Comparing PRUs with Mainstream Secondary education system

Are there comparisons? 

When comparing the secondary mainstream schooling with alternative provisions, it is clear that some aspects of learning are shared and illuminated. A key aspect that has been highlighted between secondary education and Pupil referral units is the importance of emotional and relational development for the students. While this seems more of an informal aspect, it still holds a paramount importance as positive relationships between students and teachers offer positive results for both the school and student academic achievement. For compulsory secondary education, it is their aim for students to acquire basic cultural elements such as humanistic, artistic, scientific and technological aspects. The aim of both is to prepare students for further studies or to access the labour market. Especially within Pupil Referral Units, there are increasingly large number of students who have experience with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties (Cullen and Monroe, 2010:64). Even though teachers possess a legal duty of care towards their students, the relational side of pedagogy often receives less attention that teaching the subject knowledge and the other aspects of teacher training (Garcia-Moya et al.,2019:1).  

Within both mainstream secondary education and Pupil Referral Units, educational teaching and positive relationships between students and teacher are fundamental for the students’ well-being and learning (Garcia-Moya et al.,2019:1). While students within the mainstream school setting may not need the emotional support from teachers, it is a common trend that some young people to disengage from their education (Cullen and Monroe, 2010:64). As highlighted within The Effectiveness of secondary education section of the website, the interpersonal relationships between students and teaching staff have an equal importance to ensure the effectiveness of the school as other elements such as achievement results do. Within PRU settings, frequent staff changes occur, along with regular external agency professionals can come and go, there is a constant feeling of transience (Cullen and Monroe, 2010:65). This in turn, may create a sense of inconsistency within this setting. Whereas, within mainstream education, there is a tight structure followed in order to keep order and consistency within the school, while also teaching students key interpersonal skills such as punctuality, respect for peers and staff.  

Relationships between students and teachers holds a key importance in order to encourage educational achievement for students. However, likewise to PRU settings, mainstream school teachers may also struggle to build a relationship with students. This situation seems more prevalent within secondary education settings. Secondary education teachers have been characterised by an increased professional and physical distance in their interactions with students and less emotional aspects (Hargreaves, 2000; Garcia-Moya et al.,2019:2). Furthermore, students have also highlighted that there are low levels of relationships with teachers within secondary schools, that in their opinion, teachers are not necessarily interested in creating a relationship with pupils (Garcia-Moya et al.,2019:2). This highlights a clear comparison between PRUs and mainstream secondary education that while both settings value student-teacher relationships, they both seem to lack them.  

Radical Alternatives  

While there are evident alternatives to traditional education as shown on this website, there are also examples of radical alternatives that have been developed over time that have aimed to replace elements of mainstream education. Austrian philosopher, Ivan Illich developed a theory in which disputed with the mainstream methods of education.  

Throughout the history of public schooling, there has always been educators, parents and students who have declined to participate and instead have created an alternative school or alternative to schools such as home schooling (Holzmon, 1997:81). It is evident that the public-school system is not a ‘one size fits all’ system. There are a range of reasons for the development of alternative schooling. There are varied and complex political, cultural, and religious motivations and participation in creating more educational choices (Holzmon, 1997:81). There have been many theorists, philosophers and educationalists that have criticised the universal use and distribution of the traditional public-school system, many believe it needs reform or alternative methods need more consideration. One key philosopher who is known for their views around alternative schooling is Ivan Illich. Illich accused mass education and the modern medical establishment of manipulating basic aspects of life (Cooley, 2010). Illich feared that any desire for self-actualisation has been replaced by the ‘demands for scientifically produced commodities ‘ (Illich, 1971:3 cited in Varbelow and Griffiths, 2012).  

Illich coined the term ‘deschooling’. Deschooling refers to children choosing what they want to learn without an adult supporting them (Gajardo, 2000). In this paper ‘School: the sacred cow’ (1968) was the first in his series of works in the field of education. Illich fiercely criticises public schooling for its ‘centralization, its internal bureaucracy, its rigidity and above all, for the inequalities it harbours’  (Gajardo, 2000:2). Illich had many central ideas based around education. He argued that universal schooling is not feasible. His argument is centralised around the key social issue that mainstream schooling is not necessarily a fit for all students. It is important to highlight that alternative education settings and provisions should hold an equal standard in all aspects, including teaching and resources, to mainstream schools. In present day, we see that alternative provisions do not offer the same standard of education as mainstream schooling, which immediately created a disadvantage for these pupils. Illich also argued that personal growth is not quantifiable. It is the idea that the process of schooling produces something as value, this belief generates a demand. This therefore means that the belief that the existence of schools produces a demand for schooling and therefore the value of attendance (Gajardo, 2000:3). Illich believes that learning is a human activity and that there is an importance of working with others. It is not the result or qualifications that holds the importance and value for a student’s education, it is the teaching and learning involved to gain the knowledge and experience that is key.  

In relation to PRUs and Alternative Provision, the theory of ‘deschooling’ would benefit this system. Arguably, if the importance of gaining the knowledge and experience from education was made more prominent, rather than the ultimate qualification, students may be more likely to succeed from the education system.  

References: 

• Holzman, L. (1997) Schools for growth: radical alternatives to current educational models. Mahwah, N.J, L. Erlbaum Associates. 
• Doe, J. (2017) Secondary and Post-Secondary Non-Tertiary Education [Internet]. Available from https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/secondary-and-post-secondary-non-tertiary-education-43_en. [Accessed 18th May 2021]. 
• Cullen, K., Monroe, J. (2010) Using positive relationships to engage the disengaged: An educational psychologist initiated project involving professional sports input to a Pupil Referral Unit. [Internet]. Available from http://growinggreatschoolsworldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ECP27_1-Cullen-Monroe.pdf . [Accessed: 18th May 2021] 
• García-Moya, I., Moreno, C. and Brooks, F.M. (2019) The ‘balancing acts’ of building positive relationships with students: Secondary school teachers’ perspectives in England and Spain. Teaching and Teacher Education, 86, p. 102883. 
• Varbelow, S. and Griffith, B. (2012) Deschooling Society: Re-Examining Ivan Illich’s Contributions to Critical Pedagogy for 21st Century Curriculum Theory. 
• Gajardo, M (2000) Ivan Illich. Prospects:the quarterly review of comparative education (Paris, UNESCO: International Bureau of Education), vol. XXIII, no. 3/4, 1993, p. 711–20.