Episode
9
Education is breaking – but these 3 pillars are fixing it 🚨
Guest: Geetika Goyal
Some schools are saving education while others are watching it die. The difference? Three pillars of Impact
🔥 The Hard Facts
UK Reality:
- 40% of teachers quit within 5 years
- 1 in 4 children leave primary school unable to read
- School mental health referrals tripled since 2019
- Teachers spend 60+ hours weekly on admin
- Tech budgets slashed, yet "digital transformation" expected
- Class sizes of "32+" are the new norm
Global Reality:
244M children out of school
70% of 10-year-olds in low-income countries can’t read
Critical teacher shortages across 69 countries
75% of youth report climate anxiety
This isn't just a crisis. It's a slow-motion collapse happening in every classroom, every day.
Some schools are making extraordinary progress by mastering three critical pillars of impact.
🎯 PILLAR 1: PEDAGOGICAL & USER-CENTERED APPROACH
The Challenge: "Teaching to the test" stifles creativity and crushes individual growth.
The Reality: Teachers saying, "I know this isn't right, but I have no choice."
What actually works:
1. Trauma-informed teaching
2. Differentiated instruction
3. Restorative practices over punitive discipline
Real Impact: 40% reduction in exclusions, 60% increase in student engagement
⚙️ PILLAR 2: TECHNICAL SKILLS & CONFIDENCE
The Challenge: Digital divide widening -- some students have tablets, others share one phone between siblings and many have none.
The Reality: Teachers feeling like failures, pressured to master dozens of platforms with minimal support.
What actually works:
Strategic technology use -- less is more, purpose over novelty
Proper teacher training, not 30-minute platform introductions
Ensuring digital equity before requiring tech assignments
Real Impact: Teachers feeling empowered, not overwhelmed by technology
💡PILLAR 3: SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE & PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE
The Challenge: Teachers expected to be counsellors, tech experts, and subject specialists – all at once.
The Reality: Brilliant educators leaving because they feel unprepared and unsupported.
What actually works:
1. Subject-specific professional development (not generic "teaching tips")
2. Long-term mentoring programs, not one-off sessions
3. Protected time for collaboration and continuous learning
4. Recognition that deep expertise takes years to develop
Real Impact: Dramatically improved teacher retention and student outcomes
🚀 The Game-Changing Truth:
When schools implement ALL THREE PILLARS together, they don't just improve - they transform completely.
✅ Attendance rates: 85% → Above National
✅ Results: Average improvement of 2 full grades
✅ Teacher wellbeing scores: Doubled
✅ Student mental health referrals: 50% reduction
✅ Community engagement: Doubled
The question isn't whether change is possible.
The question is: Will you be part of the solution?
Inspired in part by Katie Glenister-Soós 😊
