Reform education by listening to young people's experiences

Dr Claire Forbes

Dr Forbes, a former secondary school teacher, is the Programme Director for the MA in Educational Leadership at the Manchester Institute for Education (MIE), at The University of Manchester. Her research delves into the intersection of young people's experiences with their environment, exploring how these interactions influence their worldview and aspirations, ultimately shaping their educational paths and broader life outcomes.

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How to reduce attainment gaps between more and less affluent young people is a global challenge; we need to understand young people’s lives to make education accessible to all.

Now is the time to...

• use community assets-mapping to better understand how young people value learning;
• apply the learnings from assets-mapping to the development of curricula;
• design targeted initiatives for school leaders to partner with families and local communities on curricula development in and out of school;
• increase local control over education policy and practice;
• expand the understanding of educational outcomes to prioritise mental health and wellbeing in addition to academic attainment.

Find out more

• Forbes, C. (2023) 'Mapping pathways to learning', Policy@Manchester

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• Learn more about the University's policy engagement institute, Policy@Manchester, which connects researchers with policymakers and influencers, nurtures long-term policy engagement relationships, and seeks to enhance stakeholder understanding of pressing policy challenges
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