At the heart of education has to be skills, knowledge, values, and of course, attitude

Last updated 16:24, Monday, 26 May 2008

Recently the University of Cumbria announced its intention to become co-sponsor (along with Brian Scowcroft and Andrew Tinkler) of the Richard Rose Central Academy and the Morton Academy in Carlisle, together with a potential academy in Barrow-in-Furness.

This is an exciting and bold move for the university and signifies that it is very much wanting to make a significant contribution to secondary education in Cumbria.

The university’s decision reflects the decisions of other universities across the country, many of which are also becoming involved in sponsorship of academies.

When a university is involved with an academy, it means that its expertise can be joined with that of the academy to enrich the experience of young people who are learning there.

However, a university’s involvement in academies is only part of its responsibility to make a contribution to the education system.

The really important thing about any educational institution is that it is there to enable its participants to acquire the skills, knowledge, understandings, values and attitudes for life.

I believe that this is at the heart of education – it is about enabling people to lead more enriching, interesting and rewarding lives.

Recently I have enjoyed watching on television a programme entitled The Choir: Boys Don’t Sing.

This is a documentary about singing teacher Gareth Malone’s ambition to create a school choir in an all boys’ school where singing is not “cool”, and to develop excellence in that choir so that they can sing at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

I know that this is a programme created for entertainment, but behind the documentary there are some educational truths.

It takes teachers with values, passion and expertise to transform lives. Gareth’s job is, on the face of it, extremely taxing. He is starting from scratch and in a school where singing is not accepted by students as having any place in their lives.

Yet the documentary describes how through the efforts of one teacher the boys not only embrace singing, but that it has a very positive impact on other areas of their educational experience.

The extent to which a school is successful in enabling its pupils to acquire skills and understandings for life is down to all who work in that school, and in particular the teaching staff.

Academies can provide fresh opportunities for educational success, but so too can any other school where there is a combination of dynamic leadership, effective management and high quality inspirational teaching.

Academies are one part only of an educational system that is constantly striving to make a difference to the young people of this country and at the end of the day what we call a school is less important than the qualities of the professionals working in it.

Educational excellence is dependent on people, and not the label we give to a school!

For the University of Cumbria, the decision to become co-sponsor of the academies in Cumbria is a significant and important move. But even more important is its aspiration to develop new links with all schools across the county and beyond.

The university recognises that it needs to forge connections with all schools because we share the same purpose, which is to provide learners with the skills and knowledge which will enable them to make a full contribution to society and to lead fulfilling and satisfying lives.

It is for these reasons that I consider the whole business of education, whether it be in schools, further education colleges, in universities or in any other setting, to be so vitally important.