Santiago Rincón-Gallardo is Chief Research Officer of Michael Fullan's team. He is an educational change leader, consultant and scholar. In his book "Liberating Learning," he explores the challenges and opportunities of educational reform in Mexico, and offers insights and recommendations for educators and policymakers facing similar challenges around the world. His work feels particularly pertinent in our context as we are living, teaching and learning through reform in Scotland.

As part of our Middle Leadership+ offer we have offered sessions in collaboration with the Curriculum Innovation team at Education Scotland. These have proved highly popular and show that there is appetite for change.

The importance of curriculum in the reform landscape is key. When do we make time to think BIG on curriculum?

Big thinking doesn’t always lead to big changes… but reform could be the gift.

Rincon-Gallardo blows the thinking up to an even bigger scale. One of the key messages of ‘Liberating Learning’ is the importance of community participation and social mobilisation in educational reform. He argues that traditional educational systems often fail to engage with the diverse needs and experiences of local communities, and may even perpetuate social inequalities and exclusion. In order to create more equitable and empowering forms of education. He advocates for: greater community participation in the design and implementation of educational policies and programmes. This can involve working closely with local organisations, engaging with grassroots educators, listening to community leaders to develop more inclusive and culturally-responsive curricula and pedagogical approaches.

Another important theme he covers is the need to address the structural and systemic barriers that can limit educational access and opportunities for marginalised communities. He highlights the importance of addressing issues such as poverty, discrimination and violence in order to create more just and equitable educational systems. He argues that educational reform must go beyond surface-level changes to curriculum and pedagogy  - and must address the underlying social, economic, and political conditions that shape educational outcomes.

He encourages us to see the power of education – to look beyond a classroom or a subject or an exam.

He argues one of the key messages for educators facing reform is the importance of building relationships and networks with local communities and organisations. He emphasises the value of working collaboratively with community members and of building trust and mutual understanding. He suggests that educators can learn from the diverse experiences and perspectives of community members and can work together to develop more responsive and effective schools.

Rincón-Gallardo argues that educational systems must be designed to serve the needs of all students, not just the most privileged or advantaged.

Overall, "Liberating Learning" offers a compelling vision of educational reform whose scaffolding is the importance of community participation, social mobilisation and structural change. I’m still reading it, but so far it has provided valuable insights and recommendations for educators and policymakers, underscoring the importance of creating more equitable and empowering forms of education.

When given the gift of reform, it is up to us all to think BIG.

Please get in touch if you’d like to share your thoughts / add to our blog space / share reading that has made you think BIG.