Resilience Indicators
From the research that led to this Plan, we have identified a number of key indicators by which we can be sure that we are moving in the right direction. These include:
- Percentage of population who have trained in specific transition skills; academic, practical, personal development.
- Percentage of people whom, when asked, state that they feel confident in a range of skills (see above).
- Percentage of adults registered in post secondary education.
- Percentage of children who walk or cycle to school.
- Percentage of students who reach 16 with a firm understanding of climate change and other environmental issues, as well as being familiar with practical solutions.
These can be returned to regularly to see if the community is making progress in the right direction.
A Walking Bus on the Way to School (© Richard Hodgson)
From Our Survey
One key aspect of establishing the resilience of a settlement is getting a picture of the level of skills that people in the community have. When asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement “I am adaptable and can turn my hand to new skills fairly easily”, 82.2% of people agreed or strongly agreed. We then asked respondents which of a list of skills they felt a reasonable level of competence in. The affirmative answers were as follows, in descending order;
• Cooking 91.3%
• Painting and decorating 72.2%
• Making basic house repairs 62.7%
• Repairing clothes 52.2%
• Growing food 45%
• Storing garden produce (i.e. Food) 24.5%
• Keeping small livestock 21.1%
The Role of Education in EDAP
Many people feel that the sense of community in our society has weakened over recent decades, and that consumerism, with advertising pressures in the media and in mail, has encouraged people to be more self-indulgent and self-centred. For an “action plan” to succeed, it is not sufficient to teach relevant skills: it is important to strengthen the sense of local community, and the sense of social responsibility. This needs to be given more priority because of the economic pressures.
There are known methods of education which will contribute substantially to this, and they can be started as soon as children begin school. (Children now aged 5 will be adults by 2030!) The government and others who influence schooling now talk about “Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning” (SEAL), but the activities they suggest are not in practice given the emphasis given to literacy and numeracy, and do not necessarily involve as much listening to children, or sharing responsibility with children, as would make them really effective. A priority given to good education in personal relationships can result in more efficient learning of facts and skills. Teachers may need time, and access to training, to achieve this.
Bureaucracy, too, has increased, in many social contexts, and is a major barrier to constructive social education. It would be good if a “transition” community, as a whole, could explore ways of minimising bureaucracy, including the reduction of the pressures, which it puts on schools and teachers.
Arthur French, TTT Education for Transition Group
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