Mainstreaming Co ‑ operation Manchester & Rochdale, 3 rd -5 th July 2012 Session C1 Democracy, competition and co-operative schools Wednesday 4 th July, 2012 Why co-operative schools should oppose competition and what they might do instead Michael Fielding Institute of Education, University of London

Competition - the standard philosophical account 1 A and B both want X 2 If A gets X, B does not (they can’t both have it) 3 Both must persist in trying to gain X Other issues often discussed  Rules governing the process (are competition and conflict different)?  Competition and co-operation interdependent?  People ‘co-operate competitively and compete co-operatively’ (no psychological / logical incompatibility)  Object centred or opponent centred?  Competitive process or competitive motive?  Is competition a neutral or a normative concept?

Competition as essentially contested concept For competition  ‘If nothing suppresses competition, progress will continue forever’ J.B.Clark (1907) Against competition  ‘All competition is essentially selfish. That is its condemnation. No matter how much competition is “regulated” by forbidding the practice of objectionable methods the selfishness of it remains. The eternal and insuperable objection to competition from the ethical standpoint is the state of mind involved’ I.W. Howerth (1912)

‘Of schools in all places, and for all ages, the healthy working will depend on the total exclusion of the stimulus of competition in any form or disguise’ John Ruskin 1894 ‘Imagine it! The Ideal of Human Brotherhood to be built on a foundation of egotism and self-interest!’ Robert Blatchford 1898

Co-operation and emulation not competition Shorten working day and lengthen life England should feed her own people The land for the people Merrie England No people can be free while dependent for their bread The plough is a better backbone than the factory No child toilers Production for use not profit Solidarity of Labour The cause of labour is the hope of the world Socialism means the most helpful happy life for all A commonwealth when wealth be common Art and enjoyment for all Hope in work and joy in leisure

Competition  Exclusive - winners / losers (zero-sum)  Deflects attention away from standards  Encourages cheating  Taking part less important than winning  Socio-political model based on greed, self- interest + perpetuation of privilege / inequality  Fear often underpins resolve Emulation  Inclusive - all can take part  Focus on skills / excellence is the point  No point in cheating  Joy of taking part (with others)  Socio-political model based on freedom, equality + democratic fellowship  Love (of others / the activity) the main driver

The work of Alex Bloom at St George-in-the-East Secondary Modern School, Cable Street, Stepney, in the East End of London  On 1 st October, 1945 Alex Bloom set out to develop ‘a consciously democratic community … without regimentation, without corporal punishment, without competition’

Competition is out from St George-in-the-East: Modern School in Action (Times Educational Supplement 27 July, 1954 p.605) ‘Competition is out. No individual prizes for work, conduct or sport distract the constant aim of doing a thing for its own sake, trying to beat, not other people’s standards but one’s own, producing one’s best, not to shine above the rest but with the maturer pleasure of co-operative achievement.’

Bloom on competition and democracy (1)  ‘How can children reconcile the opposing concepts of competing against and co-operating with? Do you help your brother over one style and push him away at the next?’  ‘If our aim in education is to learn right living, and the means is by living aright, then we can achieve our purpose only by ensuring that, as far as is possible, the child’s experiences within the ambit of the school are cumulatively harmonious.’

Bloom on competition and democracy (2)  ‘It is part of my belief that the modus vivendi claims paramount importance. We are convinced that not only must the overall school pattern – the democratic way of living – precede all planning, but that it proclaims the main purpose of education in a democracy. Our aim is that our children learn to live creatively, not for themselves alone, but for their community.’  ‘Lessons about co-operation or tolerance or injustice will not form right attitudes nor change wrong ones.’

A.S.Neill presented the school prize (picture added by me!) ‘Mr A.S.Neill, head of Summerhill School, Suffolk (who) presented the school prize said … he didn’t believe in individual prizes, rather a communal prize. “Nobody does anything important for a prize. I absolutely agree this method of dividing up the prize between a community is an excellent one.”’ East London Advertiser 23 July, 1954

DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURES St George-in-the-East Secondary School, Stepney, London (1953) StaffStudentsSchool Staff Panel  All staff (about 10) Pupil Panel  Head Boy / Girl  Deputy HB/G  Form Reps  Secretary  Headteacher Joint Panel  Staff Panel Member  Head Boy / Girl  Chairs of Pupil Committees  Headteacher Weekly Meeting Schedule Form Meeting Pupil Committees Monday Morning Ongoing  dance  meals  sport  tidy  social Pupil Panel Friday Morning Staff Panel Monday lunchtime Monthly Meeting Schedule Pupil Panel Staff Panel ▼ Joint Panel Last Friday of the month ▼ School Council [whole school: students + staff] Monday following Joint Panel Meeting

DEMOCRATIC LEARNING St George-in-the-East Secondary School, London (1953) Communal frameworks for individual + group learning School study (agreed theme) e.g Man’s Dependence on Man Thematic day conference where work is shared Residential camps Learning in the community Negotiate what you learn Mixed age Electives (choose what to study after taster session)  Art  Book-binding  Creative writing  Debates  Drama  Dramatic reading  Fabric printing  French  Housecraft  Italic writing  Literature  Music  Mythology  Needlecraft  Poetry  Puppetry  Recorder playing  Weaving  What’s on?  Woodwork Student initiated  Extra Maths  Extra English Non-groups group  absorb into existing group  include in new activity Each class approaches School Study differently – internal negotiation Learn with + from each other (students + staff) Relationships with class teacher Individual Weekly reviews Form meetings (Whole) School Council / School Meeting

DEMOCRATIC RELATIONSHIPS St George-in-the-East Secondary School, London (1953) Individual significance + communal contribution  ‘the child must feel that … he does count, that he is wanted, that he has a contribution to make to the common good’ The community’s capacity to inspire commitment  ‘the child must feel the school community is worthwhile’ From fear  ‘Fear of authority, fear of failure, fear of punishment’  To friendship ‘Friendship, security and the recognition of each child’s worth’ From exclusion   No competition  No marks / prizes  No streaming / setting  No caning / no punishment  To inclusion Emulation / beat your past best Do it because it is interesting / celebrate the achievements of the group / community All ability, sometimes mixed-age grouping Sense of responsibility / restorative response

Examples from My experience as a teacher At Thomas Bennett School, Crawley MUST (Mutual Support Time) Learning diaries Poet-in-Residence Mode 3 GCSE and AEB 753 (Mode 3 ‘A’ level) At Stantonbury Campus, Milton Keynes Core groups in ‘Shared Time’ Students in Hall Meetings MSO (Mutual Support & Observation) Living Archive Celebration as an educational strategy

Examples from My experience as a researcher present Portfolio forms of assessment / celebration Student-Led Reviews SALP (Students as Learning Partners) developed at SSAT by Gill Mullis - an active MSO person at Stantonbury Research Forum and development of new accountability framework at Bishops Park College, an comprehensive school in Clacton, England Patterns of Partnership – a framework for partnership working between young people and adults in school Radical democratic traditions of student voice

Towards the Radical democratic common school 1Education in + for radical democracy 6 Radical curriculum, pedagogy, assessment 2 Radical structures + spaces 7 Insistent affirmation of possibility 3 Radical roles8 Engaging the local 4Radical relationships9 Accountability as shared responsibility 5 Personal + communal narrative 10 Regional, national + global solidarities