A Liberal Education System

The Liberal Democrats often see the issue of education as merely a funding one. With more money, more teachers, more technology, education can continue to get better, or so many of our members claim. We need a new liberal solution to education, one that treats each student as an individual, rather than using a one-size-fits-all method as we have done for centuries. We should aim to build a system tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of each student, allowing them to progress faster in their stronger subjects than their peers and slower in their weaker subjects.

Such a system would also remove many objections to mixed classes, with students able to work at their own pace, most likely using technology to allow students to be working on different subjects in the same class with the same teacher, while also spending some school time working on projects in a group on an area that interests them. This would move the emphasis of education from learning how to pass exams to what is actually taught. The teacher in the classroom would become a support for learning, helping struggling students in difficult areas, as well as ensuring that every student was working on something. Allowing students to focus on their passions is likely to increase attainment in these areas, while also reducing disruptions from students who dislike a subject who would be unfocused in a traditional classroom.

Accompanying this would be an exams system that does not have a fixed deadline, which the student could take at any time like a music exam. This would allow students to prepare for the exam, reducing stress levels and increasing attainment. These exams would cover both academic and vocational courses, helping everyone achieve the goal of getting a well-paid job after school. The exams system itself would likely have levels like music exams, with each level tailored by teachers and experts in the field. Students would progress through these levels, taking exams when they felt they were ready. There would also be a General Certificate, much like the current International Baccalaureate, which would have levels awarded based on completion of exams in a wide range of subjects, demonstrating a width of learning alongside the depth of individual subjects.

A truly liberal education system would be one that treats students like individuals, working with them so they can learn what they want to know, while also ensuring that they have the wide knowledge base to succeed in an ever changing world. Of course, this reform could not be done quickly, but despite the time and costs, I believe we must change our outdated education system so it is relevant to the 21st century.