The Co-operative Option in Education Conference

The Co-operative Option in Education: Can we still measure what we value once the lunatics have taken over the asylum?

“Change in Scottish education has tended to focus on reforming the curriculum and assessment systems but has tended to ignore school governance…………there has been no change in overall governance arrangements for almost 100 years.”

Our society has changed drastically over the past century, yet some would argue, our schools are still organised the way factories were set up in Victorian times.  If we need to modernise what are the options and what does the co-operative model have to offer Co-operative academies have been supported in England to tackle inner city under performance.  Co-operative trust schools (in existence before the concept of “Free Schools”) have offered a democratic alternative to the marketization process in England.

The Co-operative Education Trust Scotland was established to work with the existing structures rather than create new ones and there has been no demand in Scotland for opting out. The “Owenstown” co-operative town proposal offers a blank canvas in terms of co-operative innovation in education

Those who believe in co-operative values and principles and that the co-operative model of enterprise is a viable alternative will present several options.

Register for the event at: http://coopeducation.eventbrite.co.uk/

Speakers include:

Keir Bloomer – The Commission on School Reform

–           will address the governance issues highlighted in their Final Report.

–           http://www.cspp.org.uk/images/bydiversemeans.pdf

Cllr Stephen Curran – Glasgow  City Council    

–          will explain the move towards becoming a Co-operative Council and how education will underpin that development and how that can be linked to The Scottish School of Co-operation offering from CETS.

–          http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/

Jim Arnold – Owenstown    

–          will share his vision for education within the new Lanarkshire co-operative town

–          http://www.owenstown.org/

Dave Boston – The Schools Co-operative Society     

–          will explain how co-operative trust schools have grown in England

–          http://www.co-operativeschools.coop/