The Ed Stu ISSUE NO 1 | JANUARY 2019 | VOLUME 1
Picture of Snowdonia mountains taken on the education students’ trip to Caerdeon in November, 2018.
THE PRISON OF THE MARKET Liz Pattinson, first year Single Honours Education student, considers whether students are just commodities and consumers at different stages of the education cycle.
A view of the Snowdonian mountains taken during the first years’ trip to Caerdeon in November.
PLUS… Sarah Swindells reports on her visit to the International Slavery Museum. Jess Bates reflects on her trip to Caerdeon last November. Kerry Chaplin writes about the education Careers Day. Kim Brimble tells us about her encounter with pantomimes over Christmas. 1
ABSENTMINDED GIANTS Rebecca Jackson, second year Single Honours Education student, reflects on social problems that the Giants of Liverpool distract us from.
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The Prison of the Market: Academies By Elizabeth Pattinson, first year student in Single Honours Education It is the New Year and as I look ahead I can’t help but be thankful that I have escaped the metaphorical sinking ship that seems to be state schools. It now cannot escape the public’s attention that the cracks in the academy system have turned into gaping chasms. Recent press has painted a bleak view of our marketized state system, with all the problems revolving around some key theories: teacher’s redundancies due to lack of money (BBC, 2018); academy trusts transferring money out of their schools (Guardian, 2017) and, particularly damning, excluding 'difficult' pupils to save the money it would cost to teach them (Guardian, 2018). The BBC has taken the lead in their own detailed exposes. Their new documentary ‘School’ (the title says it all) makes for fascinating yet disturbing viewing, as you watch again and again just how powerless parents and passionate educators are to the almighty budget. The resulting feeling is that by transitioning to university, some of us have simply been elevated from a commodity, valued for the
“by transitioning to university, some of us have simply been elevated from a commodity, valued for the revenue our grades will bring, to a consumer.”
3|Page revenue our grades will bring, to a consumer. Despite the serial criticisms of the government's management, the politicians’ response has been minimal, even non-existent, on the matter. Is Brexit so all-consuming that they don't have time to make some excuse? Michael Gove at least remained active, thoroughly defending his policies if we wanted to hear them or not. Unfortunately, this negligence has been the narrative of the last 3 years and a potential reason for these appalling corruptions. It is no wonder we worry knowing that to our department’s trainee teachers, this picture may soon be their everyday reality come the new term. If academies must persist in stealing this unfavourable spotlight, let's all hope, like all good scandals, our government will be moved to action. I am personally suggesting a New Year’s Resolution, one that involves paying more attention to our young people’s vulnerable future, as opposed to the chaotic one that lies in Brussels. References ‘Neath Port Talbot council warns of teacher job losses’ BBC 12 September 2018. ‘Collapsing academy trust ‘asset-stripped its school of millions’, The Guardian, 21 October, 2017. ‘Dozens of secondary schools exclude at least 20% of pupils’ The Guardian, 31 August, 2018.
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AbsentMinded Giants Rebecca Jackson, second year student in Single Honours Education evaluates the significance of the visit of the giant puppets to Liverpool last year … The Giants was a huge event during October 2018 in Liverpool that brought thousands of spectators into the city. It was also thought to have done lots for the city’s economy with tourists spending money on things such as public transportation, hotel rooms, local restaurants, general retail shopping and much more, just like they did with the past giant’s events (Laura Davis, 2018). The Giants do a lot for our city’s culture as they bring thousands of people together to admire the art and be in awe of the mechanics behind them. The event is also unique to our city and sets us apart from the rest of the UK. As of 8th October 2018 Liverpool City council “are still confirming the final costs – however it should be noted that the majority of which was funded by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority through the Strategic Investment Framework with the rest of the funding provided by Liverpool City Council, Arts Council England and private sponsorship.” (Angela Lewis, 2018). Considering that in 2014 it was reported that “this week will cost a total of £2m – with Liverpool Council providing £300,000”, it’s not unfair to presume that Liverpool City Council paid somewhere around the same figure this year (Sean Bradbury, 2014).
