FORMER Rivington and Blackrod High School headteacher John Baumber is back in Bolton to head up the University of Bolton’s new International Centre for Educational Enhancement. Here, he addresses the ‘widening of educational inequality’ and how to move forward.

Over the past six months I have had the privilege of working with more than 40 school leaders spread throughout England as well as several educational leaders from around the world.

During this time I have witnessed the supreme efforts that teachers are making to sustain learning for our young people and spoken with countless numbers of students; some of whom have flourished in these strange times and others who have started to lose hope for their futures.

Most recently I have witnessed the heartache of students, parents and educators as they put their energies into trying to maintain schooling despite the challenges associated with self-isolation.

I have also witnessed a heightening of concern over the variation of impact this is having on more disadvantaged communities. Personal wellbeing across our school communities is deteriorating.

One primary school in Bolton last week had 350 students isolating and 12 staff away from school.

Yet in Cornwall, life continues almost as before. In the schools I work with in India, they are entering the sixth month of closure and teachers have faced half and deferred salary for months. Yet in Sweden, schools never closed.

What this translates to is a widening of educational inequality both regionally and internationally, placing communities like ours at risk.

Into this maelstrom of concern, last week saw the launch of the International Centre for Educational Enhancement (ICEE) at the University of Bolton.

The event was marked by a webinar featuring the world-renowned educator Professor Pasi Sahlberg who, in the face of global learning duress, struck out a note of optimism with his presentation ‘Mission Possible: Why fixing educational inequalities is the key to post-pandemic recovery.’

His message to us was that we must transform through investing in public education, diversifying our schools, and bringing more flexibility and trust to teacher and school-led change.

Stepping up to this challenge, ICEE has framed its mission as ‘building capacity for school and system improvement, driven by a moral purpose of personalisation, social mobility and globalisation’.

We are fortunate to have one of the world’s most eminent educators, Professor David Hopkins, helping to lead the Centre’s development.

Together we frame ourselves and the Centre as school improvement ‘activists’ strengthened by the mission of the University’s President and Vice Chancellor, Professor George E Holmes DL, to develop an exceptional university with a strong commitment to social mobility.

What is unique about ICEE is our mission to deliver world-class research-led postgraduate programmes that impact directly on real practice in our schools and colleges.

A key feature of ICEE is the development of local, national, and international ‘laboratory schools’ that will test new ways of working that can drive a positive response to current learning interruptions.

Already, six local high schools and four primaries have embarked on this journey to build models of research-informed teaching and learning. It notably includes the University Collegiate School on the University site.

Moving into the full economic effect of this pandemic, means we do not just have to think differently, we have to make sure that every pound invested in this change has sustained impact.

Pasi Sahlberg clearly showed that in the past change and investment do not automatically lead to improved learning and outcomes. Policy and change have to be driven by networks of schools and their leaders.

I worked as a head teacher in Bolton for 10 years, leading three high schools and for part of that time chaired Bolton’s Children’s Fund.

We were proud of what we achieved and how we tackled the hard to reach and helped those who wanted a chance to achieve.

What this pandemic has revealed is that we never really solved the problem but rather just provided a ‘sticking plaster’.

The Centre plans to be at the heart of an international community of the best educational minds that we can then translate into action with local school leaders and teachers.