Product reviews for Thinking Allowed

Mick Water's latest book “Thinking Allowed on Schooling” should attract a wide readership with something for everyone involved in education -” students, practitioners, trainers, school leaders, stake holders, administrators and certainly politicians. Mick's thinking will set his readers' minds racing and trigger fresh insights, knowledge and understanding about schooling in the round, about teaching and learning, about how children learn, about parents and stakeholders, about public education policy, about professionalism -” about the past, about the future. Mick writes as he speaks in a calm, authoritative, reflective but direct manner which engages his readers impatient to discover as though reading a novel where the narrative may lead next.

Mick's book is a tour de force presenting as it does a complete picture of the “muddle” represented by the public education service in England in 2013 -” the reasons for this together with suggestions about ways and means of bringing change and improvement. But while Mick puts forward in typically positive fashion carefully thought through proposals at macro and micro levels about what might be done, the enormity of the task in combating what might be regarded as the forces of darkness threatens to overwhelm. It's not just that Mick “says it is as it is” in the robust terms of the realist that he is in explaining what doesn't work and why, but rather that the scenario itself is in reality so dire and so far removed from anything that should be considered “fit for purpose” that the reader's gloom might well turn to anger.

Mick packs so much insightful thinking into this important book that merits further reflection and comment, but two critical areas he explores are, arguably, central to any agenda for change that will lift public education out of the current -˜mess'.

The first of these major areas of concern relates to the whole raft of government education policy, the way it is implemented and its impact on schools resulting in the phenomenon Mick describes as -˜game theory'. A mixture of target setting, testing and a flawed inspection process inter alia mean that schools have to focus undue time and attention on ensuring they are able to tick the right boxes to gain a seal of approval -” almost regardless of the actual quality of teaching and learning provided. After all, “pleasing the inspectors is key to survival”.

The second critical area -” a precondition of improvement perhaps -” is that the teaching profession itself needs to regain its collective confidence -” should rediscover its professional voice and become a much stronger player in shaping improvement strategies and charting a way forward. In the process, Mick believes the profession could do well to reconsider its general attitude to the importance of research findings and be seen to value and embrace the learning that research offers. 

Mick Waters' overarching observation about the educational status quo in England is to question the involvement and role of politicians in directing what happens in schools or even in classrooms. Clearly the case for government to determine the parameters of a public education service is not in question but it is questionable that this should extend to what children are taught or indeed how this done. Mick's prescription of an elected National Council for schooling drawing on the thinking and decisions of major stakeholders is a constructive proposal : his readers will decide how practical this might prove to be or if there is ever likely to be the political will to accept such model.

Mick's book is not light reading but it is enjoyable reading. Having said that, his writing will variously inform, delight, inspire, depress, invigorate, challenge his readers and prompt hope and despair and much else. Above all, his experience, learning, wit and wisdom fill every page which “Thinking Allowed on Schooling” essential and rewarding reading.