Triarchy Theory in Education

We recently received this response to the Triarchy Press website from Felicity Wren about triarchy theory in education. I've reproduced it, almost in full, with her permission. We're planning a new book on Hierarchy in Education for publication this autumn and I would really value your thoughts on Felicity's letter or any other aspect of the role of hierarchy in the educational system. (Felicity's letter obviously refers to the UK - contributions from readers in other countries would be very welcome.)

I have just finished listening in astonishment, amazement and awe to Radio 4's "In Business", during which Gerard Fairtlough was interviewed about his approach to, and extraordinary beliefs about, the 20th and 21st centuries' commitment to the hierarchical structures in place in our businesses, schools, governments, etc.

I found it a wonderful and inspiring 30 minutes and immediately came to my computer to look up the book "The Three Ways of Getting Things Done". Thank you so much for explaining so clearly and lucidly ideas and feelings that have been flowing through my mind, both excitedly and, more worryingly, frustratedly, and more and more frequently over the past years.

I teach in a secondary school, and while I am honest enough to admit I would much rather be the artist I trained to be than a teacher, I really value the time I spend in the classroom, engaging with, discussing with, encouraging and enabling, asking my students what they want to do, letting them develop their own ideas, being constantly astonished and excited by the breadth and wonder of their imaginations and skills, not to mention their extraordinary intellect, sensitive understanding of the world, people, the environment - oh I could go on..... and this, by the way, is through their Art lessons.

Sadly, most emphasis these days, in fact for the past 4 or 5 years, has increasingly been on "fulfilling criteria", invariably somebody else's, and being expected to jump through "statistical hoops". Our department was criticised at the last Ofsted inspection for "not using data to inform practice".

As I pointed out to my deputy, "I fail to see the point of attempting to predict a grade for Art at GCSE by using results derived from students sitting, two years earlier, what comprises a vague 'intelligence' test. Two students last year gained A*, but were predicted Bs - I knew when they were 11 that if they did GCSE Art, they would get the highest grades.

Also, at a Heads of Dept. meeting I refused to "analyse" this data, on the grounds that I am an artist, an Art teacher and an expert in both fields. However, I know nothing about data, am worse at analysing it, and failed to understand why she was asking me to do something I would do badly. I asked why the data analyst, who is employed to run the data entry system in school, and who incidentally is brilliant at it, was not being asked to do this. After about 30 seconds - dare I say, uncomfortable seconds - at least 5 or 6 of my colleagues spoke up in agreement with me. All this the result of some official in a Whitehall office sending out bits of paper to justify his or her position! Cynical? Probably, just a tad.

But seriously, I have realised that these examples are indicative of the problem, and solution, that Gerard Fairtlough spoke of this evening, and I just wanted to write to say, thank you so much for opening my eyes, I am determined to read our book and do whatever I can to try to make a difference!