As the riots show, exam results aren't everything

riots suggest that the education system should worry much more than just test scores, says

Estelle Morris

In previous years, it was possible to predict the education debate to accommodate the public during the summer months. July and August are the test results and the publication of the results of the SAT and GCSE and A-have always resulted in annual research rules of the soul.

This year, the results are so important and still partly determine the life chances of many young people. However, the riots this month ensured that the discussions this summer education goes far beyond the comparability of examination standards over time.

as the nation strives to meet the very basic questions, all institutions will be analyzed - schools may be more than most. And, given the events, it is fair to ask the department of education to do more. I have no doubt the discussion will review some of the issues that have long hindered:. The dilemma on exclusions, participation in poor performance of discontent and strife, all of which can help resolve the current crisis

However, other problems are also on the public agenda - citizenship, moral, how to inculcate a sense of civic and personal goal for our children and our youth. This is not new. Ensure that young people develop the skills and attitudes has always been the mark of a decent society and an effective education system, but the evidence before our eyes tells us that we do not do well

• We must recognize that deficit, but we must also remember the successes -. Do not hide a failure, but remembering what is possible
is easy to agree on the importance of citizenship and educational values, but belongs to an area of ??learning that we have tried to develop a language to speak. No GCSE or securities league table for citizenship. The results of this test in the summer do not tell us that students are more responsible citizens and better parents. These skills are not easy to measure or weigh, and we have a system of graphic signs that individual progress. As a result, we often have the impression that they are not as important as the things we can measure.

not be / o. Academic success gives young people the confidence and options that allow them to realize they have a stake in society and we must be cautious about returning to a time when "being a good boy" was an excuse for school failure. However, leave school with only a handful of GCSE property can not be counted as an integral formation.

For some children, schools are the most stable and disciplined in their lives. It is the only place where the day has a structure and its ambition is nurtured. For many who come from chaotic households - rich and poor -. Schools provide stability and make all the difference in the lives of children
schools in some of the responsibilities of families could be better, but it's the way it is for some children - and the development of schools as bases for a wide range of professional services should continue to be supported .