

I felt very privileged yesterday to be in a grand lecture hall at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. Why? Because I was listening to a group of education experts who had distilled six years of concentrated research on education and training for 14-19 year olds with decades of their own experience. Six years of research! This is important stuff.

Politicians talk of the importance of evidence-based policy but often it seems more like policy-based evidence.

I haven’t read ‘Education for All’ yet but I’m looking forward to curling up on the sofa with it tonight (it’s either that or watch England v Andorra!) From what I heard at the launch however their conclusions come across as profound common sense – common-sense backed up by data, research and real-world experience. I just hope that this tremendous work leads to change…

… but there lies the rub. There is no evidence from history that great research and sensible conclusions are followed through – on the contrary (and as the report itself makes clear). We will certainly be doing all we can to create a debate around this work. It fits beautifully with the terrific new feature-length education documentary ‘We are the people we’ve been waiting for’ that is funded by Edge, produced by Lord Puttnam - and hopefully released in the autumn.

For me personally it was also very heartening to hear such an endorsement of all Edge’s work over the past four years - the importance of practical and experiential learning for all, the ridiculous split between ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ (and the inappropriateness of this language), the importance of teachers, the need to ensure that the professional development of teachers takes into consideration the practical knowledge required for the changing 14-19 phase, the importance of learner engagement, the importance of apprenticeships…well done and thank you to all those who contributed. Brilliant!

http://www.nuffield14-19review.org.uk/

http://www.nuffield14-19review.org.uk/files/documents206-1.pdf