The School System

[Melton Fox]

I have never had faith in the UK schooling system. Even when I was at school myself there were lots of areas that didn't make sense to me and I couldn't understand why I was put there to do "that stuff".

I spent three years learning nothing about Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Woodwork, Metalwork, French, RE etc etc.

I still can't do long division, long multiplication etc and never have been able to. Should this have been picked up when I was handing my work in? I very rarely bunked off school, but I may as well because it taught me nothing.

Is it right to put the brighter students with a bunch of fukwits that can barely string a sentance together just to drag them up to standard?, in my experience the only result is that the brighter pupils suffer.

I have recently attended a PTM for my 4 yr old daughter (5 on Friday). Her teacher told me she is one of the brighter pupils in the class and described her spelling, reading and writing as "Fabulous". However, they have told me that she will get marked down in her SATS because she is "Shy and keeps within herself". When the **** did exams rely on this bollocks, when did it stop being about their ability in a particular subject?

They failed me, and now I'm worried they'll fail my own children and it scares me. I see the signs already, and I'm struggling to accept it.

I do not want my children to go to school purely to help out stastically, I want them to go there to learn. I don't want them to be taught how to pass an exam, I want them to be educated in such a way that they then have the ability to pass the exam in the old fashioned manner whenever one is presented to them.

I'm worried my children will pass their exams because the markers need their statistics, and not because they are skilled in the topic they being tested in.

I'm worried that the teachers won't give my children bad marks for fear of "upsetting them", I fear that my children won't recieve any school discipline because "it's against their human rights", I'm worried that my children may come home from school in an ambulance, or worse, because of the behaviour of other pupils.

I worry about my children going to school everyday, is that wrong?

 

[lazzer]

No you are right to worry its your job.When they leave school you will worry if they get a job or where they are night or will they go away to university how will they cope. Will they get house or a nice partner? Will they have children? Your grandchild at school doing sats :icon_biggand so on and so forth. You will worry about your health. You will worry about when you will die and how others will cope with you.
Its non stop worrying from now on Melts try and have some fun now and then to distract you from the worrying :icon_wink

 

[Macky]

I can honestly say that in the limited time that I attended school I learnt absolutely **** all, apart from long multiplication & division that is.

Everything else that I know was either taught by my parents or is knowledge that I've acquired for myself.

If you want educated, intelligent children then DO NOT expect the school to help them with this. The ONLY thing that your children will benefit from school is social skills from mixing with other children, end of story.

 

[The Major]

My daughters' school ,Sts Peter and Paul, Syston, failed it's inspection 2 years ago. I went to the meeting 1 night and left with a feeling of utter hopelessness.
1or 2 teachers were given early retirement and a lot of the others were given a promotion. Nothing succeeds like failure in the public sector.

If anyone asked a question they were fobbed off with a load of educational jargon. I remember 1 of the speakers said that ' maths is changing all the time'.
WTF 2+2 still equals 4 last time I looked.

I've only got 1 left at that school now, I could move her but they're all as bad as each other and I can't afford to go private.I'm afraid for the majority of us it's like it or lump it.

 

[Billyjof]

Some teachers can be inspirational to students that bother to listen.

The problem with the school system is there are too many lazy arse teachers who don't care.

 

[Brauny Blue]

Having gone to a fairly strict school between the ages of 11 & 14 i did learn one very important thing........to have a bit of respect for people.
The teachers ruled by fear, and although we resented many of them we still knew our place in life. That was more valuable than any individual lesson i had. The breakdown of discipline in schools is largely responsible for the delinquent society of ferel youths we breed today imo.

 

[Matt_B]

I have never had faith in the UK schooling system. Even when I was at school myself there were lots of areas that didn't make sense to me and I couldn't understand why I was put there to do "that stuff".

I spent three years learning nothing about Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Woodwork, Metalwork, French, RE etc etc.

I still can't do long division, long multiplication etc and never have been able to. Should this have been picked up when I was handing my work in? I very rarely bunked off school, but I may as well because it taught me nothing.

Is it right to put the brighter students with a bunch of fukwits that can barely string a sentance together just to drag them up to standard?, in my experience the only result is that the brighter pupils suffer.

I have recently attended a PTM for my 4 yr old daughter (5 on Friday). Her teacher told me she is one of the brighter pupils in the class and described her spelling, reading and writing as "Fabulous". However, they have told me that she will get marked down in her SATS because she is "Shy and keeps within herself". When the **** did exams rely on this bollocks, when did it stop being about their ability in a particular subject?

They failed me, and now I'm worried they'll fail my own children and it scares me. I see the signs already, and I'm struggling to accept it.

