Jonathan Doney, University of Exeter
It is now a year, almost to the day, since I took up the reins as President of the History of Education Society from Stephen Parker, and a year since I promised to write a blog as incoming president (Sorry Elena!!)
As I now reflect on the first year of my presidency, I am travelling back home after the 2023 Annual Conference held at Sheffield University, and it seems an ideal time to think about who we are, what we do, and where we are headed…
The Conference itself was a wonderful experience – like all of the Society conferences I have attended over the past decade or so. We are a friendly, welcoming, international community who seem always pleased to see each other! It is always a wonderful sight to watch people arriving and renewing acquaintances and seeing friends. Over this weekend I have spent a good deal of time getting to know those who are new to our community, society, and conference. And the message I was given was consistent – ‘this is SUCH a welcoming and encouraging group of people!’; ‘It’s my first time but I have felt so built up and refreshed, I will be back next year in Liverpool’.
As a Society we have taken a series of decisions over a number of years to really prioritise the support we give to Postgraduate Researchers, and those early in their careers. It is so exciting, as President, to see these aspirations being brought to life in a number of ways. Through our postgraduate Fellowships; Thank you to Susan Birch as Aldrich Fellow, Elena Rossi as Gosden Fellow, Syeda Ali as Watts Fellow and Malcolm Noble as Bibliographic Fellow over the last 12 months, and Welcome to Catherine Freeman as Aldrich Fellow, Jenny Crowdy as Gosden Fellow, and Oliver Mumford as Watts Fellow. Through the range of high quality presentations delivered in the Postgraduate Panels (four this time!) at the Conference. Through the Postgraduate bursary scheme that supports PRGs financially, to enable them to attend the conference and present their work. And through the commitment to have Postgraduate Representatives on the Executive Committee (we are delighted to welcome Susan Birch and Elena Rossi to this role!)
At the AGM on Saturday evening, we heard about a wide range of collaborations with other societies and groups that helps us expand the reach and impact of the society, and it is wonderful to hear about how these different relationships are developing, deepening, and being beneficial to all involved.
Working with the Executive over the past year has been exciting; we have faced a few challenges, but risen to them effectively. As we look further forwards, we recognise our collective responsibility as ‘guardians’ of the society, to take careful and thoughtful decisions to provide a stability within the field as the world around us changes. We have been thinking carefully about how we can best continue to balance our responsibilities as trustees of a charity, guardians of financial resources, and convenors of a membership organisation, in such a way as to be sustainable for a long-term future, and nimble enough to respond to changes in funding, academic practices, and wider societal change.
This responsibility is nothing new, and I am sure that throughout the life of the Society such questions have been asked and revisited many times!
But our contemplations are not in the abstract, or at a theoretical level. The conversations, the friendships born and sustained, the collaborations hatched and shared, the encouragement given, the questions asked, the recommendations made, and the laughter shared at gatherings like the conference are why we do this; we are first and foremost a community.
As always, huge thanks to the executive group and trustees, who give generously of their time and energy…and thank you for your continued support as members – do please keep us in touch with your thoughts and hopes for the society.
Jonathan Doney is President of the History of Education Society UK and Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Exeter. He recently won the Kevin Brehony Prize for the best first single-authored book written in English on the history of education for Unearthing Policies of Instrumentalization in English Religious Education Using Statement Archaeology, London: Routledge, 2020.