“Significant” elements of the current education system are “not fit for purpose” and need to be reformed so British education maintains its “world-leading” credentials, international schools have warned.
A letter sent to education secretary Gillian Keegan, seen exclusively by Tes, from the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) CEO Colin Bell, chair Lord Jim Knight and board members - including heads in the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Oman and Colombia - specifically calls for reviews of the curriculum and exam systems used by thousands of British international schools.
“We strongly believe that the traditional notion of education in the 21st century needs to be revised and redesigned,” they write.
The letter adds that the system is “heavily reliant on high stakes examinations and an overloaded school curriculum” to evaluate student performance.
The letter explains that this means schools are forced into a “focus on examination preparation, linked to outdated requirements for entrance to higher education”, and that this “neglects the broader development of well-rounded students with the skills needed for success in the modern workplace”.
To counter this, the letter argues that four key changes are needed: firstly, make assessment more inclusive so “all students’ achievements are acknowledged and celebrated” and, secondly, consider the use of portfolio-type assessments that reflect students’ “creative problem solving skills, critical thinking, oracy, collaboration, leadership and teamwork”.
Thirdly the letter says assessments should be considered that don’t just assess knowledge and skills but also the “capability and metacognitive awareness” of students to create a “genuine appraisal of [students’] capabilities, strengths and particular talents”.
Finally, it adds that assessments should be given more thought to consider how they could help with the “development and fulfilment of young people in a positive way” and in doing so, “build self-esteem and enable self-actualisation of all students”.
Curriculum needs a major review
COBIS also urge Ms Keegan to implement a major curriculum review to ensure “students are adequately prepared for success in the modern world”.
Calling for four main areas of reform, the international school leaders ask the government to “abandon the vocational/academic dichotomy” and instead consider the importance of “health, wellbeing, literacy, oracy, numeracy, financial literacy, computational, digital and media literacy and global citizenship”.
It also calls for a refocus on how the curriculum can deliver the skills and character traits young people need for the future, such as “problem solving, critical thinking, research, collaboration, leadership, growth mindset, resilience and metacognition”.
The letter adds that a new curriculum could be “sufficiently flexible to be engaging, stimulating and rewarding” so that it can adapt to different teaching methods, including online, blended learning, outdoor learning and artificial-intelligence-assisted learning.
Finally, it urges the education secretary to consider how an “extracurricular programme of performing, creative and visual arts, sport, outdoor education, leadership development and life skills” could be integrated to enrich the curriculum.
To drive this work forward, the letter recommends “convening a group of experienced, open-minded and pragmatic educators, employers, students and parents to redesign a 3-18 curriculum” and urges Keegan to embrace the opportunities this could bring to education globally.
It says: “We are calling on you...to ask the right questions of the right people, listen to the answers, and lead the way in resetting the direction of the British education system to ensure it is world-leading and meets the needs of our modern learners, their families and the wider community.”
Recent data on the international school market from ISC Research reported that the sector generated $58 billion in revenue last year, drawn from fees paid at over 13,500 English-medium schools around the world, which are responsible for educating seven million students and employing just under 650,000 teachers.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our GCSE and A-level reforms since 2010 were substantial and designed to last. They have made an ensuring improvement to qualifications, ensuring they reflect the knowledge and skills pupils need to progress.”
