Rethinking the Purpose of Education

In this episode of the Joining the Dots podcast, Al Kingsley and Matt Jessop sit down with the legendary Professor Mick Waters—renowned curriculum expert and co-author of About Our Schools—to ask the big questions shaping education today.

💡 What is the true purpose of schooling in the 21st century?
📉 Are PISA rankings driving the wrong kinds of change?
⚖️ How can we restore agency to teachers—and maybe even students?

From the historic roots of curriculum design to the growing calls for “open schools” and global qualifications, the trio explore the tension between national policy and classroom reality. Mick shares candid insights on political meddling, the erosion of trust in the profession, and why it’s time to reimagine what childhood and youth should look like in today’s society.

🔥 Topics include:

• The national curriculum: prescriptive or protective?

• The rise (and risk) of data-driven accountability

• Micro-credentials, soft skills, and the future of assessment

• Lessons from Wales, the Netherlands, and the open school movement

• Why we need a national conversation on childhood itself.