In a speech to CentreForum, “an independent think tank that develops evidence-based research to influence both national debate and policy making,” the Ofsted chief will warn against a “one size fits all” system of secondary education, which is a source of great disappointment to students who are not cut out for an academic career. This system, he will point out, is ill-equipped to prepare the youth for employment.
Ofsted’s annual report, which was published last month, shows that secondary schools in the Midlands and the North are not meeting the required educational standards.
The government of UK, through some of its educational reforms, has made it mandatory for children to study a set of subjects including math, science, English, history or geography, and a language until they are 16. Sir Michael will point out the flaws of these reforms and state that they will not benefit youngsters who are better suited for a vocational career. He will say children who are less academic deserve “an education worthy of the name.”
He is also going to point out that youngsters who could not achieve the required academic targets, such as C grade in English and Math at the age of 16, are least likely to shine in college a couple of years in the future. He will state: “Our responsibilities as educators do not end when students fail to attain our targets. On the contrary, the written off and the ‘failed’ need our help most and we should never forget it.”
Sir Michael says: “The country cannot continue to fail half its future. The great comprehensive school head teacher knows that a “one size fits all” model of secondary education will never deliver the range of success that their youngsters need. Some of our international competitors understand this probably better than we do.”
In his address to the think tank, he will suggest schools that will cooperate with colleges and nurseries and focus on apprenticeship. He will refer to the flexible education systems of countries such as Switzerland and Germany, systems that cater to the requirements of students as well as the economies, as a result of which their youth unemployment rate is much lower than that of the UK.
