Youth work within formal education
The National Youth Agency (NYA) has announced that it is launching an independent commission to assess the value of youth work within formal education in
The commission will be chaired by former Children’s Minister Tim Loughton and made up of key figures from both the youth work and education sector including Fiona Blacke, NYA Chief Executive; Baroness Beverley Hughes; Rosina St James, Chair of the British Youth Council; Mark Carriline, Executive Director of Children's Services, Bury Council; and Damian Allen, Director, Children and Young People Division, Children’s Society.
According to the NYA, there is a common and misheld belief that schools are the only place in which young people receive an education. In fact, to develop young people's character and resilience, NYA believes young people should have access to a wider range of professionals, with different skills, knowledge and expertise, in a range of different settings.
To achieve this, NYA believes schools should seek out partnerships with youth work organisations to provide young people with the widest possible opportunities to support their social and personal development.
The aim of the commission is to assess how prevalent this kind of partnership is, its impact, and areas for improvement. The Commission will present its findings to policymakers during Autumn 2013.