If education doesn't stop the nation, what will?

For the past few years, Melbourne, in the first week of November, has always been a fabulous draw card. But not for the reasons you might suspect, and my attendance at the University of Melbourne’s New Metrics Partnership Seminar certainly doesn’t stop the nation. But it should.

Image: Google Images

When education system leaders, principals and their executive teams, teachers, regulatory bodies, and researchers gather to discuss the shaping of young people and their futures, you could bet there’s a lot of passion, energy, advocacy, debate and planning. Indeed, the odds of establishing a new grammar of schooling are high. But it still won’t stop the nation.

You see, scratchings are imminent, most notably, the ATAR, rankings, bell curves, league tables, public reporting, inequities, and over-assessing. And this is great news for all stakeholders in education as the playing fields have just been levelled.

The past few days have seen educators from around Australia converge upon the University of Melbourne to share their progress in their bold actions to recognise, assess and report on, broader metrics for student success, such as, Collaboration, Communication, Personal Development, Acting Ethically, Active Citizenship, Quality Thinking and having Agency over Learning (you know, all those things parents and educators wish for, for those in their care). All sectors were represented; systemic catholic, non-systemic, co-educational, independent, government and  international settings. Despite the variance in contexts, we all experience the same handicap; an old grammar of schooling that focuses on what students can’t do, rather than what they can.

However, a shift in learning design and recognition of the transferrable skills that students need to flourish in a rapidly changing world might just narrow those margins. The conversations, presentations, provocations and deliberations, were affirming for the work we are focusing on at Chevalier College. We put the learner at the centre of all that we do. Our students are more than a number and we are passionate about evidencing that.

The educational welshers (current system) need to follow the lead of those at the coalface who are redefining learning and are now in charge of the narrative. Why on Earth this doesn’t stop the nation is anyone’s bet.