Oxford CIE

The Manner of Education in Uncertainty and the Changing Nature of Society

 

by Dr. David Johnson

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Director, Centre for Comparative and International Education

Department of Education

University of Oxford

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“The world we seek is not a world where difference is erased, but where difference can be a powerful force for good, helping us to fashion a new sense of cooperation and coherence in our world, and to build together a better life for all.” (His Highness the Aga Khan)

 

As we look to maximise diversity - towards shaping societies that are prosperous, inclusive, and cohesive, this discussion paper asks what we might expect of education and schooling. But it is clear too that elsewhere, the alternative question is posed; that is, how education might be employed to shape a vision of society built on memories of ‘common heritage’ and ‘tradition’, and of national ‘ownership’ vested in a particular group. Education, it seems, sits at the confluence of two fast moving and swollen streams of political thought: progressivism that invites openness and diversity, and populism that invites a return to singularity and closed borders.

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Consequently, the question about the manner of education in shaping plural and coherent societies is usefully understood against the backdrop of a radical reordering of international political relations, the impulsive nature of global economies, persistent problems of inequality, deprivation, prejudice and discrimination, and various forms of social and spatial division; all that have brought sharply to the fore, new and pressing, if contested questions about the kind of society we want to live in. 

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Changing political and social influences invite uncertainties about the nature of society; and of our economic, demographic and climatological futures. Ambivalences and uncertainties about our personal futures rise as job security and the dignity of work decline; xenophobia and uncertainties about our social futures deepen as the class and poverty gaps widen and our daily newspaper headlines suggest that the neighbours next door are ‘immigrants’ who jump the queue for social services and welfare benefits; and insecurity and uncertainty about our cultural futures prevail as violent extremists working alone or in concert, unleash attacks on restaurants, street markets, shopping malls, sidewalks, schools and mosques.

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These uncertainties threaten to change the meaning of pluralism, of productive diversity and of cohesion, by for example changing the importance people attach to nationality and other forms of identity; and by pitting different ties, allegiances and commitments against one another.

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But it is the often publicly expressed sentiment after each reported incident of extremism, racism, or festering personal grievances ‘how could they have done this - they are British (or French, American, etc.,) born and educated’ that suggests that the education system has somehow failed, that compels us to examine more closely the relationship between education and society; to reflect on the tension between what we think is ultimately the philosophical ‘mission’ of education and on how this is to be realised – and by whom.

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If it is at the door of the school that the blame for the fracturing of the political order and the fissures in social cohesion is placed, then we need to examine whether the answers are sufficient.

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The immediate response, it seems, is thought to lie in curriculum and pedagogy. That is teaching learners to be ‘global citizens’ or ‘creative thinkers and problem solvers’; that teachers must be (or trained to be) ‘open minded’; that the curriculum must change so that it lays the basis for ‘intercultural understanding’ and for ‘pluralism’; or alternatively, as argued above, that the teaching of history and memory and ‘national values’ be further emphasised, sometimes in a narrowly disguised attempt to remake old certainties.

 

So it is timely to examine whether these ‘answers’ reflect the question – 'how can we, through education, best shape and sustain a society that is at once plural and cosmopolitan, prosperous and inclusive, fair and responsible, and cohesive?'

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Critical in this is what we might expect of teachers; what is feasible and achievable as their functions are all the time more distributed between teaching the curriculum and contending with deprivation and emotional fragility as poverty deepens [1]; or monitoring and reporting officially on even young children’s propensity towards radicalisation as fears of extremism grow [2]; and growing expectations that they stand with their students at bus stops in London to prevent them from being drawn into gang fights as violence extends [3] .

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A primary school head in Nottinghamshire was recently quoted as saying, "We are expected to be social workers, to be carers, doctors, we are expected to deal with every issue at the same time as doing all the other things that government wants us to do,” (Louise Regan, 2018)

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The point is that it is important to temper our expectations of the possibilities of education to maximise diversity and build cohesion with the views of those who ‘work’ the system, or those who work within the system.

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Indeed, now seems a particularly important time to get to grips with the question of how societies, that are constantly diversifying can also remain cohesive and stoic in the face of new external forces that threaten the shared futures of their citizens; to understand whether and how it will be possible to create and sustain societal cohesion in plural societies. And in this, what role can we expect education to play?

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Education, we know has a crucial place in shaping society, but how that role is defined relies on a clear understanding of its continuities with other social structures and institutions, including business and industry. But the question, ‘how can we, through education, best shape and sustain a society that is at once plural and cosmopolitan, prosperous and inclusive, and  and cohesive?’ is too important to be left to only those working in education.

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Building the cohesive society presupposes continuities between inclusive education and an inclusive economy that serves the general interest. But the fact is that in many societies only partial social and spatial interests are served, and far too much is left to chance. The economy lays waste to the ‘learning poor’ – those who for a wide variety of reasons do not learn, or do not know how to make the most of opportunities to learn. It would seem short sighted to think of education that maximises diversity in the classroom, but which is unable to extend itself into the workplace and broader economy. How then, might we open up a discussion about diverse and inclusive societies in which the continuities between education and employment are further examined?

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The cohesive society is conscious of responsibility. But our times seem especially fragmented and self-serving with politics and institutions bent to special interests, and with social and cultural affiliations serving to bond rather than bridge groups. An understanding of the modes of social responsibility and its mechanisms is essential if we are to promote the general interest.

 

The cohesive society requires a shared understanding between people - of place, roles and relationships. Yet there are different visions, agreements or disagreements about the status of different identities, about justice, equality and human rights.

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The nature and manner of education to maximising diversity and fostering cohesion cannot be determined in isolation of vigorous public discussion and debate amongst all who care about our futures; and it is particularly important to engage in a direct and sustained way with those that are involved in the delivery of education – in the academy, in colleges of education, in communities and in schools, so that they find voice and offer perspectives of what is realistic and achievable; and in so doing, begin to turn the tide on a growing tendency that places the responsibility for outcomes of uncertainty on the ‘failure’ of education.

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These are sensitive times; times in which the role and mission of education are easily subverted if not understood; and weakened if what is expected of teachers and learners is misjudged or over inflated.

 

We very much look forward to exploring these questions (and more) about education, uncertainty and the changing nature of society during OXSCIE 2018. We look forward to hearing your contribution. 

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References

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[1] https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/apr/02/teachers-warn-of-growing-poverty-crisis-in-british-schools

 

[2] http://theconversation.com/too-much-too-young-teaching-children-about-violent-extremism-23584

 

[3] https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/teachers-should-stand-at-bus-stops-to-halt-gang-violence-at-london-schools-a3247246.html

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