Our Useless Education System!

[frosty the snowman]

Originally Posted by Jay

Mark - on the one hand I agree but its basically down to the parents. My daughter is 6 and reads at a 10yr old level at least but we spend time with her every day and read with her every night. Schools can only do so much - my daughter's latest comment was that one of her friends was in trouble at school because she never did her homework. Why are her parent's not making her do it? And what chance does she have of developing?

Very true. My partner Jules (Queen Scallop on YD) teaches psychology and sociology at sixth form level. She makes herself available every lunchtime for students who have any problems with their work. All students also have her mobile number in case they need to clarify anything when doing their homework and more than once a student has been given tuition at our home (free of charge). In short, Jules works bloody hard at her job and it's no coincidence that her students routinely get the highest pass rates in the school.

On three occasions during the last term alone, she has had to deal with complaints from the parents of students who are not doing well accusing her of not supporting their children or doing enough to help them succeed. Without exception, these students hardly ever turn up to lessons and when they do they're disruptive and too disinterested to work. So there is an expectation amongst some parents and students that the it's down to the teacher to 'get the students through the course' without any input from the parents or students themselves.

This isn't universal of course, far from it, but nevertheless it bothers me. I have always seen my childrens education as a partnership between the school, their parents and themselves. Sorry if this is off topic but maybe the quiz contestant and/or his parents didn't play their part even if his school tried to. Or maybe he was just bricking it and forgot!

[Jay]

Originally Posted by frosty the snowman

Very true. My partner Jules (Queen Scallop on YD) teaches psychology and sociology at sixth form level. She makes herself available every lunchtime for students who have any problems with their work. All students also have her mobile number in case they need to clarify anything when doing their homework and more than once a student has been given tuition at our home (free of charge). In short, Jules works bloody hard at her job and it's no coincidence that her students routinely get the highest pass rates in the school.

On three occasions during the last term alone, she has had to deal with complaints from the parents of students who are not doing well accusing her of not supporting their children or doing enough to help them succeed. Without exception, these students hardly ever turn up to lessons and when they do they're disruptive and too disinterested to work. So there is an expectation amongst some parents and students that the it's down to the teacher to 'get the students through the course' without any input from the parents or students themselves.

This isn't universal of course, far from it, but nevertheless it bothers me. I have always seen my childrens education as a partnership between the school, their parents and themselves. Sorry if this is off topic but maybe the quiz contestant and/or his parents didn't play their part even if his school tried to. Or maybe he was just bricking it and forgot!

My wife also teaches sixth form psychology and she has exactly the same problems with shite parents trying to shift the blame as to why their blue eyed golden child is thick as pig shit.

[finbar.taylor]

Any body actually thought that the kids are now taught skills that are relevant to getting them a job or will be useful in life?

why teach them to be mechancics most people drive arround in cars > 4years old they have 8-10 services then they get scrapped/recycled/exported

Why teach them maths they have a calculator in their pocket (mobile phone) and on their desk.

Enginers/archetects ect use CAD packages they don't need math skills

Most kids show adults up on what they know about computers and after all this is the way forward

How about giving them a break?

Fin

[Tiberius]

Originally Posted by nigelH

When did they write "Do not say 'Why is it that the former days were better than these?'"...

3000 years ago. (Ecc 7:10)

Yeah, there's also an essay by Cicero that starts of something like "The trouble with the youth of today is they have no respect for their elders"

[Conor]

Back to the original post....couldn't he just have been nervous and had a blank?

But we are all quick to jump on criticising the educational system. Dumbing down is a loaded phrase, I don't think of it so much as dumbing down as levelling the playing field. 50 out of 100 people with degrees giving them specialist knowledge in a subject is better than 15 out of 100 having better degrees. Afterall most people with degrees will tell you that the knowledge they need to do their job was gained after graduation, the degree simply gives you the background and way of thinking, which I believe is still alive and well.

My little girl started school this year. Her reading, counting etc. is coming on leaps and bounds. I'm happy with the educational system in this country except for two points.....teachers are overworked and kids are underdisciplined.

[mrsenzo]

I certainly agree with the education system not being strict enough, the problem is that if you are not academically able to cope with the system - then you end up giving up. What about an education in real life, how many of us actually have used the degree's/O'Levels etc .... they could add diving to the curriculum for a start. Maths - tables, Communications skills - help my mask has flooded, you get the gist

[abucksdiver]

My daughter has her KS2 SATs starting in about 2 weeks time... so, she has been revising, working on previous test papers etc. for the last term.

Would she be better off being taught new stuff? I don't know.

However, when I was at school (all those years ago...) we never did any practice papers. Some of us coped OK in exams (I used to like exams... but the reason I didn't get good marks was because I hadn't concentrated for the two years before each one!) However, some others "went to pieces" in exams, and, although they had worked hard in each subject, ended up with no better marks than I did.

By doing all the previous papers, I think todays children are much better able to cope with the stresses of exams, for the same reason we all practice our basic diving skills... so that they are "no big deal" when we really need them.

Oh, and at almost 11, my daughter has got to the point where I can no longer help with some of her Maths... it is more advanced than some of the stuff I did for my CSE/GCE's!

Mrsabucks works in education as an "early years" teachers assistant, and the amount of paperwork required even at this level (4 to 5 year olds) is something to see...

Andrew

Originally Posted by lloydwatkin

Uh oh I think this could be a friend of a certain Miss Ward who's friend was recording on the weakest link about 2 months ago. Hehe. Silly Phychology students

Jojo isnt a student. It was more like a month ago though. It hasnt been shown yet.

Aimz

[Mark Davies]

Originally Posted by Conor

Back to the original post....couldn't he just have been nervous and had a blank?

No, I don't think so. There was no moment of hesitation or sign of struggling to try and work it out - the moment Anne Robinson finished asking the question she just said, "Pass"; as though even halfway through the question she'd already decided not to try and answer it. And that's what annoyed me - the fact that she just didn't even bother to attempt such a simple sum as that.

Clearly things are different now, as in my day you wouldn't even be considered for a place in University without O' levels in maths and English - or can you now get GCSE maths without actually being able to count?

[MATTBIN]

Originally Posted by Mark Davies

No, I don't think so. There was no moment of hesitation or sign of struggling to try and work it out - the moment Anne Robinson finished asking the question she just said, "Pass"; as though even halfway through the question she'd already decided not to try and answer it. And that's what annoyed me - the fact that she just didn't even bother to attempt such a simple sum as that.

Clearly things are different now, as in my day you wouldn't even be considered for a place in University without O' levels in maths and English - or can you now get GCSE maths without actually being able to count?

Probably, they teach a different sort of maths and from what I have seen it doesnt actually create kids that can count, multiply etc and why should they? seriously, the amount of other stuff they have to learn means the old fashioned ways are outdated, we have calculators and computers to do the menial stuff, which is probably why the girl on WL didnt even try, she hadnt been taught how to do maths in the old fashioned way. Had the question been more in line with what she had been taught then maybe one of us old fashioned guys would have also blanked the question even before AR had finished. Horses for course Mark. Do you still do your policing the way Dixon of Dock Green did his??

Matt