I attended a school reunion some years ago and asked one of my former school friends why was it, when ever we did something wrong we were threatened with expulsion, he pointed out as we were in the bottom class, there was nowhere else to go and at that point realised the report sent from primary school to secondary school condemns you to your station in life.
To this end I would propose a rethink in education, as for me when a child opens their eyes for the first time they should be entitled to all the same opportunities as any other. I had always intended for my children to touch every musical instrument and have a go at every sport at least once, then see what academic prowess they had so let them get on with what came easy but supported them in the more difficult studies, if they then 'choose' to be a Footballer, Rock Star or even a Truck driver thats fine just get the mortarboard on their head first! Better education = more choices (simples), this is where I believe schools should have a rethink.
Instead of a child attending Primary school and muddle through till they are 11, then have to live with the consequences thereafter, each term a child's abilities should be assessed and if they are strong in a subject let them make their own way through it, if there is a weaker topic give them access to all the resources they need to come up to speed till they reach the final year of Primary school. Then rather then being thrown to the wolves that final year or indeed what would normally be the first year of secondary school should be something special.
When I left school and went on to collage I felt almost immediately I was in a different world, you were spoken to and respected more as an adult then a silly school kid and this is what I suggest for the 'special year' a preparation of what is to come so not only do they follow the perceived curriculum they are assessed so any short fall is addressed and they have one last chance to excel in what they may have struggled with previously. I do get weary of hearing how underprivileged , inner city 'Boys' do not get it when it comes to learning when maybe it is the school that should be more engaging and making lessons more interesting and relevant and not always from the screen of a PC. Some youngsters may not be destined for a life in academia but they may be a craftsman so their secondary education could be geared in the direction of an apprenticeship with a collage course, Little Johnny may be the next Beckham whilst Sally could be the next Vanessa May, Fred could be a top plumber, whilst Elle could be a teacher and so on !!
(Shaun Bailey is a wise head on young shoulders and his
softly spoken words on the young should be taken very
seriously indeed)
This preparatory year should also equip 11 year olds for what they could face in the coming terms as today they are expected to face more and more peer and media pressure, and at this age with their own PCs mobiles and what they consider boy/girl friends if they were given sex education then, it may have more relevance then trying to instruct 5 or 7 year olds the same. There should also be a class of social skills helping many young people to know how to relate to each other as well as adults and to instill the true meaning of respect not just because they heard the word on the latest rap tune! Oh and one final point I believe all children should have access to swimming from an early age not only so they could get themselves out of trouble if they fall in a river, but the healthy activity should keep them more fit then their current stagnant lifestyle in front of PC, TV and game screens! I was 8 years old when I first heard Dr. Martin Luther-King ask us to".... judge a man by his character....."
So lets build character!
"The key is just getting educated and, before they sign something, they fully understand it"
Why don't you punch Lennox on the nose....with your cursor of course?
(See picture below)
Hey Davey, Dean hear.
ReplyDeleteYou have some excellent things going on hear, but I must admit I have yet to go threw much.
As far as education in america at this point, I feel it very nessisary to put emphasis on the subject of boys, and the atmospher created around them, which is also something i am currently pondering on writeing more about and sending to you to publich hear:)
For now let me sum it up, in "short" by saying that public schools in america do not promote a healthy learning invoronment for young boys, nor adolesent males.One of the most obvious distractions is the girls/adolesent females.This I say, not to imply that there very presence is in and of itself is the distraction, but the provocotive/revealing manor in which "girls", teenage females and all around WOMEN dress.
Esspesialy at the time of puberty, there is enough distraction, simply because of the hormonal/cemical changes that occur.Boys and girls naturaly become currious, and in some ways boys who hit puberty will in fact "imagine" what is beneath an atractive girls clothing at times, no matter how think a layer of clothing she puts on.However does this really need to be aloud to be exasperated by young girls "flaunting" themself around them constaintly?? espessialy in a schoolastic setting?
The unfortunate truth is that they offten learn anatomy along with every class they take.Girls where skimpy shorts, even in the winter and fall months, that ussaly wave some kind of writeing on there buttocks.Yet incressingly few mothers seem to have a problem with this, nevermind the fathers on this one, and it seems to be socialy acceptable for women of any age to pretty much, dress however they want, as skimpy or as revealing as they want and we just ride it off as NORMAL.
This as a man in his late 20's is still a distraction, and at the risk of sounding pathetic, at times even makes me feel uber insecure about myself, in to many ways to elaborate upon in this breif post.
Your comments are welcome and you will see that I do an international review on Saturday. I know your concerns are right as having read about this elsewhere and will try and do it justice then, and as for your posts post as much as you like it is important for others to know about this, they too could have such concerns! Cheers Dean.
ReplyDeleteLet me first say, I'm a teacher, so you know I have some experience at what happens in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteIn an ideal world we would have class sizes of one. Each teacher would take the child along the education route as fast or as slowly as they are capable of going. We would turn out a nation of high achieving pupils. Just about everyone with one to one attention would get there eventually.
However, we live and have to work, in the real world. Class sizes are around 30 in most schools. Children ARE contiuously assessed. Ask any teacher how many detailed assessments they have to do on each child now. Teachers will do work with those who are not up to the appropriate level. But they are ONE person, one very, very busy person, who doesn't have time to individually drag all those lagging behind up to the required standard all the time. Also the pupils are very, very busy fitting in all the work they are required to do to keep up in everything else. When and with whom do you propose this remedial work is done. Being very cynical here, one could say, the PARENTS maybe?
What 'test' is there to determine when a child 'opens their eyes'? Or what other way is there to determine that? You will find that a lot of teachers are in favour of keeping children back a year if they don't make it to the standard level for the year. Unfortunately, the British education system is not set up to do that.
As for the change going from school to college. Yes, the change in level of maturity of sixth formers - wherever they are, school sixth form or college - is remarkable, as any teacher of sixth formers will tell you. So they don't get treated like 'silly kids' they do get treated like young adults. But that comes from them and their maturation.
Pupils ARE taught about peer and media pressure and social skills and a lot more besides - it's called PHSE and/or citizenship. Try looking at the detailed curriculum in these subjects for your children's school, or any other school. I have taught these things specifically, so I know.
Teachers are fed up of people spouting on about what is wrong with the education system. We know, we have to deal with the reallity of the system on a day to day basis. If for once real teachers who are still working in the classroom, were left to decide what to do about the issues, we might get somewhere. Instead, we get initiative after initiative after initiative to implement, designed by ex-teachers who haven't taught in a classroom for 20 years, or worse still, by people who have never taught in a classroom. I defy anyone to know what really goes on until you have stood before 30 children and tried to teach them something. For 4-5 hours a day.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/26/family-courts-fathers-custody#post-area
ReplyDelete