‘Just compare this essay by one of our students to the essay of a peer from Birmingham.’ A theatre packed full of teachers was listening to the education expert Tim Surma. He was touring Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium, with his Thomas More Expertise Centre which supports teachers in providing better lessons and managing their classes more effectively.
I was reprimanded by pedagogical advisors for expecting students to learn a timeline with dates and facts
Twenty-five years ago, Flanders was at the top of the world in terms of education. Our children were the best readers and the best at maths. As a region with little else to offer the world besides great art, beer and chocolate, we were quite proud of our ‘little grey cells’. Today, that same Flemish education system is in deep crisis. Every new Pisa rating is a step backwards. To our shame, we no longer amount to much in the field of education.
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