A perspective from England.

For the past five years, the education system in England has been dominated by the introduction of government strategies aimed at raising standards and improving teaching. However, many parents and educators continue to express concern about the impact on pupils and teachers of the increasingly prescriptive National Curriculum, the setting of arbitrary attainment and achievement targets, and the focus on assessment. These strategies--for example, the Literacy Hour, the Numeracy Strategy, and the Key Stage 3 Strategy--were introduced to improve pupil performance. In general, they have been successful. Nevertheless, research evidence suggests that such strategies have had a negative impact on some pupils' motivation; significant numbers of pupils report fear of failure, disengagement, and alienation from learning.

Growing numbers of pupils, parents, and teachers are calling for radical reform to the education system to ensure that children are helped to become lifelong learners who are properly equipped to survive in, and adapt to, the knowledge economy of the 21st century. At present, the day-to-day life of pupils between ages 3 and 16 is overshadowed by the pressure to cover a curriculum dominated by literacy, numeracy, science, and information and communication technology; furthermore, in this curriculum the arts, humanities, and creativity are devalued. Many teachers report that they feel pressured to "teach to the test." Teaching seems to be driven by the assessment of a narrow range of capabilities instead of a motivation to develop pupils' genuine interests and abilities. Increasingly, educators argue that standards will improve when the focus of schooling becomes one of helping pupils learn how to learn and how to think, rather than one of measuring arbitrary outcomes.

Significant numbers of teachers, especially those in their first five years, have left the profession in response to what they term "initiative overload." Consequently, there is a recruitment and retention crisis in the teaching profession in England. Many teachers report that motivation and job satisfaction have been diminished by the loss of autonomy and creativity, and by ongoing government and media criticism of their work. For pupils, this means that many of them, especially those in the large cities, are taught by substitute teachers. The loss of continuity and of relationships with teachers who understand the personal and learning needs of their pupils is contributing to some pupils' dissatisfaction with school.

Clearly, standards have risen in English schools over the past few years, but this achievement has come with a cost for some pupils and teachers. These stakeholders would argue for the introduction of a more flexible education system wherein creativity, innovation, and lifelong learning are the priorities.

Which approach will be the wave of the future?

Jillian Rodd is a chartered psychologist and independent educational consultant, England.