Over the last few years we have seen the birth of several important commissions at the forefront of education development. Many of these commissions have asked the fundamental question “What is the purpose of education” and from this, how might we improve the status quo for the benefit of all our learners.
The House of Lords Youth Unemployment Committee Chaired by Lord Shipley considered what measures should be taken to tackle youth unemployment, how the labour market may change due to COVID-19, Brexit, and technological developments in the years ahead. During 2021, the Committee collected written and oral evidence from a wide range of sources including government ministers, head teachers, sector leaders and many young people themselves. The committee proposed long-term, durable solutions in its November 2021 Report.
The Times Education Commission Chaired by Rachel Sylvester has been set up to examine the future of education in light of the Covid-19 crisis, declining social mobility, new technology and the changing nature of work. In January 2021, the Commission published its interim report.
Support the interm findings and join @TheTimes #EducationCommission to continue the conversation.
The Independent Assessment Commission Chaired by Professor Louise Hayward brought together academics, parents and students as well as the National Education Union, Chartered College of Teaching, the EDGE Foundation and the CBI. In February 2022, the commission published its report calling for a new assessment ERA – one that provides Equitable, Reliable Assessment.
Subscribe for updates from the Independent Assessment commission and join the conversation at @AssessmentEra.
The Rethinking Assessment movement with Peter Hyman, one of the leaders of the movement is a broad coalition of school leaders from the state and independent sectors, researches, policy-makers and employers working with a sense of urgency to find the best way of evidencing the full range of young people’s strengths. This year, it will continue to build the case for change, and will be piloting different assessment options.
Be part of the change at Rethinking Assessment. You can also follow and get involved in conversations at @rethinkassessmt#rethinkassessment.
The Independent Commission on the College of the Future chaired by Sir Ian Diamond is asking two simple but fundamental questions: i) What do we want and need from colleges in 10 years’ time? ii) What changes are needed in order to achieve this? In 2020, the commission published final reports for the whole of the UK and reports for each nation. This year, the commission will be working with partners across education and skills to take these findings forward.
Engage in the College of the Future’s events programme, sign up for newsletters and contact director@collegecommission.co.uk to let them know your thoughts on the college of the future. You can also join the conversation at @CollegeComm.
Here at the Edge Foundation, our passion is all around making education relevant
By this, we believe that to best prepare young people for life and work in the 21st century, we need to offer a broad, flexible, engaging curriculum and experiences that connect students and schools to employers and their local communities. We will continue to support the work of these commissions and to work collaboratively across the education sector to deliver meaningful change.
