ABSTRACT

In late nineteenth century Texas the government, in an effort to reduce the population of rattlesnakes, offered a financial reward for every rattlesnake tail handed in. The policy apparently did little to reduce the rattlesnake population but led to a number of entrepreneurially-minded individuals setting up rattlesnake farms to take advantage of the bounties. In twentieth century Florida a number of beaches were designated as protected areas for nesting turtles. This permits the turtles to lay their eggs, and have the young turtles grow in a sustaining environment before taking their chances in the world. These policies have been successful in stemming the decline in the population of turtles.

Our study of the effects of policy on teaching, learning and assessment indicates that policies can have unintended, adverse outcomes, but they can also encourage the kind of sustaining, and developmental environments that allow adults and young people to enter or re-enter the world with more confidence and with valuable personal, social and occupational skills. This paper will explore these issues using our research in England as a source of examples. The main examples used will be the promotion of basic literacy and numeracy skills, the Employer Training Pilot, and policies designed to encourage 16 - 19 year olds with poor prior educational achievements to remain in education or training. Our paper will consider how far professional educators are adapting their practice as a result of policy change, and whether learners are aware of any changes.

As governments throughout Europe attempt to develop policies to improve the education and training outcomes for both young people and adults, it is important to explore the kind of policies that may lead to educational rattlesnake farming and those that are likely to lead to the creation of educational turtle beaches. The first metaphor illustrates the potential pitfalls/unintended consequences of 'quick fix' policies monitored by products/targets, while the second brings to the fore applications of policy initiatives which aim to protect the weak and underprivileged from predators and pollution and allow growth to take place over time. By looking at the outcomes in the first 18 months of our research, this paper hopes to shed light on ways in which the risk of 'rattlesnake farms' may be minimised, and the possibilities of 'turtle beaches' enhanced.