Self Managed Learning with organisations
The Centre for Self Managed Learning was established originally to take forward the approach with organisations. It was only 15 years ago that we started work with young people. The Centre and its sister social enterprise company, Strategic Developments International, continue to further the SML approach and are regularly in demand to run programmes.
We like readers to be aware that this work with young people is based on almost 40 years of significant experience and research with thousands of leaders and managers throughout the world. Our work continues currently with providing senior leadership development for organisations as diverse as St Georges University of London and the BBC. We are also in our fourth year of a consortium programme for primary school heads in Hertfordshire.
Ian Cunningham has recenty been running a Self Managed Learning programme for senior coaches at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. As part of the programme two coaches visited the College to get ideas for working with their young people.
The Brighton and Shanghai Educational Partnership
Helping Chinese young people to get a real education
The following is a press release that the College issued earlier this year.
“Dr Ian Cunningham of Brighton’s Self Managed Learning College argues that:
“It’s madness that the UK Government wants to copy the Shanghai schooling model – an approach that fails its young people and its society. We have entered into a partnership with iSkool in Shanghai to support this new school to revolutionise education in China.”
Ann Qiu, its Director, commented: “If a ‘successful’ education system is based on shaping students as conformists and passive learners without confidence in their own creativity, imagination or human potential, then the Chinese school system is remarkably efficient. Chinese schooling has to change – even the Chinese government is starting recognise this. We are partnering with SML College so that we can use their approach to shape a totally new approach to Chinese education. For instance we have been translating their materials and books into Mandarin and we have jointly signed a cooperation agreement.”
Dr Ian Cunningham, chair of Governors of SML College said “Ann Qiu is a real pioneer who is creating an important model for the future of education in Shanghai and we are delighted to work with her. One outcome that is planned is possible student exchanges as well as joint development work. Adding Shanghai to our international partnership work is part of our objective to influence the direction of education globally.”
Ann Qiu added that “It is a crucial time to for us to think about education for humankind instead of just for a nation. A background to the need for change in Shanghai is that while it tops international league tables in areas such as maths and science it also tops the international league table for suicides among young people. The pressures of our schooling system are a major contributor to this scandal.”
SML College says that Self Managed Learning encourages a real education that develops young people to take charge of their own lives within a supportive community. By responding to the needs of each person and avoiding the unbalanced schooling model promoted by the Government students go out in the world equipped to deal with its complexity. Instead of a life of tests they learn to face the tests of life.”
International links
As well as our link to China we continue to maintain a range of international contacts. Ian Cunningham met with Australian colleagues in Sydney in February and they reported on the enthusiasm for SML in their primary school.
We continue to support the International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) as well as the Alternative Education Resource Organisation (AERO) in New York.
Visitors to the College
We continue to welcome visitors who are interested in our work. We take seriously our charitable status to develop educational practice and to support parents and others. We have visits from other community organisations as well as schools (where they are looking for alternatives to use with students who do not respond to classroom-based learning).
We have particularly enjoyed visits from educationalists from other countries who are planning to develop Self Managed Learning programmes. The most recent of these visitors have been from Chile and from the USA.
Another reason for visitors is for them to engage with students around issues of interest to them – and where an outsider can bring in expertise. A recent example was a session run by Helen Long from Liberation Foods – a Fairtrade cooperative. This allowed students to ask her questions about the work of their nut cooperative and about Fairtrade in general.
Recent conferences and events
SPARK was a Brighton-based one day conference on education that explored creative 21st century approaches to learning. Gillian Trott, David Allistone, Louis d’Aboville and Ian Cunningham contributed to it.
‘One Church’ community organisation organised an evening for young people on employability. Ian Cunningham made a presentation on our approach that prepares young people for the world of work by addressing the kinds of needs that employers want – team working skills, creativity and self management.
A national conference critical of ‘The State of Education’ attracted many people and Ian has been involved in meeting after the conference in planning future action.
Student Voice
On Monday July 7 2014 past and present students and parents from the College attended a conference on student voice in London. They put on a workshop to show how the College works. A fascinating discussion occurred with school pupils attending making odd claims about what is possible. For instance some said that it would not be possible for our students to get GCSEs by virtue of our approach. They said this having been told by the ex-student chairing the meeting that he had gained 8 A* grades at GCSE through the College the year before.
There is a fuller (free) article on the event available from Ian Cunningham (ian@smlcollege.org.uk).
Work experience
We are indebted to organisations in the city and to parents for arranging week-long work experience in areas such as construction, broadcasting and events organising. We believe that gaining work experience as part of their learning is invaluable for our students.
University of Sussex collaboration
As part of our collaboration with the Informatics Department at the University of Sussex we have had groups of students from their Masters degree working with our students. They have entered into the spirit of SML by identifying what our students are interested in and then helping them with material on programming that fits with these interests.
Arts Award
We continue to use this excellent qualification that has been developed by the Arts Council. The advantage to us is that it allows students to create their own personalised portfolios of real learning and at the same time gain GCSE level qualifications. While older students generally do take their own selections of GCSEs such exams are often limited in not showing the full extent of student learning. The Arts Award allows a much richer picture of achievement to show through.
Another advantage over GCSEs is that we have three qualified assessors in our tutor team so that we can do the direct assessment.
Radio 5 Live
Ian Cunningham was asked to contribute to a phone-in programme on Radio 5 Live. As a result of his comments about education and about our College the radio station received many positive emails and phone calls. This resulted in them deciding to broadcast a proper slot on the College. A reporter came and interviewed students and tutors.
The final version of the piece, coupled with an interview with Ian, went out on the Nicky Campbell show in February.