Learning for the Future
Article published in Sussex Newspaper, 2020
The Guardian newspaper reported a conference speaker who challenged his audience with the comment: “Any job that can be exhaustively defined – for instance in a job description or a manual of procedures – will eventually be subject to automation.” He asked his audience for examples of jobs that would not be affected by this – and most of the examples he was given he could easily refute.
The most interesting thing about this story is that the report appeared on August 22nd !979. The article pointed to the need for education to respond to this coming change. It’s not apparent that schools, colleges and university have responded to this over the last 40 years. As the article pointed out, fact-based curricula (as we have now in schools) merely pass on knowledge that is oriented to the past and sometimes the present. But, on its own, it doesn’t prepare young people for the future, where most people will have multiple careers and where the need is for the ability to continue to learn through life. Individuals have to take charge of their own learning. They have to self manage.
Nine years ago there were no apps. The word did not exist in the English language and no-one had predicted their use. Now there are over two million people world-wide working on apps. Those who knew how to take charge of their own learning were the first to capitalise on this opportunity – they were self managing learners .
This is the orientation of Self Managed Learning (SML) College. Around 40 young people aged 9-16 are learning to manage their own learning. SML College has no fixed curriculum, no imposed lessons – indeed no classrooms – and students plan their own timetables. In order to do this they are supported by a caring learning community that includes 9 adults, who are there to help them.
An experienced researcher has just completed an independent study of past students of the College. Here is one quote from the research report:
“Evidence suggests that for a significant number of students it was attendance at SML College which enabled them to get to a point where they were able to attend further education or sixth form college. In some cases this meant facilitating the development of the emotional and psychological wellbeing needed for further education; in others this meant support in achieving the necessary qualifications, in others it meant support preparing applications, for some it was a combination of such factors, and for a few it meant facilitating the identification of new interests which motivated young people to continue studying.”
“Interestingly, of the five students who had not continued to pursue further education, they are currently engaged in work they love, and two are operating at a level which far surpasses the norm for young people of their ages. One (aged 18) is head of tech for a research and development company, one (aged 19) is the production manager for an events management company which organises major UK festivals, one (aged 26) is playing in bands, running events and teaching music, and one (aged 22) is a pub supervisor, a job she does because it is fun. With the right attitude and support, further education is not necessary for an excellent work life.”
What the researcher also pointed out is that ex-students commented on how they felt better prepared for future work because they had learned to manage their own learning – and to make changes in direction as needed. This has meant students learning to be more self managing in their lives in general. Here are just two quotes from ex-students in the research report:
“I can say that everything I've done has been my own choice. And knowing that I have this freedom continues to inform my decisions and thus makes me very happy. I can't blame anyone else for these choices and I can't be 'sour' because things haven't worked out for me.”
“I think it was really important for me to be in charge of my learning. I need flexibility a lot of the time and that wasn't at all possible in mainstream school. I'm a lot more confident in myself to be independent now.”
Overall the College takes a simple stance on education. We find out about the person, who they are, what is important to them, what they need and so on. Then we can help them to learn to be able to lead a good life – in the present and in the future.
Dr Ian Cunningham
Chair of Governors, Self Managed Learning College
ian@smlcollege.org.uk