1. Questions for education – wider context
Huntly, November 2015
Learning Community Partnership
Keir Bloomer is an independent education consultant.  
He is also Chair of the Court of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh,
Chair of the Tapestry Partnership (a professional development organisation for teachers),
Chair of the Commission on School Reform and Vice-convenor of Children in Scotland.
He was Director of Education and Chief Executive of a Council,
Was member of the review group
which wrote “A Curriculum for Excellence”
Based on a part of the presentation by
Keir Bloomer ( with a kind permission)
Fraserburgh,
21st century learning
in the context of modern Scotland and LCPs

2. To every complex question, there is a simple answer…
It is easy when you know how… well, not any more

3. ….and its wrong.
well, not any more

4. A changing world Some issues for education
Globalisation
Exponential increase in knowledge
Social transformation
Changes in the world were always there but the speed of the change was slower and hence easier to follow
Todays change is fast and seem to be getting faster

5. Manufacturing acctualy done by Samsung, start price as was $ 560
China putting it together makes $14
Components from Japan, Taiwan, Italy, USA, al over the world – together they make $178
Intellectual property ( design, marketing etc) USA - $368

6. Can your job be done by a computer?
Or cheaper by someone else remotely?
Can your job be done by a computer? Or Cheaper by someone else remotely?
Hip replacement in France, or remotely India?

7. Can your job be done by a computer? Or Cheaper by someone else remotely?
Personal care of different type, creative jobs and emergency services will lose less jobs to computers
Local solicitors – sales people will lose more

8. Zheiang socks capital of the world -
law skills jobs are easier to move to cheaper areas as skills are there or quickly acquired by locals – as skills developed in Zuzang and quality of like improved people want different jobs and better pay, so socks production moving to Laos

9. Low skill jobs are vanishing
Over the last eight years, the UK economy has shed 400 no-qualification jobs every day
NVQ 4 is equivalent to SQA 8 and 9 diploma and B degree ( no honors)
NVQ 2 is equivalent to SQA 5 ( national 5 – intermediate 2)
Number of graduates in the Uk is growing but the demand for the highly skilled workforce is growing faster
Beyond Leitch (Patel et al., 2009)

10. Exponential growth in useful knowledge And knowledge as a commodity
Faster and faster output of patents
Useful knowledge to whom? – patents are there to protect use of one man or institution’s knowledge without commercial gain causing explosion of patents
Human gene sequencing – fee John Sulston Noble prize

11. Sustainability - a systems approach
Sustainability of the planet –
Climate, resources – water, food, clean air, use of land
Interdisciplinary work and understanding of very complex systems needed to be able to start to solve problems
In red are loss of biodiversity ( speacies loss)
Climate change
Nitrogen cycle ( air soil – agriculture)
Half red are – phosphorus cycle, land use/management

12. New knowledge can be controversial
New generations will meet more and more ethic and moral questions about technologies that become available, just because we can it doesn’t mean we should use…

13. In 30 years Britain has become a different country
Real incomes have nearly trebled
Inequality has increased sharply
More people are living alone
Life expectancy has risen by 6 years
More children are born to single parents
Migration and diversity have increased
Air travel has grown six-fold
Most households have internet access
Consumer debt has trebled
Just some indicators of rapid change that happens – we need to teach young generations to learnt to recognise change when it happens, accept it when it happens and manage the change ( either after it happened or to drive it)

14. Any Questions ?
What would be useful knowledge and skills in 10 years time?
What is the purpose of education (in Scotland today)?
What is your (organisational) role in education?
How does you role link to the role of the partners
in your group?