NEWS: Calls for ‘character’ development in schools

As reported by SMF, Baroness Morgan, Chair of The Careers & Enterprise Company, calls for a shift in the education system to incorporate ‘character’ development, emphasising traits like self-belief and resilience, to better equip young people for the challenges of a rapidly evolving economy

In a paper published by the Social Market Foundation – a cross-party think tank – Baroness Morgan, Chair of the CEC and former Education Secretary, calls for innovative practice in educational and professional settings to help young people develop key traits like self-belief, determination, self-control and resilience, to become ‘career ready’.

Both government and opposition are looking to review the English school curriculum in the next Parliament, and have expressed an interest in broadening the offer to students. In the last decade, the English education system has adapted to be more knowledge-rich and STEM skills-focused, however the uncertainty of the coming era due to new challenges like AI and the transition to net zero mean that the education system is currently lacking in its offer to young people.

There is broad consensus among educators, experts and employers that young people need ‘applied’ character traits such as speaking, listening, teamwork and resilience that can set them up for the future.

The SMF paper has presented examples of innovative ‘character’ education training, that should be built upon. One example includes Pinewood Studios and Academies Enterprise Trust’s Maths curriculum resources, which made a point of highlighting the crucial role of teamwork and responding well to feedback. In Birmingham, the NHS works with George Dixon Academy to train students as community researchers and ask them to work on projects related to maternity care and aftercare – going beyond and teaching behaviours and values of the modern workplace.

Whilst volunteering and sport can offer character development, the opportunities to engage in them are unevenly spread across the country. This heightens the need for this to be a focus of schooling as well.

Since September 2019, Ofsted inspections have recognised the important role schools play in the development of their pupils’ character – specifically ‘resilience, confidence and independence’ – through the personal development section of its school review framework, the paper notes. If policymakers are serious about giving young people a better shot at both educational and professional success in the coming era, they should be providing opportunities to develop traits that are desired by young people and employers alike, the SMF said.

“Career development is character development”, said Baroness Morgan. It is also a matter of social justice and fairness, as young people from poorer backgrounds often have less confidence than their more advantaged peers, particularly in areas like leadership, the paper highlights.

Baroness Morgan noted that whilst the careers education system has already made progress towards increasing collaboration between employers and educational institutions, in raising awareness of apprenticeships for instance, there is still room for improvement on how to provide the best tools for young peoples’ life success. Looking to the future, there are opportunities to fuse character and careers to build a rich and rounded education for young people, the paper concludes.