CEIAG & Careers Leaders
The Case for Destination Data Being a Measure for Judging School Performance
Saturday 20th April 2013
"Peter Tait, the head of Sherborne Preparatory School, Dorset, said that large numbers of children left the primary years as "well-rounded" individuals with an ability to think for themselves.
But he claimed that too many pupils were having their independence sapped as teenagers after moving on to senior schools that prioritise "teaching to the test" over a proper education."
Now reading that comment in the Telegraph last week found me nodding my head in agreement, it's something I've been 'banging on about' (my daughter's terminology, not mine) for years. Given that we, as education professionals, have no option but to comply with the Government directives about levels, league tables and Ofsted criteria for an outstanding lesson; this has now come as the norm.
Nevertheless, I'm shocked that the quote above wasn't referring to the majority of schools in this country but mainly towards private fee paying schools. My empirical view is that the vast majority of head teachers are so fixated on achieving outstanding at Ofsted and thus are driven to create the exam factories that Peter Tait refers to in the public sector.
I'm sure that some educational theorist who hasn't even been stood at the front of a classroom for more than 5 minutes will be able to quote me chapter and verse as to why I'm wrong and should accept that I'm the worst teacher in the entire world for saying this but the recent Government trends towards target setting and judgement by these targets have driven us to this woeful situation. Let's look at what we have going on in wider society...
- Companies are complaining the school leavers are not work ready, they don't have the ability to work on their own initiative.
- Russell Group universities complaining that undergraduates are unprepared for uni life as they don't possess the organisational skills necessary.
- An excess of 'soft' degree holders, which leaves the UK with dissatisfied, unemployed or underemployed, debt ridden graduates in so called 'easy' options simply because schools are pushing subjects which are 'easier' to obtain the necessary grades in.
- Parents and children's charities worried about anxious children who are paralysed by fear of failing the exams.
- Teachers, burned out and unable to respond to further workload demands and frustrated by the straitjacketing of creativity in the job.
Ok, I know that waving my wand and stamping my feet isn't going to get rid of the problems I've listed here, it's not going to stop schools of all types striving for the top of the league tables, nor should it. We all crave success. What I would like to do is to see the use of destinations measures recorded for each school for the 10 years following a child's leaving. What do I mean by destinations measures?
I'm not saying this would be easy but compiling data via universities, colleges, jobcentres etc looking at if they are in education, employment or training. If so, do they stay for the entire course? Do they change course or drop out all together? After 5 years are they employed, or perhaps at home raising a family or caring for a relative? Are they employed in the sector for which they opted to study? Are they unemployed or undergoing training in a different field?
What would this achieve? Well don't we all want our children to be happy, productive, fulfilled and safe? If we knew that there was a choice of:-
School one - ok exam results but tended to turn out people that were gainfully employed in the area they trained in.
School two - great exam results but ex pupils tended to drop out of uni and 'bum around' a bit before deciding that they actually want to do something totally unrelated to what they thought they wanted to study at 18.
Which one would we rather send our children to? I'd bet the majority of parents would say school one. This school would be the one put effort into preparing their pupils for the real world, taught them how to be creative, think for themselves, problem solve and most of all, know themselves and what they want their life to be like, regardless of what class or background their parents are from.
I'm tempted to 'bang on' about how and why good quality careers education would then be part of what is necessary in order for schools to reach the top of the league tables in this utopian society but those of you who know me understand why I'm so I'm so passionate about this subject. I'll just round off by saying it's food for thought for the target setters amongst us.
