Getting business involved in education is back on the agenda – if indeed it ever went away. But politicians must understand why today’s companies might want to get involved, otherwise they will fail.
INNER CITY SCHOOLS
Prime Minister Tony Blair MP launched a £350 million ‘action plan’ to transform comprehensive schools in inner city England, on March 22. Co-ordinated by a new minister for inner city education, Estelle Morris MP, plans include stretching the top 5-10 per cent of pupils with extra tuition, university summer schools, and weekend clubs. Both the specialist schools, which require corporate funding to release government funds, and the beacon schools programmes will be greatly expanded, with particular focus on the inner cities.
Forty new small-scale education action zones, involving local companies, will concentrate on improving performance in small clusters of schools. Children that are falling behind are promised a learning mentor.
Meanwhile the Sutton Trust, a charitable foundation set up by business man, Peter Lampl, has offered £250,000, to be matched by the government, for pilot projects which help able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Contact DfEE Enquiries on 0171 925 5555
BUSINESS IN ZONES
On February 16, Unilever hosted a meeting of Business in the Community member companies to discuss the best ways of engaging business in education action zones. In January, the government invited applications for a second round of EAZ’s from local partnerships between schools, parents, businesses and local authorities. At hat time, 25 new zones were envisaged, with a guaranteed minimum budget of £500,000 per year for three years. Any extra fundraising from companies up to £250,000 will also be matched pound for pound. Contact DfEE Enquiries on 0171 925 5555
CONSUMERS WANT CONTROLS
The Consumers’ Association has renewed its campaign for controls over business involvement in schools. On March 15, it published a survey of parents showing two thirds want the government to endorse guidelines it has drafted with the National Consumer Council. The survey also showed that parents think controlled commercial activity in schools “is not necessarily a bad thing”. The Association wants companies to be accountable in their marketing to young people, with clear boundaries to prevent exploitation. Contact Benet Middleton, Consumers’ Association, on 0171 830 7668 (www.which.net)
DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION GUIDELINES
A new code of practice on producing educational material about the environment was launched on March 12. Developed by the Council for Environmental Education and the National Trust, with funds from the DETR, the guidance is based around ten key principles and covers books, CD-ROMs and the Internet. The aim is to foster better understanding of sustainable development issues through materials which give a balanced account based on a broad range of informed opinion. Contact DETR Publications on 0870 1226 236
BUSINESS GOVERNORS
A national database of business governors willing to be placed in schools where the needs are greatest should be created, accordingly to a report by Industry in Education, Business and Industry Governors: a case for promotion? Schools should also avoid business governors nominated by companies employing a large number of its leavers, to avoid potential conflicts of interest. A 20 month study by the University of Luton Management Centre found head teachers most value help from governors on financial planning, strategic planning and personnel issues. The business governors thought they particularly bring decision-making and problem solving skills. Contact Industry in Education on 01582 760 078
PARTNERS IN LEADERSHIP
Solicitors Palser Grossman, KPMG, Sedgwick, HSBC and Nycomed Amersham are among companies leading a head teacher support scheme in Wales, Partners in Leadership. In March they joined with Business in the Community Cymru/Wales to hold seminars in North and West Wales to link business managers with head teachers on a one-to-one basis. Partners in Leadership is now nationwide, with some 3,000 partners and a steering group of 14 companies. In Wales it follows on from a successful project that has made 163 matches involving 89 companies over the last three years. Contact Aggie Rees, BITC Cymru/Wales, on 01222 483348
LEARNING DISABILITIES REPORT
A Lloyds TSB Foundation funded report, released in February, calls for a ‘joined-up’ approach between government, business and education to prevent people with learning disabilities becoming doubly disadvantaged. The report, Slipping Through the Net, from Heads, Teachers and Industry is based on a survey of special needs pupils, teachers, carers and employers. A quarter of people with learning disabilities are currently unemployed, compared to 15% of people with physical disabilities. Among needs identified are the education of employers to combat misconceptions, more flexibility in the curriculum and greater use of IT. Contact Lesley Allen, HTI, on 01788 811536
Comment
The prime minister launches a big initiative to sort out inner city schools; companies are exhorted to get involved. Schools are failing; send in the private sector. Somehow it has a terribly 1980s feel about it.
Yes, companies want to be good neighbours to schools where they are part of the local community. And yes, companies are concerned for the health of society when there are pockets of extreme disadvantage. And it is great business managers will offer to help head teachers. But most companies see running schools as essentially a public sector responsibility, where company input is helpful but incidental. Even on the basic `3Rs’, most say that’s the government’s job to get right.
That is because the days of big business as big employers of school leavers are gone (beyond sectors like retailing). The pupils are not potential workers so much as potential consumers. A programme like NatWest Face2Face with Finance is essentially about young people’s money management skills as citizens and customers, not employees.
That’s why the Consumers’ Association is following where the National Consumer Council has already led in worrying (unnecessarily) about exploitation. In fact curriculum resource materials from companies tend to be remarkably restrained. But at least the consumer lobby has understood where the debate is at. Have ministers?
Corporate Citizenship Briefing, issue no: 45 – April, 1999
COMMENTS