Putting education at the heart of co-operation and co-operation at the heart of education From Co-operative Schools to co-operative Universities ? Mervyn Wilson Principal Co-operative College

Who should own schools “How dare anyone give our schools away to a small group of unelected self appointed individuals? I am concerned about apparent attempts to privatise or marketise education” Secondary Head - Cornwall

Ten Years After 2003: Co-operation and Learning CfBT/Mutuo/Co-operative College “demonstrated schools success in securing commitment from a range of stakeholder groups in achieving high standards” Adding “just small steps were needed from Government to enable co-operative schools to emerge in the UK”

Co-operative schools 552 Co-operative trust schools September 2013 plus 85 associate/partner schools – over 100 consulting 6 Co-operative sponsor academies sponsored by the Co- operative Group – in Manchester Stoke on Trent and Leeds 33 Co-operative converter academies September 2013 National network – the Schools Co-operative Society

Co-operative schools – International experience Schools run as co-operatives Schools running co-operative enterprises Teaching and learning about co-operatives Co-operative pedagogy

Co-operative schools - International experience Over 600 Co-operative schools in Spain Over 80% of Primary schools in France teach co-operation Over 120 Co-operative schools in Portugal Over 100 co-operative schools in Sweden Over 1,900 school co-operatives in Malaysia Co-operative schools in Africa and South America Schools co-operatives in Poland celebrated their centenary in 2011

Co-operatives and the crisis “cooperatives have proved themselves to be even more resilient in times of crisis than many conventional enterprises” DRAFT REPORT on the contribution of cooperatives to overcoming the crisis Committee on Industry, Research and Energy – Feb 2013

Co-operatives and the crisis “this greater resilience is in large part due to the cooperative model of governance, which is based on joint ownership and democratic control by their member-stakeholders,” DRAFT REPORT on the contribution of cooperatives to overcoming the crisis Committee on Industry, Research and Energy – Feb 2013

Co-operatives and the crisis “considers that this model helps to ensure that cooperatives take a long- term approach and anchors them in the local economy, giving them a stake in local sustainable development and ensuring that they do not delocalise, even when they internationalise” DRAFT REPORT on the contribution of cooperatives to overcoming the crisis Committee on Industry, Research and Energy – Feb 2013

What is needed Greater research into co-operatives – many disciplines – not just history! Research into the practice of co- operation Leading to Teaching and learning about and for co- operation

What is needed Learning from wider international experience – Spain, Portugal, Japan, North America Developing ideas on co-operatives alternatives to corporatisation of Universities and University services– welcoming a rich diversity of models Confidence in co-operative possibilities

The challenge from organic re-action to a movement Challenging the dominant narrative and ideology Creating space for a challenger Maintaining autonomy, diversity and independence in an increasingly corporatised system Building a democratic alternative model across te education system Building the evidence base

Unlikely allies? “The conditions are right for a resurgence of co-operative, mutual and reciprocal activity. And we will keep cutting back the red-tape and breaking the monopolies which constrain people who simply want to help each other. This is what our economy needs, it is what our public services need and I have no doubt it is the way of the future”.

Putting education at the heart of co-operation and co-operation at the heart of education Further information operativeschools.coop