Church urged to take immense role in UK schools as new report gives education system an F

Jun 19, 2022 by Jill

by Tola Mbakwe, Premier:

The Association of Christian Teachers has called for the Church to play a bigger part in the British education system, after a new report said that schools have failed students on every measure.

Research by The Times Education Commission has found more than half of parents with school-aged children believe classrooms don’t prepare pupils for life or work.

It also revealed that nearly two thirds of parents feel the school system places too much emphasis on exams and more than half feel that’s bad for pupils’ mental health.

Executive officer of the Association of Christian Teachers, Lizzie Harewood, told Premier that she wouldn’t go as far as saying schools have failed children on every front, but does believe there are several key issues including the heavy focus on exams.

“Exams have been a major source of emotional stress, not just for teachers, but for students…with some students refusing to even open an exam paper or refusing to even write their name on the exam paper.”

However, she says there are students who are overly concerned with performing and will go too far with the rigor of their preparation, which in turn leads to great stress and anxiety.

Harewood added: “As Christian teachers, we need to have that perspective that exams aren’t everything, but nor is a career, nor is a family, or happiness.

“It gives us this great opportunity, when we are Christians in education, to speak personally of how our trusting God puts our worry, in perspective. God has a plan for our lives no matter how we feel it might all depend on one certain day and one exam.

Read here