The Nottingham Learning History Poster
At the workshop active readers recorded thoughts, feelings, and ideas in workbooks just after they had read the Nottingham Learning History (which can be downloaded from our project website here). You can read the headline responses here. But here's a summary of the reader's comments.
It’s an idea whose psychological time had come – but has now the psychological time for action come?
This comment captured the mood of most readers who engaged particularly with questions around the effectiveness of the Nottingham Declaration. This, must be measured by the strategies adopted by the signatories wrote one reader. Another reader had first-hand experience. Their council had signed the Declaration “to join the club” but had then left it to languish until a new head of service came in. This reader asked: “Has there been a demonstrable shift in awareness, carbon reduction, consumption patterns in each of the signatory Local Authorities?” The history provided scant answers to such questions and this absence was missed by readers who noted that influencing policy is but one half of the story. Whilst there was recognition for “the old adage, that national processes and partners can help position an issue and win commitment within an organisation” readers were interested in the relationship between a statement of intent and the associated actions that result. There is a possibility to move the Declaration to the next level noted one reader which could involve quite specific actions that link to the other Histories: e.g. adopting a Merton Rule, installing DHP, forming an ESCO.
There was a general appreciation for the ‘resilience, focus and tenacity’ of the officers in the case and in particular a recognition and empathy for the protagonists during the lean years. “ What was the protagonists’ mindset during those lean years?” wondered one reader. Mike’s role may have been underplayed commented one reader who wrote that an “enthusiastic and brilliant policy officer of this kind should be celebrated”.
It was a good story of the dynamics between different people with different roles and different levels combining. This aspect particularly resonated with readers’ experiences. The top-level support was noted as significant. Steve was lucky to have that, commented a reader admitting some envy. Would it have got underway without the top-level support of Ted Cantle? wondered another. There were questions though about under-described or missing actors – where for example was the Director in the story? What role did party politics play or local politicans? and “Why didn’t the government help promote it after the initial launch?”
One reader found the history of no relevance. "Why should I be interested in who said what to whom and when?" he asked. This is academia getting bogged down in an issue of no lasting, practical relevance. he went on to say. Find out what other readers of the Nottingham history did find relevant to their experiences and challenges here.
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