Students
This was written for and about you. We at FtEC are students. Join to change the system.
Supporting us means less boring repetitive work and more interesting, challenging and rewarding education. We want to make the system the ideal in the student's eye, helping you to become your own free thinking person.
Teachers
We get it. You are held to the standards of someone who has never worked with children. It's got to change.
Why should you just take the same old content flaws, the same old slight change to the mark scheme. Knowing the majority of content will be forgotten. Say the change you want to see. Support FtEC.
Parents and Citizens
Should the people schools pump out be unprepared for life and unsure of what to do next? We don't think so.
Do you think the future of Britain is intelligent, kind, confident and hardworking people? they won't be in the current system. Support the change. Support long term national success. Support FtEC.
Politicians
Rt Hon reader, what skills do you want students to exit school with?
I can guess you exited school with some fiery motivation, skill in public speaking, communication or analysis? Maybe a strong idea of what you wanted to do next? What if most students were like you.
How the current system works.
In our student's perspective. This is about the shape of how school works.
Assessment target is set.
The exam boards set what exactly they want students to do, currently learning information.
Schools optimise for criteria.
Schools see what types of skill are best marked by the exams and teach that skill in depth.
Students get taught useless skills
Currently the exams reward almost pure memorisation of knowledge which we think is not very useful in today's climate.
People complain
People frequently complain and make audits and reviews related to education, leading to small changes which make little difference.
This loop of small change to teaching optimisation leading to un-useful skills or lack thereof. This has been happening for years and its time for change, here's what we want to do about it.
as the ones who have to spend years memorising information lots of which we will neither use or benefit from having memorised. Why Can't We Change it?
Jamie Collett, The FtEC proposal doc
This takes both teacher and student a lot more time and effort than building understanding of knowledge. Why Can't We Change it?
Jamie Collett, The FtEC proposal
Students exit school with minimal useful skills, preparedness or direction. Why Can't We Change it?
Jamie Collett, The FtEC proposal
We need to begin testing for things that are healthy for schools to optimise for. Why Can't We Change it?
Jamie Collett, the FtEC proposal.
We need to give students useful skills.
We think the most healthy thing for schools to teach is useful, transferable skills. This makes a timeless, internationally applicable, useful profile which many other countries do similarly.
- 01Knowledge
- 02Understanding
- 03Critical thinking
- 04Creativity
- 05Communication
- 06Collaboration
- 07Practical application
- 08Independence
- 09Persistence and work ethic
How to assess these.
Our proposed idea is a mix of three assessment methods: the first is similar to the existing end of year exams, the second involves teacher observation of in-class activities and the third assesses students on their project work throughout the year.
End of year exams.
The old familiar will be similar to the existing but with a much stronger focus on testing critical thinking, knowledge, understanding and practical application in written exams.
Teacher observed assessment
Do you think the future of Britain is intelligent, kind, confident and hardworking people? Because they won't be in the current system.
Student led continuous assessment
Similar to NEAs in existing exams students complete projects and give presentations to be graded based on output of work and presentations.
We think these three systems can create a fair and accurate student profile of their compliancy in the 9 key skills providing useful input for employers and universities once they finish school.
AI: what makes the current system obsolete
We think AI makes many jobs replaceable, meaning students need unique skills and strengths to stand out and be productive in today's world. We need to give them the skills to use AI to improve their productivity, not learn how to do what AI can do better.
This must happen now!
In post cold war Britain when this system was created it was a genuinely fair system for assessing knowledge, a valuable currency back then. But now this is the sad reality of that system.
Just under 1 million young people are out of employment, training or education.
More than 1 in 6 pupils miss at least a tenth of their school year, up from 1 in 9 before Covid.
GCSE results have plateaued since 2023 despite the educational changes and studies.
This is our system, let's shape it.
Please help us, if you want education to be better, just do something, anything. Argue with us, tell us how to improve, support us, just literally say something. If you agree with us, tell your local MP. Use this pre-made email template that makes a custom email to your MP, based on postcode and your name.
Do you want to get a say?
This proposal also aims to take the power out of the Whitehall offices and back into the hands of you, the ones who know teaching best. If this is a future you would like to support please talk to us! We would love to hear your opinion, or if you think our proposal is fine as it is please email your MP or use the email MP template if your low on time.
Do you want the young people of Britain to be more capable?
If you do, support the movement, talk to us, tell us what you think, like, hate, literally anything is better than nothing. If you really want to show support please email your local MP by using the email template using 30 seconds of your time or telling them about it yourself!
Its up to you.
If you want more young people to come out of education with the same skills, motivation and potential as you, support the movement. If you see flaws, tell us, we aint geniuses (as you may be able to see from the grammar). Tell us how we can improve, and once you are happy: talk to the DfE, tell Andy, talk to us, get your name on the supporters page.
Sent. Thank you, we have it.
Sent. Thank you, we have your message and we will be in touch.