Until recently suggestions that the pandemic could allow for a re-think on education in schools were put forward and swiftly dissipated. But perhaps articles and discussions on the proposal have started minds thinking. In the UK the Times newspaper is setting up an education commission that, it is hoped, “could lead to radical change across schools and universities”. This is a major opportunity to rethink completely a number of key areas about education, especially “the curriculum, qualifications, social mobility, exclusions, new technology, lifelong learning and the number of people going to university”. With support from the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who has declared “the legacy issue I think for me is education…the loss of learning for so many children and young people” one can only hope that the initiative gets enough time to focus on the real challenges which are how to prepare children for life, not just exams, and also how to allows adults to be able to re-skill throughout their working lives. Let us hope that this initiative can create a new impetus around the world to change for the better the education system for children and young adults.
