Six Fallacies of Education Reform

http://www.bcssa.org

Andrew (Andy) Hargreaves ( 13 February 1951 - present)

At the 25th International Congress on School Effectivenss and Improvement, held in Sweden from 5th - 8th January 2012, Professor Andy Hargreaves spoke about the six fallacies of educational reform. These are as follows:

1. The Fallacy of Speed: Effective turnarounds can and should be quick.

2. The Fallacy of Substitution: Effective turnarounds require wholesale changes of leadership and staff.

3. The Fallacy of Numbers: Tough targets and bottom lines matter most.

4. The Fallacy of Standardisation: Standardisation and prescription yield better outcomes.

5. The Fallacy of Competition: High stakes competition raises standards and improves results.

6. The Fallacy of Extremes: Overall performance is improved by remedying or removing defects at the bottom and replicating excellence at the top.

You can view his presentation here.