Why people are choosing state-run schools over private ones in UK

The state schools are now very good and have improved massively in the last decade, says UK-based educationist Stevens

In 1997, when Tony Blair took over as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, government-run schools in London were at the bottom of the barrel in national assessment. Soon after he took charge, a multi-pronged reform programme was initiated to deliver change in a collaborative way. UK-based educationist Catherine Stevens worked on the London Challenge, a school improvement programme that took London from being the worst performing region to the top performing one. Today, London is the only capital city in the world that outperforms other cities in the UK. A collaborative series of programmes led to a successful reforms programme across schools.

Stevens, who is now founding director of Schole, a UK-headquartered organisation that works with eight schools in Kenya and one secondary school in Uganda, was in India recently to study the country's school systems. She spoke to Anjuli Bhargava on some lessons learnt during the London Challenge – some of which could be applied to the Indian public school system as well. Edited excerpts:  

UK-based educationist Catherine Stevens

In what way was the reforms effort collaborative?

A very experienced head of school works with someone with relatively less experience in a coaching relationship and in a collaborative manner. They understand each other’s schools and challenges and work out ways to overcome them, each drawing lessons from the others experiences. About 3,000 government schools participated. What was really interesting is that the experienced heads of schools found that they were learning even more from the new heads or schools that were not considered as good as theirs. Some of the most outstanding schools are also the ones that are most open to learning. When they find something they think can improve matters, they simply adopt and absorb it, making them even better. There was a huge benefit to be derived even by schools that can be classified as outstanding.

The programme went on for 11 years. So, some new heads went onto to becoming heads of outstanding schools and in turn coached other new heads. They benefitted from the mentoring as a young and new head.

Two very successful intensive six-week teacher training programmes – Improving Teacher Programme and Outstanding Teacher Programme – were developed and conducted as well. There was a strong focus on what happens in the classroom and many teachers moved from satisfactory to good and from good to outstanding.

The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), the school inspectorate, rates both schools and teachers in the UK as “Outstanding”, “Good”, “Satisfactory” and “Requires Improvement”.

A peer review, among schools, was introduced as well. This allowed schools to review and learn from each other and adopt best practices.

When the London Challenge came to an end, the head teachers found that they had generated important intellectual property that ought to be available to anyone and be sustainable. So this was transitioned into an NGO called Challenge Partners. The challenge was collaborative and not judgmental – which is what many government-led programmes tend to be.

In India, we are seeing a massive exodus of students from public to private schools….what is happening in the UK?

It’s the reverse. The UK school system has 23,000 schools. Only 7 per cent of students go to private schools. These are both highly selective and very exclusive. A number of parents want their children to go to these socially-exclusive institutions. There is a huge social benefit for the rich to mix with others of the same ilk. It is self-perpetuating.

Some of the private schools are 400 years old and have been around even before the government system came into being. They are very elitist, fee paid and have charitable status as far as taxes go. This has now come into question in the UK. People are asking why they should not pay tax since they benefit only the rich and elite. The government has been encouraging these schools to benefit a wider range of children. Some of them have been setting up state schools and doing much more outreach work.

But there is a definite shift in favour of state schools in the UK. To give you an idea, I went to a private school but I sent my children to a public school. The public schools in my time were not right up there and now they are. The quality of education in public schools is as good, if not better.

Moreover, they give you a far wider perspective and don’t limit your thoughts, views and opinions. You are exposed to peers from a far wider section of the society and that in itself is a learning. So, a number of parents are in fact choosing to send their wards to public schools, even when they can afford private ones. The state schools are now very good and have improved massively in the last decade. But of course, all of the UK schools would translate into a few suburbs of Delhi. So in terms of scale, the challenge India faces are in some ways gargantuan.

Has there been a shift in terms of how much importance arts and skills are being given vis-a-vis a formal education?

Some of these things are cyclical. We’ve had a big debate in the UK on skills versus knowledge. Globally, countries are moving towards 21st century skills – be it creativity or critical thinking. In the UK, we have swung right back towards knowledge and so our curriculum has moved away from a more project-based approach to a more academic one. STEM is being given a massive push. In the process, there have been budget cuts in areas like art and creativity.

Is that good or bad?

That depends on your way of thinking. I think most people in a liberal environment would say it’s a bad thing because they feel that it’s at the expense of things like art and creativity. I think a balance is required between skills and knowledge.