Aspirations and principles for a latter-day Langtons Dissenters Academy

Our recent spontaneous and successful action in the Leicestershire village of Church Langton to secure the future for our pub demonstrated that we can exercise some control over our lives through learning and acting together. This is in the tradition of the long-forgotten 17th century Dissenters Academy in Kibworth (and then Market Harborough, before moving to Daventry)which educated religious non-conformists. In a world of less religion but ever more commerce, and rapidly increasing gaps between the ‘have-lots’ and ‘have-nots’, we need to take care of each other beyond the confines of the market, within civil society. People benefit from learning and acting together, not just as individuals. Our world requires dissenting voices, and enterprising communities.

Today, as even a cursory glance at what is now expected of our ten-year old children in the national curriculum illustrates, education is instrumental, conformist, and pre-determined. Although curiosity is the essence of being human, the joys of curiosity and discovery are not encouraged. The pleasures of learning and teaching for their own sakes are lost. Pessimism about our capacity to affect our lives for the better is rife. But together we can engage actively with the world and forge new possibilities. We can challenge each other and authority, the better to understand and act. We can tell storiestogether and imagine different and better futures for ourselves, our families and our communities. We can make and create, discover and learn, and tackle problems together. ‘Have-lots’, ‘have-littles’ and ‘have-nots’ can support each other to develop everyone’s talents, the better to develop their lives and the communities in which we live.

People when we resourceful and resilient, with a sense of ‘agency’ in their lives born of experience and achievement, strong relationships, optimism, knowledge and skills. Effective action and good education fosters self-respect, self-confidence and self-esteem. It tips the balance of power a little more in our favour. Although people thrive when encouraged to express distinctive identities, learning successfully together does not require prior categories such as ‘old ’ or ‘young ’, ‘parent’ or ‘child’, ‘villager’ or ‘commuter’, ‘rich’ or ‘poor’, ‘tenant’ or ‘homeowner’, ‘unemployed ’ or ‘retired’, ‘pensioner’ or ‘on benefits’. Nor does it require ‘professional’ educators — just determined and purposeful people, helped along by skilful facilitation, generous relationships and good leadership.

In the Langtons could build upon the Langtons Community Enterprise Group which we broght to life in the summer of 2015. We might rcreate a new Langtons Dissenters Academy, eschewing government prescribed curricula, and the fatalism of disengagement to improve our lives and strengthen our village community. We could:

• Be curious and creative.
• Tell stories and imagine futures.
• Explore and understand; the better to
• Create, make and act.
• Be careful and generous.
• Value dissent.
• Respect difference.
• Learn from each other.
• Tip power towards ourselves.

Version 4.1
Feb 15th, 2016