What France’s unrest tells us about listening in education
The recent riots in France are very concerning. Behind the unrest lies a broader question about the relationship between decision-makers and the people expected to live with their decisions. In education, when students feel unheard and decisions are made without fully understanding their experiences, trust can break down.
The causes of the riots are complex, and it would be wrong to suggest that education policy alone explains them. But concerns about teacher shortages, long school days, overcrowded classrooms, and deteriorating school buildings point to a gap between the decisions being made and the realities students face every day.
As a former police officer and education welfare officer, I have seen how important it is to understand people’s circumstances before deciding what needs to change. Now, as an MP and Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Education, those experiences continue to shape my view that good decisions start with listening to the people impacted by them.
When I worked in a school, behind every attendance figure was a young person with their own circumstances, challenges and potential. Understanding why a child missed lessons meant listening to them, their family, and the people who knew them. My experience in policing taught me something similar—lasting solutions begin with understanding people and navigating on-the-ground circumstances with what is right in front of you.
That is why school leaders should have a direct influence in how their schools are run. They know their pupils and communities in ways that those of us in Westminster cannot fully appreciate. National government has a vital role in setting standards and ensuring fairness, but we should acknowledge that those on the ground know their needs with far more insight.
Our country has its own lessons to learn from France’s unrest. In 2016, a Conservative government proposed moving all state schools towards academy status. This move raised serious questions about where power should sit. Decisions moved away from individual headteachers towards larger organisations, and we should ask whether reform genuinely puts power in the hands of those who understand local needs or simply transfers it elsewhere.
I see the importance of this locally in my constituency in the Forest of Dean; we have excellent schools with and without academy status, and their daily experience must count when decisions are made that affect them.
I am really pleased to see positive steps being taken nationally. The Government has recruited 4,654 additional teachers towards its target of 6,500 across secondary schools, special schools and further education by 2029. Retaining experienced teachers is as important as recruitment.
We must also recognise the people who keep schools running beyond the classroom. Teaching assistants, administrators, catering teams and caretakers all contribute to children's education. The planned School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) is intended to give eligible support staff a stronger voice in pay and conditions. Its value will be measured in practical improvements for the people who keep schools running.
The same principle applies to vocational education. New routes introduced alongside A Levels and T Levels will now reflect young people's ambitions and local employers' needs.
Politicians like me must also accept our share of responsibility. We must listen when teachers tell us something isn't working, when parents struggle to secure support, and when pupils feel unheard. That’s why I am campaigning so hard for a new building for Forest High, a secondary school in my constituency, to ensure their needs are met and no child goes unheard.
The riots in France are terrible, and my thoughts are with the students, families, teachers, business owners, and communities affected. I hope that, following such awful events, communities can recover, rebuild trust and thrive. We should not simply watch the unrest from across the Channel and then forget it. It should prompt us to consider what happens when people feel disconnected from the decisions shaping their lives, and whether those in power are doing enough to hear and respond to their concerns.
Education is ultimately about children and their futures. National government plays an essential role in providing resources, setting fair standards, and tackling inequality, but it cannot understand every local challenge from Westminster, nor should it assume one solution will work everywhere.
The lesson from France is that policy must work for the lives it touches. That means listening to pupils, parents, and teachers; learning from their experiences; and trusting communities to know what is best for their own schools. Good government should not simply make decisions for people, it should give them a genuine stake in shaping the services that affect their lives and futures.
Matthew Adrian Bishop, born in 1984 in Newport, South Wales, is a British Labour Party politician who has represented the Forest of Dean constituency in Parliament since July 2024. Raised by his grandparents and educated at Lliswerry High School, Bishop brings extensive public service experience to Westminster, having worked in policing, children's social care, housing enforcement, and as an education welfare officer. Before his election to Parliament, he served as a local councillor and committee chair on the Forest of Dean District Council, building deep roots in the community he now represents.
