Rethinking School – The Role of Education

Week 3 - of our Rethinking School  Blog Post Series 

Last week, we explored why the current curriculum is taught and how it often fails to meet the individual needs of students trying to pursue a “successful life.” This week, we take a step back to ask a bigger question: what is the true role of education in a person’s life, especially if the system doesn’t cater to individual needs?

During my initial teacher training, I recall one of the lectures that delved into this very subject: What is the primary objective of education. Is it to assist individuals in reaching their full potential, or is it to cultivate a skilled and competent workforce that will meet the future needs of the nation? It was one of the most hotly debated lectures ever I experienced.

After more than three decades of contemplation upon the role of education, I have firmly concluded that the primary objective of education is not to facilitate the attainment of individuals’ full potential. Several factors contribute to this assessment:

• During my time as a student, Surrey was among the last education authorities to recognise dyslexia. As a result, I left school unable to write the alphabet without making three or more errors. Today, I teach pupils who have experienced similar failures in the system—leaving secondary school unable to read, write, or perform more than basic maths.

• While progress has been made in recognising disabilities within education, it remains insufficient. I will explore the complexities of Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision in more detail in at later blog.

• As in my school years, the exam subjects available to students are still dictated by a school’s timetable, resources, and teaching staff. For instance, linguistically gifted pupils are often restricted to one language—typically Spanish or French, with some schools also offering German—despite 15 GCSE languages being available nationally. Those with the financial means can access these additional options privately, but they remain out of reach for many.

  
  

We have had a student with EAL (English as an Additional Language) who desired to learn to read and write her grandparents’ native language, which they did not speak as third-generation immigrants. Unfortunately, she was unable to do so in school because she had “a perceived advantage”, and thus made to do the other language the school offered. 

In the past, we had an autistic adult who came to us through social services because the support workers required assistance. At school, he was required to learn Spanish. This individual is unlikely to travel outside of his local town, let alone to Spain. While he can order a beer in Spanish, he does not consume alcohol. However, once his parents ceased providing care, he was unable to live independently. Basic money skills, such as shopping and healthy eating, were within his grasp but had not been taught. Despite this, he remembered completing numerous fraction and algebra worksheets. By the time our program concluded, he was capable of cooking healthy meals, cleaning his own flat without external support and utilising local public transportation.

• Equally, we have many dyslexic students  who can barely read and write their one and only language being forced to do a second language, when quite frankly extra specialised lessons in English would be far more beneficial.  

Ultimately, the purpose of work is to earn compensation and contribute to the well-being of oneself and one’s family. It is important to recognise that work can span a significant portion of one’s life. For a select few, including myself, our work is not merely a means of earning a living, but rather a deeply fulfilling vocation.

Consequently, it is prudent to identify areas of work that align with one’s inherent talents and interests. It is imperative to select an industry that corresponds to one’s interests and a career that brings satisfaction.

While it is true that not everyone can pursue idealistic careers such as a sport personality, gamer or as an influencer. It is also worth noting that certain careers, such as swimming pool life guard, a theme park costume character and professional footballer, have a shorter lifespan compared to others. Therefore, transferable skills are needed.

Many adults workers find themselves retraining and pursuing second or third careers or changing the industries they work in completely as they progress through life. The traditional notion of a “job for life” has become increasingly obsolete.

In response to this, the educational system aims to provide a comprehensive basic education to all school leavers, adhering to the principle of one-size-fits-all learning. Only for individuals find themselves compelled to resume their educational pursuits to progress, as the current national curriculum often falls short in adequately equipping them for future challenges.

Many home-schooled individuals have expressed concerns that they are acquiring a substantial amount of information for short-term examinations gains, which is often instantly forgettable and lacks any practical relevance to their future aspirations. They may have a point to some extent - If you aspire to become a chocolatier, understanding hydrological cycles may not be particularly relevant. Knowledge of the origin, cultivation, fair trade practices, and business management is more pertinent to this field, and yet not taught in secondary school as a complete package.

Subsequently, if the education system is not about the individual what is it about?

