“Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes.” Is the impassioned plea of Aaron Sorkin’s Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn in The West Wing. Whilst we now occupy the brief breathing space between A&T-Level results, GCSEs and Advanced & Regular Highers we ought to reflect on the nature of what education means to our future as a country; it could yet our most powerful tool to fortify the foundations of our United Kingdom.
Education across the four nations has been different since well before devolution in 1999. The reason for maintaining this approach was for a more focused operational approach. However, under Nationalist governance, in Scotland in particular, the curriculum has been weaponised, ranging from the absurd through to the detrimental effects of distraction from core competence on children’s futures. There is a unique opportunity for the new Prime Minister to hold the devolved governments to account. Specifically Universities should only accept qualifications from an approved examination body, and, in turn, those examination bodies must only be accredited if they examine in an unbiased and balanced way; particularly in history and arts.
A determined separatist lights a long fuse rather than attempting to achieve a decisive blow. Scots do not pay a single penny in tuition fees should they chose to study at a Scottish University. Conversely the English, Welsh and Northern Irish have to pay wherever they study – and Scots have to pay if they stray south of the border. This encourages university going Scots to remain in Scotland and not expand on their cultural and educational horizons during formative periods in their lives. Moreover it creates a further education system whereby there is an artificial cap placed on Scottish students in Scotland forcing them either to potentially abandon their plans to study. Either way the problem is a long fuse for Nationalists; driving a wedge between the four nations of the UK since 2007. A bold approach would be for the UK Government to offer tuition support grants to students who choose to study in a nation other than their home with private sector support for those who choose to study STEM or other niche subjects.
The £6 billion UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agency offers funding and support across all academic disciplines in the UK and it sets out principles by which funding is apportioned, including fostering an “innovation culture across the UK.” The new Prime Minster should not be afraid to flex the muscle of the UKRI when it comes to this principle. Research must be apportioned on an independent basis however the principle of a benefit for the entire UK should be equally weighted to other principles of collaboration, innovation, integrity and excellence. As such an annual audit of the UKRI should include an evaluation as to how its approach benefits the whole of the UK and all research proposals submitted by UK Universities should specifically outline how their work will benefit the entire country.
Over a millennia of history the UK, knows more than most nations, of the need to evolve in order to succeed. And success means recognising the status quo but developing a vision to change. The success is our country is our Union and our strength is the social contract, exemplified by education where we need to dare to be different.
This piece was a jointly written article by Ed McGuinness and Luke Graham.
The original was published in The Times on 07 September 2022. If you want to read the rest of the piece please click this link (Times subscribers).