“From a more critical standpoint the amazing spectacle of the giants could be seen as a beautiful artistic blanket covering up major problems the city/region has…”
5|Page From a more critical standpoint the amazing spectacle of the giants could be seen as a beautiful artistic blanket covering up unresolved major problems the city/region has such as homelessness and child poverty, both of which have intensified in a national climate of austerity. Liverpool City Council works hard to deal with homelessness, supporting The Whitechapel Centre and shelters such as Labre House, which provides a place for the homeless to sleep, ‘365 days of the year’, thus aiming to protect individuals from having to spend a single night rough (Liverpool City Council, 2019). However, the levels of homelessness in Liverpool and throughout the UK is still significant. In 2017 the United Kingdom ranked 9th in the list of the world’s richest countries according to GDP (International Monetary Fund, 2017), yet we live in a society where “4,751 people slept rough across England on any given night in 2017” and “57, 890 households were accepted as homeless in England” (Crisis, 2017/18). Alongside homelessness, child poverty is also a problem in our region as teachers are saying “they are seeing examples of children going to school hungry and in uniforms that haven’t been washed”. In the North West, doctors have seen cases of Rickets linked to malnourishment. (ITV News, 2017) In 2003 Barry Goldson carried out research on the then government’s plans to reduce poverty in the Speke and Dingle. One of the residents made clear their dissatisfaction to the government’s investments in art facilities and planting trees to combat the poverty in the areas. They highlighted that those sorts of investments are not what the people
6|Page need or want, they want to be listened to an d have investments in local businesses to increase employmen t (Goldson, 2003). I can’t help but see the giants as a large scale version of Goldson’s research from 2003, as Liverpool City Council can fork out almost £300,000 per Giant visit in the hopes of boosting our economy and cultural status, when poverty is still such an issue in the city. Even though the Giants are an amazing piece of art with important stories behind them, I can’t help but wonder what it says about us as a city if we will come out to celebrate art and a quick boost to the economy yet ignore malnourished children and walk past homeless people who are suffering on the streets. References Sean Bradbury, ‘How much will the Giants cost Liverpool?’24 July, 2014: <https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/artsculture-news/liverpool-giants-2014-how-much7497422> Laura Davis, Liverpool Echo ’10 reasons the Giants returning to Liverpool in 2018 is so massive for the city’, 10th May 2018.: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whatson/whats-on-news/10-reasons-giants-returningliverpool-14638012 Angela Lewis, Liverpool City Council Information team – a response to a Freedom of Information Request, 8th October 2018: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/524 691/response/1260934/attach/4/638687%20B%20 Jones%20Response.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1 International Monetary Fund, 2017 : https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2017/ 02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr. Crisis, 2017/18, https://www.crisis.org.uk/endinghomelessness/about-homelessness/ ITV News: ‘SPECIAL REPORT: Increased numbers of children going to school hungry’, 2017 Liverpool City Council, 2019, https://www.liverpool.gov.uk/alwaysroominside/
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Mountain walks and bonding at Plas Caerdeon Jess Bates, first year student in Single Honours Education, went to Plas Caerdeon in November, 2018, and here she remembers her experience… Plas Caerdeon was an interesting as well as fun experience. Through the trip I got to make new friends as well as create a closer and tighter bond with the people on my course. The staff who worked at Plas Caerdeon were nice and friendly. Additionally, the staff at Plas Caerdeon were helpful and tried to help me as well as peers out with certain tasks that we found a bit difficult whilst staying there. Whilst at Plas Caerdeon there was a range of activities that everyone could choose from, including raft building and archery. The majority of the activities that we got to do were based around communication and teamwork. This skill was vital when taking part in these activities because they were all about getting to know people in in small groups – I had never met some of the people in my group. On the final day, there was a walk which I went on with fellow students whilst at Plas Caerdeon and the views from the walk were quite unique. When looking up at the sky, one could see where the rain was coming down, even when it was not falling on us. Pic: Caerdeon 2018 rom left to right: Dr. Catherine O’Connell, Caitlin Crickson, Robyn Lucas, Jess Bates, Elizabeth Pattinson.
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ALL FOR THE PURSUIT OF PROFIT Sarah Swindells, first year Single Honours Education student recounts her visit to the International Slavery Museum.
Exhibits from the International Slavery Museum. To the left, a wooden statue of a slave breaking from his chains. Below, a replica of a slave ship.
Myself alongside other additional education students attended the International Slavery Museum as a way of finding out if this form of informal education can be seen as an effective educator. The museum holds the power to challenge the racial inequality that still continues. I found that the museum was quite emotive and more realistic than reading about slavery in books. In the museum we were surrounded by the different objects that were directly used in slavery, and this was moving. The exhibits that I found most effective were the replica of a Liverpool slave ship and the statue of an enslaved African breaking free of his chains. The Slave breaking free was a very emotive and powerful figure in the sense that it shows pain and struggle that was conquered. Breaking free from chains is a symbolic gesture that shows strength. The Liverpool slave ship exhibit was used to present the domination that Liverpool had over the slaves during the transatlantic slave trade. It is there as a permanent reminder of how the Africans were demoralised and treated like objects. As an education student, I felt that the International Slavery Museum was very educational. Even though it criticises slavery, it also educates us about the consequences of capitalism and self-interest which allowed profit to become a greater priority than respect for human dignity and freedom. Overall, the whole experience was moving and I felt that it is a great source of education primarily because it provided an opportunity to understand the whole concept of the slave trade rather than reading it from a book.
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Alternative Careers in Education Kerry Chaplin (Level I Student Advocate for Education) During our Education Careers Day, we had the pleasure of hearing from many individuals from areas suggested by our students within the Education Studies department.
Above: Richard Wakelin (Novus) wearing lanyard and Natalie Hayward, third from left (Merseyside Police). Below: Natalie Hayward, (Merseyside Police).
