End of Year Review 2015: Education

Education is a constantly evolving sector, and co-operatives are adapting to the changes. With the victory for the Conservative Party in May’s general election, David Cameron once again spoke of the Big Society – giving local communities more power and supporting co-ops – and co-op educators moved to act on this.

The Schools Co-operative Society and the Co-operative College outlined their plans to make co-op schools an integral part of the government’s education offering.

The two organisations pledged to work together with the Department of Education to create a range of sustainable models of school organisation, including co-operative multi-academy trusts.

One co-op academy, Burnt Mill School in Harlow, was nominated for the Times Educational Supplement School Award in the category of Secondary School of the Year. Burnt Mill Academy has been lauded by Ofsted as an excellent example of an outstanding school which serves a deprived area well.

The Co-op College has had a busy year, and one of transition too. New principal and chief executive Simon Parkinson has overseen the College’s move to independence from Co-operatives UK to become a membership organisation as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). Its trustees, appointed at the end of 2014, will help oversee a new membership offer.

Meanwhile, the College was also extending its work overseas. In February, it extended its project in Malawi to help develop co-ops in Malawi by a further three years.

The country has almost 700 co-ops, but with half the population still living below the poverty line, demand for co-operative training is higher than the support available.

Through a partnership with the Scottish government in 2012, the College has offered training to over 6000 members of co-ops, with a particular focus on engaging young people, training women to be leaders, promoting sustainable farming, and creating awareness of renewable energy. They are also discussing the feasibility of a setting up a national co-operative college.

University students may be struggling to adapt to life with higher tuition fees, but academics are increasingly looking towards co-ops as possible alternative models for higher education.

There are MOOCs (massive open online courses) made through collaboration between groups of universities, or from outside the traditional university frameworks.

More radical options include Occupy University the Social Science Centre in Lincoln, which offers free university education organised through democratic non-hierarchical principles. Similarly, a group of 16 universities has formed a consortium promoting teaching and learning on social enterprise.

Key events:

MAR: Welsh government allocates £2m in funding for new digital inclusion programme – to help over 60,000 people get online. Read more here.

JUN: The Schools Co-operative Society and the Co-operative College outline plans to work with the government to develop sustainable models of school organisation, including co-operative multi-academy trusts. Read more here.

OCT: The Credit Union for Teachers in Northern Ireland celebrates its 50th anniversary. Read more here. 

Highs and Lows:

Hugh Donnelly

Director Co-operative Education Trust Scotland (CETS)

Highlights:

“Continuing to work with councils to create more Scottish Schools of Co-operation. Partners in major Scottish government project “Scotland’s Enterprising Schools” (offshoot of “Scotland Can Do” major enterprise and innovation drive).

“There are strong indications from Scottish government that they will continue to fund this work in 2016/17, and largely on the back of various student co-ops created at University of Edinburgh we now have a team of academics working on a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on co-ops and employee ownership.

Low points:

“Still missing the substantial funding we used to receive from the Conservative government.

What would you like to see next year (and how do we get there)?

“A strong presence of Co-op MSPs after the Holyrood elections to push the co-op agenda and particularly to push that agenda within education.”

Jon Nott

General secretary, Woodcraft Folk

Highlights:

“2015 was Woodcraft Folk’s 90th anniversary and many of our highlights relate to that. It’s been great to see our young members exploring our history and to see members young and old coming together to reflect on nine decades of co-operative youth-led activity at camps, birthday picnics and other celebrations up and down the country.

“One of the other highlights is very much about the future. Our New Groups Projects, funded from the fines levied on Libor-rigging bankers, has led to the opening of 38 new Woodcraft Folk groups in Wales, Scotland and Northern England – a 10% growth in opportunities for the co-operators of the future to join the co-operative children and young people’s movement.

Low points:

“Learning that the Women’s Co-operative Guild was to wind up after 132 years of activism for peace, co-operation and gender equality.

What would you like to see next year (and how do we get there)?

“While many will continue to mourn the passing of the Enterprise Hub, I’m excited by a number of phoenix-like initiatives rising from the ashes. The Worker Co-op Solidarity Fund and the new national young co-operators network are just two examples of the movement looking back to its roots and the principles of mutual aid and co-operation between co-operators. It’s brilliant when large, successful consumer societies are in a position to develop co-op activity, but we should always remember that this is far from the only way to support the growth of our movement at the grassroots.”

Simon Parkinson

Principal and Chief Executive, Co-operative College

Highlights:

“Becoming principal and chief executive of the Co-operative College, shortly before the College officially became a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) in May. I’ve learnt a tremendous amount. I’ve had to come into and get to know a new organisation as a first-time chief executive. I’ve been working to understand the strength of the team, the existing dynamics, and how leadership and management styles differ. I’ve started to understand what it means to be a chief executive and develop the type of culture where people work best and are able to maximise their potential.

“Some highlights of the College’s work over the past year have been the new co-operative Masters units we are teaching jointly with Manchester Metropolitan University, to develop leaders in co-operative schools.

“Attending the ICA’s global conference in Turkey. I realised how well-regarded the College is internationally, and that we can support the co-operative globally as well as in the UK. We need to be both current and international.

Low points:

“It’s been another tough year for the College financially. We need to be more successful financially and reach out to the co-operative movement so members and organisations realise what we can offer them.

What would you like to see next year (and how do we get there)?

“I’d like to see the College team continue to develop and implement its new strategic direction, and translate their hard work and goodwill into success.

“For the first time in the Co-operative College’s 97-year history we’ll be member-led and I would like to see a rapidly growing membership.

“We need to promote the success of co-operative schools in England so they are recognised at a national level and play a key role in shaping policy.”