New Year Resolutions for an Educational Minister
It’s that time of year, so here are some suggestions for the Educational Secretary to ponder:
1.   One of the key features of the job is controlling the critical educational journey of future generations. Why not include this in the job title. Minister for Children, Schools and Families seems to dodge a central issue; it omits the word education in the title.
2.   The future of our children is under question with increasing competition and global changes in markets and communications. Their ability will be tested against world players. We need to make sure that we are at the leading edge as educational standards in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, are at a far higher level of achievement.
3.   An exam or test result indicates progress and areas for review. Read your own report regularly; you have failed last years SAT’s, and without distinct improvement you look to fail them again this year. The 2008 SAT’s results failed to arrive on time for which the examination contractor was sacked and it is expected that in 2009 the results may also fail to be delivered on time.
4.   Spend the budget wisely. It is not a bottomless resource, and item 3 has left an unnecessary hole. The best advice I was ever given when seeking capital, or spending against an agreed budget was – if this was your own money would you still spend it on this proposal.
5.   Stress levels in teachers are rising. Days off work, resistance to promotion and well voiced frustrations need to be resolved. Do not be influenced by the economic crisis that has swelled the recruitment of potential teachers. Do your utmost to retain all teachers less they abandon ship when the economy recovers.
6.   Use new technology to instil fun, enjoyment and educational games to learning. Children learn and retain more when it is fun. Avoid the drilling exercises which have taken the fun out of learning.
7.   Widen the scope of learning. Listen to teachers, educationalists and especially games developers to capture the imagination of children. Turn learning into a quest, not a routine.
8.   Try to get the guys in TV to develop a competition that sets a challenge to children, inspires participation and recognises the results.
9.   Parents are a huge resource that should be mobilised. Technology now provides an ideal platform to include parents in the curriculum. Remember that children spend greater time at home than in school, and are influenced more in learning through the home environment. Develop a scheme that adjusts for levels of competence and financial status.
10. 2009 is going to be tough, but could also be the point that the educational policy of the UK undergoes a quantum leap that will be remembered far into the future. A politician’s dream; the stuff that history books will recall and generations of children will thank you for. Use the opportunity wisely.
The age old conundrum of the first arrival – the chicken or the egg could be rewritten. Is the world’s economy due to circumstance or the lack of competence that stemmed from education that is not tracking with time?
