Welcome to the Modern Baccalaureate

Introduction by Andrew Chubb, Principal Archbishop Sentamu Academy, Hull.

Finland, the top performing educational jurisdiction in the world, is committing vast resources to improve outcomes still further, weaving a set of 21st century learning and life skills through more conventional content, delivered in thematic, contextualised challenges. They recognise the world is changing, and so must the school system.

The CBI demands that schools and higher education do more to

prepare young people for the rigours of the 21st century workplace. In a recent survey of top businesses, they asserted that school leavers entering a tough labour market must have the underlying skills needed for success in any job.

The OECD is also clear about the challenges. Demand for the competencies that 20th century school systems were good at imparting (routine cognitive and manual skills) is falling  sharply among employers around the world; 21st  century systems need to prepare students to deal with more rapid change than ever before … for jobs that have not yet been created … using technologies that have not yet been invented.

This is about learning how to learn, and new ways of thinking that involve creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making. It is in sharp contrast to an emphasis on the capacity to reproduce facts.

At the same time, the British government is driving through a challenging school improvement agenda built around traditional academic subject disciplines, and progress measures for all pupils.

The Modern Baccalaureate is an attempt to address all of these issues. The Modern Baccalaureate shines a light on the best practice that already exists within British schools and the wider community.

We do not need to invest millions- we have the solutions already!

The Modern Baccalaureate is an attempt to close the gap between the classroom and the workplace, and to explore the fertile ground between the pursuit of knowledge and the application of knowledge and skills in real life contexts. We have all the elements available to us: Modbac helps to join them together, without huge investment or massive curriculum upheaval.

Welcome to the Modern Baccalaureate!

Andrew Chubb

Principal of Archbishop Sentamu Academy

February 2012