Above: wearing lanyard Adam Duckworth (Liverpool Museums)
Adam Duckworth from the Liverpool Museums gave us an insight into his job role as a museum educator and how his role allowed him to work with a variety of children and adults of different ages and needs within his base at the slavery museum. He described his role as ‘ever changing in environments and individuals’. For a role in which individuals may wish to work with the public and schools to help express and educate people in prior cultures and traditions and learn whilst educating others, many if not all of the 8 museums across Liverpool have many volunteer and training opportunities to see if you to can educate future generations with the knowledge and lessons of the past. For those who are looking for a role which requires patience, a strong personality, and open mind, Special constable Natalie Hayward (Hope graduate in Education Studies) gave us insight into the many police and community support roles in which individuals within the course have shown interests in - from the youth offending team, fraud squad, and vulnerable person protection unit, to name but a few. Natalie gave insight into the reality that although the training for these roles may be rigorous the outcome is a full-time career which will allow you to help those most in need within the community. For experience within these fields. City Watch allows for ‘tag along’ sessions as well as other volunteer opportunities within the police accessible through the Mersey side website. ‘Children learn to play before they can speak’ is the reasoning for the role of a Play therapist, Sabrina Persiano from Inner Treasure – a play therapy centre. Sabrina shared techniques she has used in her own private practice to help those with mental health and behavioural issues. Sabrina also gave insight into how play therapy can help children in so many ways and how ‘using a child’s first language of play’ can help them communicate and work through issues with the support of a play therapist. The sad
10 | P a g e reality that mental health in children is rising shows the high demand for the need for support in this field and others to help children though any difficult times or issues. Further information can be found on many play therapy information sites for those who wish to use actions and play to support children. Paddy Elliot (also a Hope graduate in Disability Studies) from Crisis discussed recent policy changes, including changes to the benefits system and immigration reforms, that have increased homelessness. He described particular historical and contextual factors that are associated with homelessness in different parts of the UK which require a differentiated approach. Education is a key part of Crisis’s strategy to help people out of homeless. Paddy discussed volunteering and placement opportunities in which students can work alongside their team of ‘Smart Skills Tutors’. Gill Dulgarn talked about the varied and inspiring work of Blackburne House, which provides vocational education and training for local, and often vulnerable, women in Liverpool with the aim of helping them to overcome obstacles to employment. Gill described the broad range of training and education provided and discussed the way recent Apprenticeships policy is posing challenges to smaller businesses to set up the necessary purchase provider relationships that are required with education providers. Growth areas at the moment are in construction, ho spitality and NHS apprenticeships. Education is used in many ways to develop and change a person’s perspectives and help them through life even at challenging times. Richard Wakelin works in education within prisons with a wide variety of individuals in a range of courses from basic maths and English to personal social development courses and everything between, that will help them once released from correctional facilities. NOVUS, Richard’s base, and others, help individuals within the facilities and even when they ‘leave the gate’ to help prevent them from reoffending and give them a better chance at life after past mistakes. This career allows you to make a difference to individuals who may be the most challenging, but who give the highest reward. For more information on this or similar positions within correction facilities contact NOVUS.ac.uk or Monster jobs.
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Pantomime with 90 small people Kim Brimble, second year student in Single Honours Education tells us how she got roped into helping out with a pantomime trip when she picked up her daughter from school… A lesson in saying no, well maybe! Waiting at school gates at pick up time, when the event all parents dread occurs, (so I thought) teacher approaches you……. Mind begins to race, oh no what have they done? what did they say? Miss beings with “hi” (mind is freaking out), “I’m looking for volunteers”. Oh, ok (mind relaxes, phew) ”what for”? “It’s panto trip tomorrow well we could do with a few more helpers, are you free”? Mind is in such a state of relaxation after panic of what punishment will suffice for this imagined naughty act. “Ah yeah sure I’ll do it; what time do you need me”? Fast forward 9am 90 small people, three coaches, a bridge and a seemingly huge theatre, which, funnily enough, I always thought was quite compact until you are in charge of small people with a knack of disappearing in an instant. Ok everyone is on the coach, The coach moves, the kids are transported to a fair ground ride, screams of delight and outbursts of wheeeeee. Spontaneous songs begin, none in time but all super cute as being sung by small people. Couldn’t tell you anything about the show other than the beast is terrifying (apparently), there were super soakers, and it was AMAZING. 10/10 from all the small people. I do remember however feeling much like a Meerkat, head sticking up high, spinning to see where each and every sound comes from for fear someone is re-enacting the Great Escape. Arrival back at school to wake seven of the small people from their post-beast trauma, and thrilling coach ride slumber. Fast forward 6 hours Where’s the wine……… “Same time tomorrow Miss”?
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Do you want to contribute to the April, 2019 edition of The Ed Stu? If so, please contact Rosie Germain with your idea at germair@hope.ac.uk All ideas welcome.