Education and Socialism 1: Bullshit Pedagogy

Why do educators spend so much time ticking boxes and what should we do about it?

In this first session of Education and Socialism, we look at David Graeber’s concept of ‘Bullshit Jobs’ and ask how far we can apply it to education.

We would probably not write off the education sector as one which produces no value for society, however speak to any education professional at random and they are likely to mention a rise in pointless admin tasks over the years. If education is so socially valuable, why does so much of the work within it feel like such a waste of time? How can we best highlight tasks that aren’t worth doing? How can we effectively resist bullshit in our workplaces?

Suggested reading

These are just suggestions in order of relevance and accessibility. Don’t worry if you don’t read all the reading. Turning up and taking part is more important.

Bullshit Pedagogy - Stuart Bracewell (pages 6-7 of the linked document)

‘On the phenomena of bullshit jobs’ - David Graeber (a short article which inspired the book)

Bullshit Jobs - available on Spotify (and other platforms) as an audiobook

Format

The session will be run in a P4C (Philosophy for Communities) format, which means that it’ll be interactive and participatory, with the content and direction of the session decided democratically.