Article A Building for Exellence
The main principle of the project was for the Scottish Govermnent to research on how to bring together a range of perspectives on Learning Environments. By looking at how to improve and show different approaches to space, using practical design implications of curriculum requirements which provide better schools for the future, that meet the needs for the students and teachers. To find opportunities within the curriculum for learning from the surrounding spaces.
Within the publications You will find articles explaining the different ideas and proposals which capsules’ Building of Excellence, launched on the 29th March 2007 it collaborated educationalist and architects for discussions on opportunities for the future.
The publication is separated into two broad themes , Theory and Practise. The different articles firstly starting of with theory in the magazine, include views from ‘Maggi Allan’ the Chair of curriculum review programme she describes the demands of Curriculum of Excellence, a document which published in November 2004 following a national debate on education in Scotland, she describes the needs and demands that the curriculum of excellence is making on the design of school space and suggests how these might be addressed. The secondary sources used were 1. The Curriculum review group (2004) The curriculum of excellence, the Scottish executive.’ 2 The curriculum review programme Board (2006) A curriculum of excellence: progress and proposals, the Scottish Executive. Where as ‘Alistair Seaman’ programme Manager looks at aiming for excellence in the school ground external space. An example of a secondary source used The house of commons education and skills committee (2005) ‘Education outside the classroom’. Where as Professor John Worthington looks at the role of the schools in supporting the community. Finally ‘Dr ken Fisher’ looks and researches into the link between pedagogy space and learning environments, looking at developing spacial literacy. While John Worrington , co founder of the design firm explores the relationships between the schools and the community and how they can be linked together. The secondary sources in relevance to Dr ken Fishers researched on many secondary sources of information on linking pedagogy, one example of this is ‘CBASSE’(2000)how people learn, brain, mind, experience and School: expanded edition commotion of behaviour and social sciences and education. Explaining the behavioural philology in how the mind learns.
Moving on to the Practise ‘Anne Cunningham the educational consultant of the lighthouse Scotland Centre for Architecture provides an account of senses of space Building excellence, a collaboration of projects currently taking place in 5 local authorities throughout Scotland as part of the Building of excellence programme. Fiona Duggan and Susan Steubing ( design consultants who ran innovative workshops in May 2007 give accounts of the process and principles they used and look at ways in which they could be taken further, A primary source is Stubing, S. ‘Return on learning’: Managing the symbiotic and accessing tertiary education. relation between space Fiona look at models for balancing different design process within a design process, while Susan assists groups of Architects and students in understanding their needs of a ‘typical student during a normal school day. The aim is to provide a framework in which the major issues can be discussed rather than detailed solutions.
‘School building programme scrapped in the latest round of cuts.’
The main purpose of the article is to Explain how On Monday July the 5th 2010 Micheal Gove ( the secretary of state for education) announced the Coalition Government Had suspended Labours school building programme, Which also effected new housing projects, school swimming pools and eco-towns.
They had suspended lots of projects for 715 schools due to the tendency of spending cuts. The main argument the author is addressing in the article is why these cuts were made and if we ever had the money in the first place, she puts this forward by using facts, documents and quotations to back up the argument, for example: The figures show that a further £1.5 billion in spending committees which cut £1bn From the schools budgets. The Education Secretary announced that the £55bn 20 year ‘Bulding schools for the future’ programme was axed altogether, some 706 new school building and services who already signed had contracts signed would go ahead, but 715 more school Building would be scrapped. These fact give the reader an incite is to how much money has been lost in these projects and cuts and how many schools will suffer due to this decision. The main assumptions underlying the authors thinking is given from the sources and quotes she has taken from them and using them to support the arguments given, for example The Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said he ‘identified £1.5 bn in spending committees made in the dying days of Labour Government that were not properly funded, they either relied on underspending in other areas or drawing on the reverse, money that was not ultimately available and would require further borrowing to fund.’ Suggesting that Labour knew about these lack of funds but only let the problem grow further, rather than trying to resolve the issue and the reason for these extreme cuts. The keys concepts in the article are justified using many different sources who show a negative view on Labours actions and how much a of a mess the money situation was ‘ A whitehall mentioned ‘The whole process of deciding how much, Building schools for the future programme would be scrapped had been ‘’bloody chaos’’ and the weeks of uncertainty had cost schools, local authorities and construction industries time and money.’ The writer dose not share her own option or view on addressing the problem, in fact she doesn’t really give any opinion on the matter, but she only uses facts and quotes in he article, from a readers point of view the quotes and statements she has picked underlines the main assumptions of what point she is trying to put across to about these cuts to the reader.
