TBH I have no idea how we change things at a systemic level - education is one of those institutions where so many people have 'stakes' in it that it's difficult to see how it's going to change!

In the short term I'd certainly say abandoning testing for primary schoolers, everyone up to at least 11 (I'm trying to be a realist here); introducing more vocational streams earlier on, say for 14 year olds; getting more people involved in education would be an idea - maybe once a week having voluntary groups, industry, pensioners, anyone really just taking over education for a day - that would allow teachers a day off to prep and reduce class sizes (if you think about the math). The last strategy would also need to be co-ordinated with a 4 day work week.

A lot of other solutions are already being done in many schools - there's lots of creativity, time for students to do individual work, we just need more of it and less pressure from the examination system.

I think being aware of its function is the first step though for sure... Danny Dorling's 'injustice' chapter on education is very interesting in this regard... basically he argues it's set up to distinguish the middle classes.

Oh, and there are those teachers who just 'shut the door and teach', but it's no country for old men for sure!