READ the FEdS reviews of these reports and much more in our This has been quite a year and I am delighted that during 2011 I have been able to meet so many FEdS members and associates.
I am grateful for your continued support and growing attendance at our events which have covered a wide range of subjects including: the all age careers service, the national curriculum reforms, apprenticeships, skills funding and plans for a UK world skills legacy.
Most valuable of all, however, have been the opportunities to learn more about what members are doing in the field of education, skills and training.
I’d like FEdS to do much more next year to highlight this work. We already try to profile members’ news and events in our monthly newsletters, but it would be good to go a bit deeper with interviews and stories – profiling experiences we can share and learn from.
FEdS is about bringing senior people from education, business and government together to discuss issues that matter to them, but we have a wide brief and it would be useful to have feedback on what is likely to matter most to you in 2012 and what issues you would like explored and explained via FEdS next year.
So, we’ll be sending out a survey early in January – just a few questions – which should only take a few minutes to complete.
It is interesting, and welcome, news that Education Secretary Michael Gove is delaying the revision of the National Curriculum in order to ‘allow for more radical reform’ of both the curriculum and qualifications.
The changes being recommended by the Expert Panel will now not be implemented until 2014, instead of 2013 as originally planned.
This will allow more time for debate and collaboration. And there is scope here for FEdS to pull together views and responses from members while keeping them fully informed about developments.
Another issue for possible discussion and collaboration within FEdS is how we enable young people to make a successful transition to working life - and how employers and educators together see their role in not only developing the next generation of workers, but also in helping young people make the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
We talk a lot about collaboration in this context, but how well are we putting it into practice? FEdS is in a good position to showcase what can be done – and is being done – in this area. And I’d welcome your thoughts here.
And finally, I’ve been thinking a lot about Gareth Malone and the Military Wives! Let’s hope they have a Christmas number one with their single “Wherever you are”. It just shows what an inspirational teacher – and admittedly a lot of television coverage – can do. But what is so impressive about Gareth Malone’s teaching in his BBC 2 series “The Choir” is his passion for his subject and his belief that it can change lives and communities. And it does. What’s more it makes people more confident and incredibly happy.
We know 2012 is probably going to be more difficult and challenging than 2011. Unemployment will continue to blight lives, particularly among our young people. And yet there are many more inspirational stories and people out there that won’t get “The Choir” treatment and don’t get the media coverage or recognition they deserve, but they are life-changing nevertheless. It is time our society focused much more on achievement and I’d like FEdS to highlight practical solutions as well as “issues”.
There is a lot of talent out there; not least in the organisations which I am proud to say are members of FEdS.
Wherever you are, I wish you a very happy Christmas – and an inspirational New Year!
And thank you for your support.
Rachael Campey
Chief Executive, FEdS.
