LESSONS LEARNT

Our education expert reaches a significant milestone and takes the opportunity to look at what has changed for the better in the industry - and what hasn’t

By SUE LAIDLAW

There’s a big birthday here, a 30th. However, it’s sadly not mine, but that of Laidlaw Education. We are now in our 30th anniversary year and are a long way from those first lessons around the kitchen table, with our first new-born baby asleep upstairs. It has been good to look forward to all the plans that we have in store and to reflect on our journey and, on a wider perspective, how things have changed – or not – in the world of education. Perhaps one of the biggest changes in the early 90s was the beginnings of the teaching of the National Curriculum. For those of you who are interested, the first elements of the National Curriculum were introduced in September 1989 as one aspect of the Education Reform Act of 1988 under the eye of Kenneth Baker. Nowadays, it is di cult to imagine school education without the structure of the National Curriculum, but has it improved the education of each child? Without doubt the structure of the plan ensures that all teachers know what they should teach and a clear plan is always important.

However, having worked through the preNational Curriculum days at the very start of my career and seen the changes that have been made through the decades, I can’t help wondering if there are elements that have been lost in the process. Like everything in education, drawing from the best of all parts leads to the best of experiences and outcomes for all children. I have seen wonderful inspiring teachers trying to continue to be inspirational whilst combining their unique skills with the limitations of the National Curriculum. I’ve seen children overcome by the constant testing and others who deem themselves “no good” as they compare themselves with their peers. The National Curriculum has enabled weaker teachers to teach better, but perhaps exceptional teachers have been less free to let their creative brains inspire.

Of course, so much more has changed too: IT, laptops and, latterly, Zoom and Teams lessons being one such area of development.

So, what of the world of tuition – a word that I hate, by the way. Well, that has certainly changed, too. Thirty years ago, any extra help that children needed after school and in addition to school was usually delivered by

Miss, Mrs or Mr Teacher who lived down the road. There were a few agencies, but there wasn’t an “industry”. Today, there are scores of agencies and companies abounding o ering all sorts of tuition services and making great promises. I have witnessed huge numbers of slightly anxious parents feeling that they must add this to their children’s list of activities and are cajoled into hours of extra tuition that may frankly not be necessary, required or best for the child.

Tuition has become a career choice for many graduates and, to be honest, a potentially very lucrative one for many, particularly for some who are less scrupulous and who have very little or even no teaching experience. Sometimes my heart aches for the wellmeaning parents who think that this is the answer to their child’s future success. Having been in the tuition world throughout these developing decades, I remain as confident as ever that it should be something that is used wisely and it is only right to guide parents as to when and how much extra help is required – integrity at all times, not profit at all costs.

So, in essence, there has been progress and development in all areas of education – they are pockets of excellence, but there have also been disappointments. Education has always swung like a barometer of ideas, best practice and opinions, back and forth. The truth is that there is a middle path that draws on the best of all aspects. Policies and ideas will ebb and flow, but at the centre is – or should be – the child. In our ever more complex world, this can sometimes become sidelined. And a final word to you as parents, and to myself, too: trust your own judgement as to what is best for your children and their education, in all its forms.

Sue Laidlaw is founder of Laidlaw Education LLP. Sue and her team o er educational advice, lessons and courses for children of all ages through their centres, including Laidlaw Hall supporting children with special needs, and the Laidlaw Virtual Academy. For more information, call 020 8487 9517 or visit laidlaweducation.co.uk