Most likely to succeed

18 April 2016

On Wednesday 20th April A New Direction is thrilled to be hosting the London premiere of Most Likely to Succeed with the Innovation Unit. This is a film about a growing movement of radical new models for mainstream education. The film focuses on America, but there are also examples from England and across the world.

We are excited about this new movement at A New Direction because our beliefs - in the power of creativity, art and culture to make happy and healthy human beings and a thriving society - are embedded in the principles on show in the film. Project-based, experiential learning, not ‘teaching to the test’; combining making with science and art with philosophy; creativity in all subjects, not just rote learning and a focus on recall; learning environments that are imaginative and inspiring, not classrooms as proto-factories.

For many people, these innovations will look suspiciously like fun - as if the students might be enjoying school too much. They will need to see evidence that academic attainment is not harmed. And the question for the sceptics is: what is riskier, sticking with a system that prizes standardisation and testing, or reaching for something different?

As the film makes clear, the economic certainties of the past - built on the rapid industrial growth of Western economies in the post-war era and the notion of a linear progression from school, to college, to work, to comfortable retirement - are history. The people best equipped to thrive in the new economy will be those who can be flexible, work in teams, have great ideas and the resilience to see them through. So the only question really is which system is riskier for the future of our young people? The old or the new?

Our screening of the film is now sold out, but do get in touch if you would like to know more about the film and how to get hold of it. You can watch a trailer for the film here.