‘The Purpose of Education: A Need for an Extensive Public Debate’

Our good friend Dr Tim Rudd has been stirring up public and political eductaional debate for some time.  To kick off 2012 he’s attempting to get 100,000 signatures on the following e-petition. I doubt that anyone in the CPE-PEN networks would dissent from Tim’s petition so I urge you to take the time out to support it.

Please sign the e-petition ‘The Purpose of Education: A Need for an Extensive Public Debate’ at: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/25504

If it gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons, so please tweet, blog and share with others who feel a meaningful debate on this issue is well overdue.
 
How many times over recent years have we heard claims that there is a need for an extensive public debate around the purpose of education? Yet, why has such a debate never materialised? How many Governments, Ministers and policies have there been without such a debate taking place? Does this mean that education policy is informed more by political expediency and ideology than it is by what we know about learning and teaching?
 
In the context of the current socio-economic crises and wider concerns about the future of society, we need to debate the purpose of education now more than ever.
There are numerous groups and organisations who feel the skills, competencies and abilities being developed in schools are not suited to future needs. Many others feel the values and principles underpinning the education system need to be re-considered, whilst others still question the relevance, form and function of our current education system altogether.
 
Please sign the e-petition ‘The Purpose of Education: A need for an Extensive Public Debate’ at: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/25504