The author also ends the article with a quote from the Chief secretary to the treasury Danny Alexander concluding that: The reality is that these unfunded spending promises should never have been made, because the money was never there to pay for them. We did not make this mess, but we are cleaning it up."
To summaries, in comparing the article in B contradicts the aims and goals for article A. As in journal A the Government is looking to better schools for the future by recognizing opportunities and researching in to different ways and techniques for school designs, that can be used to improve education for the future. where as in article B the Government is axing the programme all together. Another article which i came across was in Fx magazine, in 2010 issue no 189 in his article he talks about the scale an ambition of Building Schools for the future (BSF) and how the Government have put a lot of cut backs to the projects. ‘ while other counties recognise the benefits of top class education facilities, the uk is looking for quick saves at the expense of the future. As opposed to Article A and B Curtis voices his opinion, where as the others just state other peoples opinions , research and facts. Giving his opinion and concerns on not only the projects being cut but the ‘design standards’ in general for the education sector. ‘ we are greatly dishearted, by the comments from the Coalition Government Minister as his views are ‘worrying misplaced’ while ‘shiny’ and ‘sparkly designs’ ( his own words) is not the answer, which no one would ever say that is it – well design environments for schools are necessary for the curium for learning. Finally i conclude my my opinion is it necessary to build better schools for the future or should we focus more on the standards of curriculum more? Would the Building schools for the future project really help to improve the way children learn? Or is it just a ‘waste of money?’ I strongly disagree with this as it is crucial to have full advantage of faculties within school campuses needed and BSF will recognise the full advantages that school designs for the future can give, whether it be using pedagogy and linking it with space, or recognising opportunities for learning beyond the school walls and looking at what is available around the schools enviroment.
Bibliography
Berry, J.(2010)’ Building for education what lies ahead’ –FX magazine issue no, 198 pg65-66
Talks about the scale and ambition of building schools for the future (BSF)and how the government have put a lot of cut backs to the projects.
‘while other countries recognise the benefits top-class education facilities, the UK is looking for quick saves at the expense of the future’
Curtis, P(July2010) ‘School building programme scrapped in the latest round of cuts’ The Guardian, Article
Explaining how the coalition Government cuts core findings for the project ‘Building schools for the future’ axing the project scheme altogether due to ‘massive overspends’ and delays. This gives us evidence of figures and numbers, proving why the projects were axed.
Fisher, K. (2003) ‘A critical pedagogy of space’, doctoral dissertation, School of education, Flinders university; Fisher, K.(2005)’Linking Pedagogy and Space’ ,DET Victoria Melbourne : http//www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edu library/public/assetman/bf/Linking_Pedagogy_and_ space
Dr Ken Fisher of Rubida research explores the links between pedagogy, space and learning environments. Looking at developing ‘special literacy’ by conducting chairs chair into an interior space in many positions and looking at the behaviour philology of each layout also backing up his evidence with case studies Giving the context of the project in relation to the discipline trends in teaching and learning, the educational psychology of it, giving examples of specific proposed pedagogy activities, showing keys plans and design features and giving there evaluations and weaknesses. The study gives you demonstrations of his perspectives, layouts and scaled plans of his proposed ideas, this makes you visualise the space and see in the space in 2d form and also describing different types of spaces and special qualities that support learning in different situations, whether it be for socialized labs or group learning spaces.
