Teach Secondary 13.5

+ The impact that a well-organised classroom environment can have + Why the ‘assumptive close’ sales technique is a viable behaviour strategy + What’s gone wrong with music education? + The geography lessons we can learn from the countries taking part in the Olympics + How the voices of Holocaust survivors are being preserved for future generations + 5 ways in which students can benefit from receiving actionable feedback DR STEPHEN CURRAN Teacher, tutor and author ED CARLIN Deputy headteacher ROBIN LAUNDER Behaviour management consultant and speaker STEVE BRACE Chief executive, Geographical Association ZEPH BENNETT PE teacher and school achievement leader W hoever wins the General Election will have a huge inbox. There will be decisions to make on all manner of things, including health, defence and the economy. There is, however, one thing that they shouldn’t tinker with too much, at least in England – and that’s education. Since the National Curriculumwas revised in 2014, England has been moving up the PISA rankings – the OECD’s regular evaluation of different educational systems across the world, based on measuring the academic performance of 15-year-olds in maths, science and reading. The most recent PISA figures show that England had risen to 11th in maths; up from 29th in 2009. The country also ranked 13th for both reading and science, compared to placings of 25th and 16th respectively back in 2009. I would argue that these positive shifts are due to a greater emphasis being placed on traditional teaching methods in recent years, and a move away frommore progressive, yet ultimately ineffective methods. For comparison, look at Scotland and Wales. Both systems went their own ways by embracing progressive teaching, and now the OECD ranks both below England. Of the two, Scotland’s decline is perhaps the more alarming, since there was once a time when its education systemwas lauded around the globe. It’s currently placed 25th in the overall PISA rankings, 25th in maths, 24th in science and well behind England in reading. The plain message here is that next month’s incoming Education Secretary shouldn’t deviate from the present route – which works – and not be swayed by fashionable techniques that don’t. I would also make the case for the retention of T Levels – those two- year, technical qualification courses developed for 16- to 18-year-olds with input from employers and businesses. They’re a good idea that warrant further development. Tony Blair’s ambition to send half of all young people to university has now largely become a reality, but with unforeseen consequences. Instead of university graduates pursuing better careers and earning higher incomes, we see graduates working in jobs that simply don’t require a university education – in some cases, while tens of thousands of pounds in debt. University should be an academic route that only serves around 25-30 per cent of young people well. So let’s develop technical and vocational training in education to a much higher level. Germany has done so with considerable success, sending just 30% of its young people on to university compared to the 70% majority engaged in various forms of vocational and technical training. In a nutshell, I’d say to any incoming Education Secretary: • Continue to pursue traditional teaching methods • Turbo-boost T Levels and halve the existing university entrant targets LEARNING LAB INTHIS ISSUE THE EDUCATION SECRETARY’S INTRAY CONTRIBUTORS Thinking about… ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Stephen Curran is a teacher and tutor, and author of the Accelerated Education series of educational books L E A R N I N G L A B 91 teachwire.net/secondary