28th March 2014 9:00
By Blue Tutors
At a time when exam pressure for schools and students is greater than ever, it seems that many schools are reluctant to continue down the road to becoming exam factories. It is no secret that teachers and head teachers have been butting heads with the Department for Education over frequent and mismanaged changes to the exam system, whilst simultaneously dealing with the pressure of Ofsted inspections and league tables which seem to place greater importance on exam performance above any other factor, including students’ well-being. Recently, some heads have made their feelings about exam pressure clear, with some saying that they would rather students get a B than an A if it meant the students had spent their revision time doing worthwhile activities such as work experience or charity events.
The head of Kings Langley school has told parents that education isn’t all about results, and that their priority should be that their children become happy, well-rounded individuals. A report has been published which urges those in charge of education policy to re-think what education should be about. The report’s authors say that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of education are woefully undernourished in schools, and that teachers needed more freedom to develop these elements for children. They cited a culture of exams, which doesn’t allow students freedom to grow, and sucks the life out of education.
Head teachers who support the report have said that fundamental life lessons such as self-worth and well-being are so much more important than results, and would help students’ development the confidence and personal skills they needed for happy and successful lives. Although the media often portrays parents as pushy and overly concerned about exams, evidence from schools who change their focus suggests that parents do not want their children to grow up in a culture of exams. Although Kings Langley was a failing school ten years ago, academic achievement is now much higher, a fact which the head teacher puts down to their emphasis on well-being and confidence over exam results. The school is now oversubscribed, as parents make a clear statement that the best education for their children is one which takes their emotional and spiritual wellbeing into account.