The importance of trust

Back in January I wrote in this blog that:

If we want to promote real learning… there's actually no alternative to reliance on trust -- and to rebuilding trust where necessary -- […] in professional ideals and ethics.

Most of this (the bit in italics) was a quotation from an article by Michael E McIntyre. In this article he wrote about the need

to rediscover the supreme importance of trust and responsibility, including professional ethics, despite their occasional abuse.

The tide may be beginning to turn in this direction, at least as far as education is concerned. A recent article on the BBC website by the TV and radio journalist Mike Baker suggests that recent government policy changes may represent a move away from micro-management towards increased trust and autonomy. In the article (called Is it time to trust the teachers?) Mike suggests that 30 years ago we had 'high autonomy and low accountability' in education in the UK. Then we moved to 'low autonomy and high accountability'. He suggests that there is now a realisation that what we need is 'high autonomy and high accountability'. He goes on to say:

So schools and teachers should be trusted more: trusted to devise their own curriculum, their own teaching styles, and their own forms of assessment.

But the price of that freedom is strong accountability. But an accountability that is more intelligent than the rather crude measures we have had until now, which have distorted school behaviours.

Great stuff, Mike!