The RAI Education Committee is drawn from specialists in anthropology and education. The Chair of the Education Committee is appointed by Council. The Committee has the powers to appoint members, subject to the approval of Council. The committee is serviced by the RAI Education and Communications Officer who circulates papers and takes minutes. The Education Committee can advise on matters of public engagement as requested by Council, and otherwise consider any other matters referred to it by Council.
The Education Committee has a watching brief over the the RAI Education Outreach programme. The programme includes public engagement and outreach, developing anthropology at pre-university level through curricula and support materials and creating high quality resources and information concerning anthropology a wider audience.
The RAI Education Committee was instrumental in the development of the AQA Anthropology A-Level, a pre-university qualification which has been taught in schools and colleges since 2010. The RAI Education Committee has produced a textbook and reader which supports both the Anthropology A-level and the Anthropology component of the International Baccalaureate. The RAI Education and Communications Officer manages a teachers network to share news and information, organises teacher support events and accompanying online resources, visits A-Level and IB schools, attends A Level conferences and fosters links between university anthropology departments and schools. The Education and Communications Officer organises London Anthropology Day (LAD), the largest Anthropology outreach event in Britain and maintains an online educational presence through websites and social media.
In January 2015, AQA announced that the A Level would be discontinued after June 2018. Teachers of Anthropology A Level in conjunction with the RAI Education Committee launched a Save Anthropology A Level campaign that included a change.org petition, newspaper articles, social media messaging, letters to MPs and support from anthropological associations around the world including WCAA, IUAES, EASA, AAA, ASA, AAS, NZASA. Despite the AQA decision, the Education Committee remain committed to promoting anthropology in pre-university education.
Secretary Sophie Cowling
The current Committee members are:
Simon Underdown (Chair), David Bennett, Barry Dufour, Bonnie van de Steeg, Judith Okely, Joy Hendry, Stephanie Bunn, Laura Bishop, Paul Basu, Trevor Marchand, Hilary Callan, David Mills, Marzia Balzani, Madeline Reeves, Kelly Fagan Robinson
