Oracy report launched in Parliament by commission featuring AHC Professor

The Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England was established to examine the importance of spoken language to children’s learning and life chances

Speaking skills form an essential ‘building block’ for reading, writing and academic progression through school and should be at the heart of the national curriculum, argues a commission featuring a Professor from the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures.

The independent Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England was established to examine the importance of spoken language to children’s learning and life chances. Professor Stephen Coleman, Professor of Political Communication at the School of Media & Communication, is a member of the Commission and has been involved with its work from the beginning.

This week the Commission published its final report – We Need to Talk – in the Houses of Parliament, arguing that to prepare young people for their future, oracy should be of equal status to reading, writing and arithmetic. 

The Oracy Commission recommends:

• an increased emphasis on oracy education to better prepare all young people to become fulfilled future citizens and combat increasing polarisation and misinformation;
• recognition of the essential role of oracy as a building block for reading, writing and students’ academic progression through school;
• acknowledgement of the rising importance of oracy skills in an AI-transformed labour market to ensure young people are well-prepared for success in the workplace.

Professor Coleman said:

“It was a great pleasure to serve as a member of this dynamic and groundbreaking Commission. As a Commissioner, I focused particularly upon the civic-democratic value of oracy. I think that this report could have an important effect upon the future of the curriculum, thereby improving the confidence of the next generation of citizens.”

Geoff Barton said that education “should equip young people to ask questions, articulate ideas and formulate powerful arguments”.

“However young people express themselves and communicate, we should be providing opportunities for them to deepen their sense of identity and belonging, listen actively and critically, and learn a fundamental principle of a liberal democracy – being able to disagree agreeably. 

“Parents want it, the economy demands it, democracy needs it, teachers welcome it and our children deserve it.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said the recommendations would be considered during its curriculum and assessment review.

The Commission, which was chaired by Geoff Barton – a headteacher and former General Secretary for the Association of School and College Leaders – launched after the Labour Party announced a focus on oracy in its education mission while in opposition last year.