The complete picture

Everything in the 21st-century developed world is something the 21st-century developed world believes it can monetise. Children, and their education, are most certainly not exempt from this paradigm.

Educationalists rarely tire of worrying about how the next generation are falling behind in just about everything compared with their equivalents in those pesky developing nations. Somewhere else in the world, countries are churning out prodigies, geniuses and work–ethically driven automatons who would rather kick in their own heads than kick a football if it meant missing an hour of maths tuition.

Naturally this is a concern when we rely on the next generation to invent, discover, build and deliver the things that will make us rich, secure and powerful. Hence, when faced with the opposite — a possible future nation of charmless, slack-jawed, texting, incurious youths who think Tennyson is a hiphop artist, and prime numbers a shop — we return increasingly to the ‘Something Must Be Done’ refrain.

Inevitably this means another debate about the importance of ramping up state and private sector investment in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). Indeed the Royal Society has been making well-founded noises about the need to encourage CPD (continuing professional development) in every school, as there are currently far from enough resources to see this sensible policy through.

While concern about those skills is understandable, there is an elephant in the room. In fact, there’s an entire Billy Smart’s circus of them. This has less to do with how STEM subjects can help our global competitiveness, and more to do with the need for a child’s education to be well rounded.

Mention art, music and drama, and heads will nod as all manner of educationalist bollocks-speak begins to be muttered about how useful these subjects are as extracurricular diversions.