1: If you had the power to transform one thing about education overnight, what would it be?

 

Create a cross-party body to oversee the development of the education system based on consensus through a board which includes professional representation. The Local Government Association manages its committees on the different areas of local government operations through a committee structure which reflects the balance of votes for the different parties in each local authority.

 

 

2: Imagine you were 17/ 18 again and sitting your A levels or equivalent. By which of the following methods would you like your knowledge assessed and grades decided?

 

A) Timed written examinations

 

B) Coursework

 

C) A practical demonstration

 

D) A formal presentation followed by a q+a?

 

 

I think the form of assessment has to depend on the subject – and of course different forms of

assessment privilege different learners. I had the capacity to retain knowledge for about 24 hours but I think that was the training I had – for end of term exams. Young people have different levels of confidence so a formal presentation could be too nerve wracking except for the super confident. My coursework at that stage would have been fairly untidy so even if the ideas were good, I probably would have not got as good marks as in the timed written exams which I had practised for over years.

 

I think the modular assessment as we had until a few years ago, with the chance to retake modules and with different forms of assessment for different subjects to allow children with different abilities to shine through different forms of assessment would be good.

 

 

3: In your view, what is the most significant development in education over the last hundred years?

 

Education technologies can be game changers.

 

4: If you were a contestant on Mastermind, what would be your specialist subject?

 

Nothing – I am a generalist.

 

 

5: What’s your favourite book, film or play set in/ around an educational setting?

 

 

The 7 up series.

 

 

6: What, for you, is the definition of a ‘good education’?

 

Education which open doors to different areas of knowledge and skills allowing young people to find their strengths and interests beyond what they know about in their own family and community

 

Professor Marilyn Leask