When inquired about the specific career path their school education has equipped them for, the most frequently response by our home schoolers is “a call centre” role. This is what a significant portion of our learners perceive school as preparing them for - to work in an office environment, specifically a call centre within the service industries. As one student aptly expressed, “It is essentially more paperwork!” They cited that what appears to be valued  by the school is compliance, adherence to seemingly arbitrary and unexplained regulations, proficiency in reciting scripted responses, and the ability to endure prolonged periods of sitting. All of which we believe would be perfectly suited to a service industry job specification. However, do we have a skilled and competent workforce that will meet the future needs of the nation? In order to answer that we need to consider just how many industries in the UK need to employ overseas staff to meet the required standards.  

Education was once an entity of its own – education. However, now it is just like any other business.  It is in the business to provide the country with a skilled workforce for jobs that a government feels is needed and is willing to finance. It is not about the potential of the individual because if you don’t fit the business model you are simply told “school is not for everyone.”

When asked about their preference for working in an office, the overwhelming response was “NO!” Therefore, we present our next argument in favour of homeschooling. It is not that the families who choose to homeschool with us do not value education; rather, they do not value the specific brand or version of education that is currently offered by the state. Instead, they are seeking an alternative approach that aligns with their aspirations rather than adhering to established systems.  

Therefore, we present our next argument in favour of homeschooling: - It is the learners who feel the real impact of the education . A lot of them know what they want from their education and it is not a job in an office! Does our country need more office workers, more paper pushers or does it need more entrepreneurs, nurses, doctors, teachers, support workers, creatives, builders, electrician, plumbers, early years workers etc?

How is the role of education different for Orchard Training’s homeschool children?

We had a young man on our books who at the age of 12 walked away from school due to boredom. His school let him leave as a disengaged pupil. A month before his 18 birthday his company reached the 1 million gross profit mark. His lessons have included topics on how to fire an employee, who was older than himself, for inappropriate use of the company computer. How to safely manage the risk of reporting this to the police – given the age of the employer vs. the employee (would they believe him?) How to deal with the FBI after a competitor malicious made false actuations, in order to remove him from the market place. Where to find the legal regulation relating to each market territory. So, no Macbeth was not on the reading list, neither was the formation of igneous rocks, medieval medicine, exploring religious practices related to death, applied anatomy nor how to label a plant’s reproductive parts, all of which are in the national curriculum.

In the realm of education, it is evident that individuals possess varying levels of expertise. While some individuals excel in generalist pursuits, others excel in specialised domains. Consequently, the question arises: should we adopt a one-size-fits-all educational approach for generalists or provide distinct educational programs tailored to the needs of specialists? At what age should we commence this practice? Are we providing a generalist education up to the end on GCSE and then a specialist education from ‘A.’ This dilemma becomes particularly pertinent when considering the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in obtaining adequate support and education from the state.

A key takeaway is that if you know what you want to do, we may be able to find within our homeschool community some work experience. If you don’t then we can equipe you with the skills you need for college where you can start on a level 1 apprenticeship, do the compulsory units really well and take them forward to a level 2 apprenticeship in another field more to your liking. As long as you have stronger English and maths skills then the Functional Skills test will be easy to pass and you can move onwards. Once you understand how to put a decent portfolio together the apprenticeships is a successful route in to work, that is not “Call centre” or “office” based roll. If you want to run a business, we can help structure lesson around that too.

Our advice would be: personalise your education to align with your aspirations. Avoid acquiring skills that do not resonate with your interests. If you encounter a career stagnation, leverage education to transition towards your desired path. However, refrain from allowing education system to dictate your ultimate destination.

This week, we looked at the role of education and one of the main reasons families choose to step away from mainstream schooling. Too often, traditional classrooms are driven by national targets and rigid career tracks, rather than nurturing each child’s unique potential. By contrast, home education offers the freedom to redefine learning — focusing on personal growth, practical skills, and preparation for future study, apprenticeships, or even entrepreneurship.

Next week, we’ll explore another powerful motivator for leaving the mainstream: the question of what is being taught.