Hence my take would be an increase in the numbers of schools offering Economics at Int 2/Higher. As cheaply as possible in the current climate, of course.

Des

Both mine walk about a mile to and from school most days and I think it does them good. They’re the sort of children who don’t like doing sport or joining clubs, so a fast trot home is just the thing.

Of course, if it’s pouring with rain, we sometimes weaken….

Perhaps it’s something that should go on the Agenda for the next meeting of the EL Association of Parent Council Reps?

Points 1–3 & 11 have their positive side.
Points 6–8 &10, depending on individual circumstances, could go either way.
Points 4,5, 9 & 12-16 seem unconditionally negative.

I read the OECD document. The main thing I learned is that I must be a text-based, as opposed to visual, learner. The diagrams meant nothing to me!

Some scenarios read more positively than others.

The ‘LEARNING NETWORKS AND THE NETWORK SOCIETY’ scenario sounds exciting - if terribly vague. Insecure times generally mitigate against willing leaps into an uncertain future. The transformation between “teachers” and “new learning professionals” may seem a difficult basis on which to feed mouths and pay bills. Might this put teaching in the “secondary wage” category?

The ‘SCHOOLS AS CORE SOCIAL CENTRES’ scenario contains the most grim phrase in the entire document: “Schools enjoy widespread recognition as the most effective bulwark against fragmentation in society and the family.” Given the recognition that family support matters more than school, this casts a pale light on things.

Other suggestions?

Could it be that some pupils will jump ship at the chance of a job while it’s going as opposed to staying on at school in the hope of working towards what might feel like possibly unusable qualifications?

I can foresee some problems for musical children/families. Many pupils receive free tuition at school on one instrument – the maximum allowed – and private tuition (outside school) on a 2nd and perhaps even 3rd instrument. Tightened purse strings may see a diminution in multi-instrumentalist pupils with possible consequences for Music as a certificate subject and school concerts. Many families view the purchase of an instrument as a fair contribution to many years of free tuition. This might continue to seem reasonable but simply be less affordable.

Bonding between staff may have to rely less on “nights out” to oil the social wheels.

I’m all for technology and “virtuality” but no amount of high definition, surround sound, second life can replace the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, temperatures, genuine distance and excitement of a foreign trip for pupils – and staff.