Changing dynamics of education.

We’ve all experienced it. Through school, at college, to university. It’s education. As we all know, and appreciate, education isn’t just for our formative years it’s for life.

But are we learning our lessons? Are we learning anything? Are we getting the basics right? Are our younger people learning from us and our mistakes? Or are they being subjected to the results of decades of interference and confusion from one Government to another?

While education is seen as a universal right and works to continuously improve society, its position in society has been undermined and interfered with continuously for a long as I can remember. Much is discussed over the cost of it all. The curriculum. Academies, etc, etc, while those who are in the frontline of education, our teachers and lecturers, are both prized and undervalued.

Fuel in education.

Our work with one of the world leading education brands, introduced us to the rapidly change dynamics in education.

Dynamics more volatile than myself and my peers had ever experienced from our side of the desk. We brought focus to the human factors and matched behaviours with fully integrated campaigns and communications that connected with candidates and recruiters in ways they could digest and act upon it.

In doing so we learnt more about the mindset of those that decide they want to teach. Some come from academic directions and others transfer straight from industry. For the vast majority it’s not about the money, as teaching is something they want to do and are drawn towards. But there are still the very modern-day pressures they can’t escape, like ensuring they get fair reward for their talents and can afford to more than just ‘live’, as well as their reasonable career aspirations and goals.

Working as we have done in supporting educational recruitment marketing, has more than raised our eyebrows to the relentless pressure and (let’s just call it out) exploitation of teachers and support staff. We have a system that doesn’t appear to ‘connect’ this behaviour with the numbers of them leaving the state sector to head to the haven of the private sector, or just head overseas to international posts. It’s a challenge that isn’t going to be solved soon.

For now – the talent and very real brain-drain continues. When will we learn our lessons in attracting, training and retaining talent? Do we have to lose what we’ve learnt and relearn everything the hard way?