Two months later, I still look back on March 8th which was the 111th International Women’s Day, a day of celebration and campaigning for a cause close to my heart. UNESCO estimates that globally, there are still 129 million girls missing out on school. In 2022, such a number is a travesty. The inclusion of education in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reflects the wider understanding of the role education plays in levelling out social inequalities and offering opportunities. Yet, even for those of us able to go to school, inequalities and a lack of options persist, begging the question: is education serving us properly and fulfilling its purpose? Will the education we receive today still be relevant for tomorrow’s future?
This Spring, I had the opportunity to pose this question at a roundtable with a group of young people and Stephen Morgan MP (Shadow Minister for Schools). The young people came with a range of experiences of GCSEs, A Levels, Apprenticeships and Technical qualifications and yet, despite these apparently different pathways, shared similar frustrations with the existing system. A collective joy was expressed when reflecting on early memories at primary education and the range of learning experiences offered there but this was unanimously overshadowed by the blight of secondary school and the pressure to perform that became more obvious the further along the system you went.
Furthermore, the discussion highlighted a shared disillusion with the approach to assessment. The emphasis on exams was rendered worthless when the pandemic meant they were cancelled, with one participant sharing:
“It felt like all those years of schooling amounted to nothing. Clearly the experience of school was still valuable, but the way the system is set up made me feel it was pointless.”
Moreover, the curriculum itself was found to be lacking. If the pandemic has shown us anything it is that being prepared for the ‘real world’ and the type of life skills that are integral to day-to-day living. Whether that be adapting to remote working, knowing how to register to vote or tackling the existential threat of the climate crisis, these are the issues at the forefront of young people’s minds. If, cancelled exams made studying feel pointless, what about the threat of a cancelled future? So, what can we do?
Act – Build – Change
These are the tenets of Pupil Power. Words alone are inadequate. Education needs to be providing the tools for young people to build a viable future; therefore, the climate emergency should be key in all subject areas. Young people across the country have petitioned for, alongside Teach the Future, who submitted the first bill written by students in the UK, the English Climate emergency education bill, to Parliament. This is a huge accomplishment and shows what can be done by anyone with enough energy, regardless of their age. Pupil Power as a platform, space and movement exists to build agency amongst young people and activate their inner changemaker, in order to be a part of redesigning the future of education. Education should be everyone's business and therefore we believe that we should too, alongside other stakeholders, have a seat at the table.
They Work for Us
Being able to directly question Stephen Morgan, the Shadow Minister for Schools was an invaluable opportunity. It broke down the barrier between Westminster and young people, reminding everyone of the purpose of MPs – to serve the people- a concept easy to forget (and reflected by low turnout - only 47% of voters aged 18-24 voted in the last general election). It was promising hearing Stephen’s vision. As the first person in his family to go to university, he spoke with a ferocity of passion and experience that education should enrich lives, give everyone a chance for success and, music to our ears, focus on a green recovery.
It is easy to feel powerless and intimidated by institutions, be they schools or governments, but the world belongs to us as much as anyone. Educational policy should be driven by the people it is going to impact the most, which is why it is crucial more young people engage, campaign, and respond to the current issues facing us.
Aliyah Irabor-York is an undergraduate at Cambridge University and founder of Pupil Power, a youth-led movement reimagining education in the 21st century.
