[MUSIC] >> So we've talked quite a lot particularly about the English context. >> Hm. >> And Ofstead which is an English inspection system. >> Yes. >> But there are many initiatives around the world of trying to emulate some of the best education systems that, happening in other places in the world. >> Mm-hm. >> Do you think that's likely to work? Not in my opinion. I don't think that you can wholesale, take aspects of a school system and apply it to a different country. I think it all depends also on how success in schooling is properly measured. PISA is used, the PISA tests are used in order to rank, the schools and schooling systems of the world. And this usually grabs the headlines year by year. That's where you usually see so and so country is 75th in the numeracy tables et cetera. But nobody really reports about the PIZA tests are, are actually deeply flawed. Some countries just enter a select number of students to do it, some countries it's the whole nation that do it. Some school systems actually base their teaching to the test around passing PIZA. So I would argue that first of all, we don't really know which school systems are successful. And exam results are not the way to do it. It's more about issues such as adult literacy and, and I suppose the happiness of the nation. One of the most successful countries at the moment is, is South Korea and I don't think you could take what they're doing in South Korea and apply it to, to, to our nation and, and have the same results because they're just very, very different countries. And another one, Finland. It's a very, very small nation with a, with a very different and relatively monocultural. >> But do you think there's an opportunity that we can learn things from other school systems in other nations? >> We can certainly things, but I would say it's selected aspect. It's when government and politicians wholesale they do this. It works, therefore we will do this and it will work. That is where the danger lies. >> So, if the situation were you're a parent, and you're trying to select which school would be the best school to send your child to, what kinds of things should you be thinking about? >> Well, this is a very interesting question. And as a parent myself, it's something that I've had to deal with recently. I think. A lot of parents in England do start off by looking at inspection reports, because they see it as a very broad brush look at grading a school, and they can read within it issues such as pastoral care, and exam results, and how various subjects are taught. but. Based on what I said earlier, that would be quite a,a limited thing, thing to do. I think many parents talk to other parents in the area to, to, to find out what, what are good schools. And they also need to bear in mind what is suitable for their child. Particularly at secondary level in England. Schools have specialisms so you may send your child to a school, which specializes in business or in art and music depending on what he or she is interested in. And we also can't get away from the fact that parents will also look at leek tables. Now these are published every year in England and they rank schools according to the raw exam data. And how many students have passed GCSEs which they take at 16. >> There's a public examination? >> They are public examinations, and A levels, also public examinations which they take at 18, and you can actually look in your local paper or on the internet and see where these, the schools are ranked against each other. In terms of exam results. now, again, this could be problematic because as I've said earlier, all exams aren't created equal. Some people might think that they don't want to send their child's to school when the entire focus on the school is about passing exams. They would rather they took more of an actual interest in, in sports and arts and music. And the welfare was better, and there was the social and ethnic, and cultural mix that, that they would want for their child. So, there are so many factors, and I do think that exam results, filing tables, and inspection form an informing part of that, but not everything. Do you think it makes a difference which school you send your child to? >> Not as much of a difference as how you raise your child. As both a parent and a teacher and a researcher it's a bit like being a driver and a cyclist and a pedestrian. You can see all angles. Oh, and I also ride a scooter. Have to get that in. Okay. I often get frustrated as a teacher when schools are blamed for things going wrong. Just to pick a random example, if it's about rising pregnancy rates, then it seems to be. What are the schools doing with their sex education? And I always say what are the parents doing about their sex education? And I think that if a parent brings up a child to value education and to work hard and take education seriously, then they will do well at school. But if a parent who has no interest in education themselves, and never supports the child with homework and never ask the child how he's doing. They are sending messages from home to the child that the school isn't important, and therefore that child could go to any school and not do well. >> How did you decide which school to send your son to? Well he's only five so I just sent him somewhere he'd be happy. >> Excellent, and is he happy? >> Oh he is. >> Marvelous. Great, thank you so much. So next week we're going to be looking at governments and why governments fund education. I hope you've enjoyed this week and I look forward to seeing you next week.
