As schools, colleges and universities across the country prepare for an academic year like no other they have ever faced, The Herald, together with its sister titles and online platforms, is launching a new campaign that asks the question ... what should the future of education look like and how do we get there?
It used to be said that Scotland’s education system was the envy of the world. That may no longer be the case but as any number of commentators have said in recent weeks, a crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic also presents us with an opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do things differently and better.
Until last week, doing things differently was a proposed ‘blended learning’ model. The Scottish Government has since scrapped that idea due to a combination of falling infection rates and parent pressure, so instead the nation’s children will now return to full-time schooling on August 11.
Only time and the progress of the Covid-19 virus will tell whether this is a prudent decision, but it’s clear that the pandemic will continue to have a profound impact on every single aspect of education in Scotland.
Whether it’s the rapid expansion of the use of technology in mainstream schooling or the still unknown effect of any major drop in the number of overseas students attending our colleges and universities, education in Scotland is about to experience progressive and fundamental change.
So, as we approach a new academic year, it’s with this almost overwhelming dynamic in mind that The Herald is launching a new campaign – The Future of Education.
This campaign will provide a forum for debate and discussion around some of the immediate challenges facing the education sector as they prepare to return to a school-based setting.
It will also seek to create an environment for parents, teachers, government, policy makers and wider civic Scotland to ask the question …“what should the future of Scotland’s education look like and how do we get there?”.
We are looking for partners to help lead the discussion around all aspects of learning in 2020 and beyond, such as:
- How can schools work within the safety guidelines imposed by the Scottish government to ensure children and young people still receive the best possible education?
- Will the education sector now fully embrace technology to deliver an education revolution for all and help close the attainment gap?
- If so, what are the positives and negatives of such a change and how will it impact on vulnerable children and their families?
- What does the future hold for our world-leading colleges and universities?
- What can we learn from other small countries with soaring attainment levels such as Finland and Estonia?
- How will the role of teachers change in the new learning landscape and what support do they need to adapt?
These are just a few of the themes our Future of Education campaign will set out to explore over the next 12 months.
With a network of local, regional and national news brands, Newsquest is uniquely placed to host a pan-Scotland discussion on the evolution of learning in the post-Covid era.
By bringing together the power of our audience reach and high quality editorial content, our campaign will seek to be the leading platform for debate around all the key issues, in partnership with leading education institutions, commercial organisations and public bodies.
These discussions will take place across our traditional print titles, niche publications, websites, digital display and social media channels.
We will also look to bring high profile thought leaders together for debates and presentations through a series of webinars and digital round-tables.
The Herald's The Future of Education campaign will seek to drive the national debate, influence the decision-makers and chart the changes that are about to unfold over the coming academic year.
- The Herald, in partnership with I to I Communications, invites you to discuss the potential involvement of your organisation or business in this campaign. Contact David Ward, david.ward@localiq.co.uk or Stephen McDevitt, stephen.mcdevitt@localiq.co.uk for more details.
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