By Alistair Owens Managing
Director keen2learn
The recent influx of
recruits from the banking sector into teaching could be the best thing in
educating our children to understand money. Reducing the shortfall in teachers,
these recruits may also be ideal candidates to take on the role of business
mangers to support or take on a Head teacher position.
The ultimate role of education
is to prepare children for adult life. The dramatic effect of the global
banking collapse has probably changed the financial markets for some
considerable time. The National Curriculum needs to focus on the dynamics that
have evolved and the educational changes needed to bring children’s knowledge right
up to date. The immediate need of children as they leave school is an ability
to organise their finances. Seeking employment or further education places instant
demands on financial skills. Help and advice was traditionally available from
parents, banks, building societies, insurance companies and pension schemes.
But all these sources are experiencing difficulties. No one really knows what
advice to give. Best they have a sound education in finance to enable their own
decisions.
Who better to teach children
practical mathematics, money management, and pension investments than a “poacher
turned gamekeeper.” The current flood of bankers seeking teaching roles should
be welcomed. Not only do they swell the recruitment drive for more teachers,
their practical banking prowess, perhaps tainted by greed and targets, is battle
honed. They may not have all the answers, but they can certainly describe the
pitfalls which have equal importance.
The dynamics of banking; living
on the edge; focus on targets holds many parallels to teaching and the
relevance of their experience a good fit in education. The transition to the
school environment and skills to control a class of 30 children may, however,
come as a shock. Swapping demanding investors for children, 60 hour weeks in
banking for – well actually 60 hour weeks in teaching should match their stamina.
But controlling children can take a while to establish. Let’s hope the experience
does not deplete the number of applicants.
There could be another
hidden bonus. The role of Head teacher has evolved towards that of a business
manager. Promotion to the role essentially “robs” the school of a senior
teacher and their teaching experience. Statistics show this is not everyone’s
cup of tea with an alarming shortfall in
teachers seeking advancement to Head teacher. The new recruits from the financial
sector are in general experienced business managers. The influx may be the
silver lining allowing Head Teachers to focus on teaching by appointing a
separate business manager to operate the financial control.
But can we adapt quickly to
this opportunity? The curriculum needs to be updated; the examining boards need
to keep pace, and schools need to consider the renewed motivation of their
teachers. Here is a unique opportunity to review the teachers lot, encourage
and stimulate positive change and bring schooling bang up to date. Whilst all
around are reeling from the recession schools could be enormous beneficiaries.
We need to act whilst this, unique window of opportunity remains open. If we do
nothing or take too long to act the new recruits could well move on as soon as
things improve in the general economy. And
our children will enter adulthood without the street cred financial knowledge
that will be a huge benefit.
