Learning matters. But does education matter?

In our research on highly effective people in work they mention a wide range of qualities and competences that make them effective. Mostly these are learned not genetic. They also mention a very wide range of ways in which they learned that can include travel, having a good boss, reading, having a mentor, talking to colleagues, family influences, challenging projects, trial and error and so on and so on. The list is very long. What’s interesting is that school, college, university, training courses and other formal educational events play very little part. At most they are mentioned 10 to 20% of the time.

What is also interesting is that often formal education has been a negative influence where, for instance, individuals are categorised as less able, because they’re not good at passing exams - but are very effective in work - if they get over the barriers that are put in their way.

When we set up Self Managed Learning College in Brighton over 22 years ago we based our approach in supporting the development of young people aged 9 to 17 on this kind of research and other studies that we had undertaken. For instance we researched on different ways that young people can learn and we found at least 57 modes, which include the classroom, but many other options. When we started the College we asked students about ways in which they wanted to learn and no-one in 22 years has asked us to recreate the classroom - so we have no classrooms.

Our objective has been to help young people to go on to a productive and fulfilling life after they leave us. The fact that every young person is different means that each of them needs to be able to learn what they need to learn in their own context and for their own lives. This has meant that we have no curriculum, and that students genuinely can learn anything they want and in any way that they want.

Another piece of evidence that influenced us was the Government’s own research on the summer born children. They found that at least 10,000 children every year suffer lower grades at GCSE purely because of being born in the summer months. That figure of 10,000 is a minimum and it’s clear that summer born children suffer a many other ways and purely because of the date of birth that makes them the youngest in their class school. So our students born in the summer can go at their own pace. They can stay on longer, if it’s needed, in order for them to take GCSEs or other qualifications.

We are often challenged as to how this could really work in practice and the evidence is of the 72 young people that have been attending SML college in the last year. They are happy to be able to learn whatever they need in a supportive community. The evidence is also from research carried out independently on ex-students, where it’s apparent that they are able to go on to fulfilling careers in a wide range of areas. In some cases that been through going to university and in other cases not. It’s up to each individual to go on the journey that suits them.

All of this is an example of a very simple notion that we should base learning around real evidence of the fact that every individual is different and deserves to be equally valued and given a real chance to fulfil their own potential. The educational model of imposed schooling has many flaws that we try to avoid through the way we work.

Dr Ian Cunningham, Self Managed Learning

Featured in BN1 Magazine Aug 2024 issue