Rethinking School Design: A Path to Better Education

As schools reopen their doors, I can't help but wonder what the experience will be like for these students. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭? Is the learning process growing, developing, or changing at all from year to year?

The process of change, if one is happening, seems incredibly slow, and I'm not sure of its true purpose. I've had years of international experience with education, from schools to colleges and universities, and I've noticed a troubling similarity in patterns. There's a strong emphasis on compliance with certain notions that everyone is apparently expected to learn, but reality tells a different story. For some, the mere process of learning presents immense challenges.

Beyond these challenges, a lack of resources, trained staff, and time often forces a single method of teaching, and every student is expected to conform to it to meet predetermined criteria for success. But the reality is that a learning method that works for one person doesn't work for another. This is especially true for students with special needs, who often learn through a variety of sources and methodologies. These approaches are not always conventional but are nonetheless important as they help children achieve the main objective: learning.

A truly effective educational system should focus on a child's mastery of a skill, regardless of the path they took to get there. For students with special needs, this shift is not just beneficial - it's essential. Their success often depends on individualised strategies like:

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: which is the learning through movement;

𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: learning through the senses (touch, smell, hearing, taste, and sight) to anchor concepts in a more memorable way;

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: when listening or saying things out loud helps understand concepts.

When schools discourage these "atypical" methods, they are, in effect, limiting a student's potential and making learning an unbearable, frustrating experience. The brave educators who use these techniques, despite the pressure to conform, are demonstrating what a redesigned system could look like: one that is flexible, empathetic, and ultimately, more effective at meeting the unique needs of every learner.

These workers, who truly try to attune to the child and do what works for them, are often reprimanded and reminded of how things "should" be done, because "the book says" learning must happen a certain way.

The truth is, we should put more emphasis on the final goal. If we want a child to learn more vocabulary, does it truly matter how they get there? Many students with special needs learn their vocabulary through singing, sensory approaches, and so on. While some schools use these methods, it seems there's always a manual-driven way of doing things.

Reality is much more complex and nuanced. In my teaching experience, it has been incredibly hard to witness countless students finding learning unbearable because their way of learning is considered "out of the box." This has led me to the question: should school be redesigned, and if so, how? It's a question that has become one of my main ongoing endeavours and a frequent topic of discussion with families and caregivers.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬?

Furthermore, there is an urgent conversation needed about the subjects taught in schools. While the fundamental skills of reading, writing, and counting are essential, a lot of other knowledge is quite far removed from what reality will present to our children. Again, I'm thinking about all children, but particularly those with additional needs. A parent or caregiver could see a brighter future for their child just by the simple fact that the child learns to tie their shoelaces, achieve independence in using the toilet, or be able to make a sandwich. This is the harsh reality for many, and while these may seem like granted skills to some, for others, they would make a world of difference and provide peace of mind for parents worrying about their children's future and hoping for them to be as prepared and independent as possible. Being able to complete these simple tasks is a huge relief from the perspective of parents and caregivers who are striving for their children's independence.

So, what should we do about this? 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬? Our schools excel at narrating knowledge where kids are often passive receivers who are expected to focus on following instructions. Even when asking questions, there seems to be a "right" question (the on-topic one) and a not-so-welcome question (the lateral-thinking one). I think many of us can relate to the experience of asking a curious, slightly "out of the box" question, only to have it go unanswered - except by a few precious teachers - be shushed, or even be made to feel a little silly.

I can't stop wondering if schools, where kids spend the majority of their daily lives, are really designed to enable them to navigate modern life. 𝐎𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬?Are we truly trying to nurture their minds to enable them to grow up and deal with life's hardships and daily chores?

There is almost no space in the curriculum for "How to save and manage money," "How to make friends," "How to nurture and develop your emotional intelligence," "How to formulate your own opinion through critical thinking," or "How to become a resilient individual." As a result, we teach children and young adults how to pass exams but not how to deal with life’s harder trials.

A core part of redesigning schools involves moving away from the "𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥" of education. This model, which gained prominence during the industrial revolution, was designed to produce a standardised output, much like a factory would produce identical goods. However, children are not products. Each one has a unique learning style, pace, and set of interests.

Redesigning schooling would require a rethinking of what is helpful and what is becoming obsolete. Subjects like financial literacy, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and resilience should be taught alongside academics. In this way, schools would do a much better service in helping to shape minds that can actively and independently thrive. Even in those cases where full independence might not be achieved due to additional challenges, we could still be working to get the most out of every individual so that each child and young adult can experience that feeling of independence.

𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. They need more than just training; they need time and support. By valuing and investing in teachers, we create an environment where they are not just instructors but are also mentors who can truly help each student reach their full potential.