How can social justice be put at the heart of further education?

A report called Leadership, Further Education and Social Justice published in 2020 by the Further Education Trust for Leadership (Fetl) reflects on some of the key reasons why so many teaching staff are drawn to working in FE colleges, despite austerity cuts, commercial pressures and lack of funding. In the AoC Job’s ‘Day in the life’ online Q&A job profile series, the most popular answer to the question what do interviewees like about working in FE is along the lines of ‘my joy in seeing my students progress, change and succeed’.

The Fetl research seeks to find what is behind this reaction. Where, it asks, does the magic of further education still lie? And by using three comprehensive case studies, the report draws together examples of how the idea of, and a profound commitment to, social justice lies at the heart of the missions of these colleges and can be implemented elsewhere.

How can leadership models of social justice differ?

It should be a given that senior leadership in the FE sector play an integral role in the management of change and future planning. They also instil a culture from the top down and the concept of social justice is no different in this regard. Fircroft College in Selly Oak, Birmingham, implements a “model of interaction founded on sociocratic principles”; that is, senior leadership impart a commitment to social justice, which underscores all institutional, teaching and administrative practices.

Across two campuses in Rochdale and close to Manchester, Hopwood Hall attempts to tackle the poverty that pervades pockets of the local area and austerity measures that have been so damaging by “providing a range of support mechanisms and engaging empathetic staff with an understanding of the local area and students’ needs”.

City Lit (the City Literary Institute) in London, meanwhile, “emphasises inclusion and the idea of ‘learning together’ – putting the social and collective aspects of learning at the heart of its mission”. Courses are offered to students that aim to address specific issues relating to social justice.

FE institutions can essentially be the change that college leaders want to see in society. As the report states, in “a college setting in which social justice values are most fully realised, the pedagogical goals reach beyond college walls”. If the tenets of selflessness and altruism can be weaved into in the everyday cultural practices of the college, its very fabric can

inspire teaching staff and students alike, who then spread the word outside of the physical college buildings.

How can FE teachers engage with social justice?

When social justice is put front and centre of a college’s mission, staff are encouraged to “act on explicit values”. Leadership that has a commitment to social justice will continue to promote socially just practices, enabling relevant social issues specific to a specific locale to be tackled “informed by an optimism of the heart, however hostile the policy environment”. This is can be a very powerful motivator for college teachers given the positive influence they can exert locally. At a time when the adult education budget has been cut by around 40% since 2010, while the 16–19 funding has suffered cuts of 24%, many colleges face an unreliable and unstable funding environment. This has forced the hand of Fircroft and City Lit, for example, to draw heavily on their historical heritage as agents for positive change in society.

Some students in deprived areas are crying out for the guidance and help that strong FE leadership can offer. According to the UN’s special rapporteur on extreme poverty Philip Alston, the UK's social safety net has been “deliberately removed and replaced with a harsh and uncaring ethos” as a direct result of a decade of austerity.

The good news is that “those college staff with a strong set of values around social justice can harness them to their work as teachers. And that’s a fabulous place to be.” In fact, one of the report’s co-authors, Rob Smith, professor of education at Birmingham City University and a former FE English lecturer, applauds the Association of Colleges’ chief executive David Hughes in his attempts to make policymakers think beyond the limiting concept of UK Skills plc.

“He’s trying to represent a broader vision of what colleges are - that they are a local resource connecting with communities. He wants to place more emphasis on meeting social needs — it should not just be about skills.”

A ‘checklist’ for FE job seekers

For would-be teachers and support staff weighing up job prospects at a particular college, the report acts as a valuable ‘checklist’. It’s a document that throws light on how seriously a college can live up to its traditional role as the hub of a local community’s learning for all aged from 16 to 90, albeit one that operates under a relentless adherence to social justice.

So can FE be an effective catalyst in raising hopes and morale and in setting new horizons despite incessant political interference and financial pressures? Is it, in fact, still flying the flag of social justice and equality? How do you know if a college is reflecting these values and, if it’s not, are you prepared to work there?

One indicator lies in how much a college has held onto or discarded its history. At Fircroft College, one of three detailed case studies on colleges that epitomise the spirit of FE, students “talk about the magic of Fircroft,” says Smith. For FE institutions with a history of committing to social justice, this history acts as “a powerful and vital resource that can serve a bulwark against the turbulence of the further education ‘policy present’”.

What the report makes explicit is the fact that there isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to college leadership and teaching. Indeed “transformative leadership as a dimension of educational practice (by principals, senior leaders, managers, teachers and other staff) emerges locally, through institutions and the actions of individuals, against the grain of national-level policy,” the report states. A college’s mission statement is a good place to begin to get the measure of where the institution fits within your ideals.

Can a college with social justice at its core provide lasting job satisfaction?

Tutors and teachers in it for the long haul are perfectly placed to reap what the sow. In the three case studies mentioned in the report, “leadership as a quality of action that can move between people; in this case from staff, via transformative teaching and learning, to students”. In essence, leadership can be viewed as “enhanced agency of the students themselves”.

For Smith, good FE pedagogy is a model that university teachers need to start adopting - it’s about teaching the whole person and developing a particular kind of relationship based on sincerity and confidence-building. The word ‘lecturer’ does not do anyone any favours - it suggests talking at people rather than interacting with them holistically. It’s something discerning FE practitioners understand. Their university peers could do likewise.

So where does all this leave the would-be FE teaching recruit? Smith’s response is to urge them to get down to the college canteen and put their questions directly to students. Is their college taking them seriously, concerned about them as individuals, and thus sprinkling them with their share of magic dust? Do they feel part of something bigger, something worthwhile?

A commitment to social justice can start with senior leaders and more junior staff alike being continuously engaged in seeking to understand the social justice issues that confront

students locally. In addition, FE staff with a passion for social justice should always consider how it can be a central concern from the classroom and beyond.