Currently, as of 2025, the education in place in England as it stands right now is sub par, exclusionary and archaic. Mainstream school with the current national curriculum that has been in place for decades does not adhere to the growing technological and multicultural country we live in. It is outdated for a modern age. Huge change needs to happen to the subjects being taught and more flexibility for all students. If the system worked, why do we have huge numbers of children not in school? Why is anxiety based school avoidance becoming stronger than ever? Why are students telling their parents they don’t feel safe in school? Why is there more and more coverage on this around the country?
A free education is an excellent thing and to be able to access it is a privilege that I do not take for granted, particularly as a woman where I know around the world my gender would have negative sanctions and my human rights would be second class. I am grateful that I had the freedom to access what I did and that my daughter also has this freedom. However, in an ever-changing, unpredictable world things are being modernised, so why is the education our children receive being ignored? Why are schools insisting on sticking to rules and policies that diminishes a person’s sense of self. Policies and procedures that only care about attendance, conforming to perceived social norms rather than an individuals desire for autonomy. Caring more about maintaining an outdated image for really no good reason instead of creating a nurturing and open environment for children to learn and flourish in.
The biggest problem is this ‘one size fits all’ approach to education when it quite clearly does not fit all. It does not fit students who are struggling with their mental health. It does not fit all neurodivergent students. It does not fit all disabled students. It does not fit all students who have experienced loss, grief and trauma. It does not fit all students because every single student learns and processes information differently. It does not fit all genders. It does not fit all cultures. It does not fit.
Allow policies and procedures that benefit disadvantaged students, and everyone will benefit. Help the less privileged first, and all will benefit. Adapting and being flexible in this world is necessary to surviving yet how are young people supposed to learn that if the place they spend the most important years of absorbing information, learning social norms and growing as individuals will not adapt or be flexible. It is so opposed to the nature in which we have to survive.
I don’t disagree that there are currently some students that thrive in the current setting, but do you know where students thrive the most? Places where they don’t have to follow the national curriculum like private schools and home educators. Where classes are kept small, adaptable, personal and reflect an individuals passions. So I suppose it comes down to a classist issue then? Those that can’t afford financially or have the time, ability or mental strength to home educate are left with a shocking system that will constantly flaunt GCSE results at you and Ofsted reports but I don’t care about that and I know I am not the only parent that does.
Do you know what I care about? My child being allowed to go to the toilet when she needs to or the privacy and respect to change a menstruation product without explicitly stating to a teacher when she is embarrassed. My child being able to eat her lunch without feeling rushed because she will be punished with detentions for being late. A place where my child isn’t forced to give answers to questions based on a teacher randomly picking someone to speak out loud. A place where my child feels comfortably to question why things are the way they are and getting a calm and responsible approach rather than a power struggle of school acting as an authority. A place where teachers are encouraging and empathetic to the fact that every child learns in their own unique way.
Instead we are faced with expensive, branded uniforms, where shirts have to be tucked in and skirts can not be a certain length, and hair must only be blonde, brown or ginger. Oh but hair isn’t allowed to be cut too short, boys can’t have any sort of style shaved into their hair. No piercings are allowed, even if they are of legal age to have them because someone outside the school might find it offensive. The lie that it teaches students to be appropriate for the workplace is laughable because, well, you can get a job or work wherever you want and if a place doesn’t like piercings or hair colours or tattoos…you can find somewhere that does! And there are so many places that don’t discriminate against this sort of thing either. Not to mention workplaces that require a uniform usually provide it or an allowance for it. And on the topic of uniform, why does an 11 to 16 year old need a full suit to go to school? It’s uncomfortable. If you want to insist on a uniform why are you making it so inaccessible in terms of cost and sensory issues? Surely you realise if students were comfortable they would be able to focus more on learning?
I don’t really oppose uniform but why can’t any black trousers and a white polo top and jumper be enough? Why are we going through all these hoops to make children dress as adults? And who does it help or serve? If, as an adult, they want to wear a suit to work then they can choose to do that then, they will have already had the habit of a uniform even if it was kept simple. How do small, subtle piercings detract from a students ability to learn? (they don’t, some people don’t like them so want to punish everyone and hold it over them because they want everyone to look the same or fit in with their standards of beauty). And the length of skirts or wearing leggings being such an issue is because men sexualise girls and women, so instead of addressing the issue of ‘women can wear what they want, keep your hands and thoughts to yourself’ they make women conform so that men can’t get distracted. It’s disgusting quite frankly.
I am fed up of being the parent that just bows down to a school who thinks they have authority over my child’s wellbeing, when they don’t. I am fed up with fighting my child instead of the system that is causing her so much anguish. I am fed up with having no control over a system that doesn’t work and that just keeps having plasters put over the top of the cracks instead of addressing the issue and asking why it isn’t working and how can we fix it. Speak to the parents, ask them how schools and local authorities can do better, don’t just keep adding fines or insisting that children are registered with a provider that might not be safe for them.
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