I’ve got an idea and I can’t stop thinking about it, so I’m sharing it with y’all in the hope we can build it together. It’s about schools reopening, and teachers, and class sizes, and social distancing, and the sad sad sadness of closed theatres, and self employed peeps. THREAD
And how weird it must be to be a child at the moment. And how some space will need to be given to help them process all the crazy that has come their way. And the Arts. And healing. And my friends being able to earn some bloody money because, you know, bills and stuff.
So the crazy idea is that we split all the classes in state maintained schools to half (or a third, whatevs) and (let’s go with half) one group stays in school with more space and time and does all the school stuff. And the other half goes out into the big wide world.
Now, I know this is where lots and lots of questions will begin about safety and safeguarding, and accessibility, and school dinners, and all those things that DISCLAIMER I don’t know about because I’m not an education professional but I’d love to learn.
The other half of the class - the big wide world half - goes out on the biggest most fun most inspiring programme of work experience that’s ever been invented. (Obviously they’d have to swap at some point otherwise how unfair would that be?!)
All the empty buildings that can’t open yet become the classrooms. And all the freelancers who can’t work because their industry isn’t functioning become the educators. Art class in the National Gallery. Stage Lighting class in the Olivier. Cooking class in Pizza Express.
Choir in the Liverpool Phil, Economics in the bank. Entrepreneurs can lead projects on setting up businesses inside closed shops. History classes in the foyer of the V and A. Courtrooms, churches.. health and nutrition taught in sports centres?
We let the kids claim all these amazing places, putting them together with all those desperate to share their love of their industries. Role models. Local, as much as possible. Visibility of jobs the students haven’t even heard of but they get to try for a day. (In a small group)
Surely that would be a thing that the government could get behind supporting financially (as we self employed are obvs all tax dodging MOFOs, right? But let’s not go there.) If it was big enough we could call it an infrastucture project, surefire win.
Put the kids at the heart of all the amazing cultural and civic buildings we have, and in direct contact with professionals working in those fields. Let them loose, let them own the spaces. Make their own work. Listen to them redesign the future.
I know, Ofsted - and targets - and curriculum - #blindspot but as we keep being told, these are unprecendented times and I just wonder if the problems of one sector might be the solutions for another.
Plus we really need The Arts more than ever to recover from what has been a hugely traumatic time for so many people. Space to be, and collaboration, and something different might be just the thing our young people need. Phew now it’s out maybe I can do the other jobs on my list.
