The Scope and Pace of Education Reform

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Educational change is usually thought to be creating stress and fatigue given that there are many reforms at one time or are frequent in occurrence. However it is not only the quantity and/or frequency of the reforms that matter but also how wide/broad the reform is and its pace. It is important to analyse the scope and pace of the reform in order for it to be implemented well.

The scope of any reform can be examined by analyzing the existing practices and adapting to the changing demands of the reform. For example in one school a national curriculum reform is in its implementation stages for the last 4-5 years. By analyzing how this school managed the enactment of the reform, it is evident that the school did not give up its existing practices, programs and structure. This school adopted to the change by putting it into their existing structure. This means that this school is positively biased towards their old system and are being able to pick and choose from the new reform. This is done through a process of negotiation by asking questions like:  what is it we are already doing? Will teachers give it a try? Will the new demand any major changes in my structure? Doing this is a positive move, because teachers can own what they were already doing. Teachers stress and fatigue is minimized and teachers own their work. On the other hand there are schools who have adopted the new in its entirety. For instance, the national reform has new and structured lesson plans and activities which the schools are adopting to. This puts more stress on teachers and they feel that their autonomy is restricted. Hence an analysis of the scope of the reform will enable one to understand and conceptuatlize the schools position in terms of how positively biased they are towards their existing practices and /or towards the new system.

 The pace of the reform is yet another important element to consider while planning any reform. The pace of the reform is what Bourdieu terms as ‘feel for the game’. According to Bourdieu, agents in the field agree to participate in playing the game by agreeing to the rules. Initially the agents play consciously and also learn the rules by practicing it. As time goes agents become accustomed to the rules and it seems natural to them. Hence the pace of the game – how long will it take to the agents to get accustomed to the rules? It is evident that it take time for a new reform to be institutionalized and practiced by everyone. It is not like a recipe book, but teachers are dealing with human beings and the field is very dynamic. Teachers learn the game as they apply it, not once or twice but many times to be comfortable enough with what is to be done.  

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