I do not want my children to go to school purely to help out stastically, I want them to go there to learn. I don't want them to be taught how to pass an exam, I want them to be educated in such a way that they then have the ability to pass the exam in the old fashioned manner whenever one is presented to them.

I'm worried my children will pass their exams because the markers need their statistics, and not because they are skilled in the topic they being tested in.

I'm worried that the teachers won't give my children bad marks for fear of "upsetting them", I fear that my children won't recieve any school discipline because "it's against their human rights", I'm worried that my children may come home from school in an ambulance, or worse, because of the behaviour of other pupils.

I worry about my children going to school everyday, is that wrong?

Children are now (and have been for a while) educated to pass the exams they need to for the school to get funding. When I was doing my SATs in year 9 (I think) I was only allowed to take the level 4-7 exams in Math and Science in case I didn't achieve the level 8 and it looked bad on the school. I pissed level 7 so was very angry.

This also leads to kids not knowing how to fail at anything, further perpetuated by the current culture of "inclusion", everyone must have a part in the school play, no-one can't make the cut, and the slow decline of events like sports day. I personally think this goes a long way to explain what seems to be a general rise in younger suicides, but I don't know the stats to back this up so it is probably irrelevant.

There are some good teachers out there, my missus is only in her second year of teaching and is getting excellent reviews from her senior members of staff, but as a result all of the younger members of staff (under 45) hate her and bully and ignore her because her enthusiasm means that the senior staff now expect them to work harder and show similar levels of excitement in the classroom. Too many schools are full of older teachers who have been in the game far too long without any re-training to meet the needs of a society of children that are vastly different to even 10 years ago.

All in all Melts you are right to worry, but you just need to hope you get a good teacher looking after your kids. I learnt most of what I know by reading different styles of books as a kid and as MAcky said, by socialising with other kids in the real world, not through a microphone to my mate GunSlag69 in the US over a quick game of COD4 as seems to be the general case nowadays.

My parents got actively involved in all of my homework from an early age and encouraged me to read and research everything, which pissed me right off as a kid who juist wanted to put the minimum effort in and run off to play football, but I see how it helped now.

But, I don't have kids so can't really comment on how to best educate them!

 

[drummindefender]

you dont learn anything but how to pass exams, simple as.

 

[Melton Fox]

you dont learn anything but how to pass exams, simple as.

The irony in that post in pure gold.

 

[Lboro fox]

The irony in that post in pure gold.

SPAG mark only makes up 3% of the total.

 

[p d s]

Children are now (and have been for a while) educated to pass the exams they need to for the school to get funding. When I was doing my SATs in year 9 (I think) I was only allowed to take the level 4-7 exams in Math and Science in case I didn't achieve the level 8 and it looked bad on the school. I pissed level 7 so was very angry.

This also leads to kids not knowing how to fail at anything, further perpetuated by the current culture of "inclusion", everyone must have a part in the school play, no-one can't make the cut, and the slow decline of events like sports day. I personally think this goes a long way to explain what seems to be a general rise in younger suicides, but I don't know the stats to back this up so it is probably irrelevant.

There are some good teachers out there, my missus is only in her second year of teaching and is getting excellent reviews from her senior members of staff, but as a result all of the younger members of staff (under 45) hate her and bully and ignore her because her enthusiasm means that the senior staff now expect them to work harder and show similar levels of excitement in the classroom. Too many schools are full of older teachers who have been in the game far too long without any re-training to meet the needs of a society of children that are vastly different to even 10 years ago.All in all Melts you are right to worry, but you just need to hope you get a good teacher looking after your kids. I learnt most of what I know by reading different styles of books as a kid and as MAcky said, by socialising with other kids in the real world, not through a microphone to my mate GunSlag69 in the US over a quick game of COD4 as seems to be the general case nowadays.

My parents got actively involved in all of my homework from an early age and encouraged me to read and research everything, which pissed me right off as a kid who juist wanted to put the minimum effort in and run off to play football, but I see how it helped now.

But, I don't have kids so can't really comment on how to best educate them!

Agree with most but that bit is bollocks.

 

[Leesoh]

Agree with most but that bit is bollocks.

No it isn't.

 

[Melton Fox]

In my experience, it's the young "I'm here to change the world, and I have a qualification to prove it" theachers that are the bloody problem.

Give me an old experienced teacher who's seen it all anyday.

 

[Hazzman]

In my experience, it's the young "I'm here to change the world, and I have a qualification to prove it" theachers that are the bloody problem.

Give me an old experienced teacher who's seen it all anyday.

...sadly they get ripped to bits at schools.

It's all 'let's do enough to pass exams', not to educate. The best teachers were always the ones which didn't subcribe to that policy.

 

[muzzysgal]

I think the more experienced teachers do command more respect and are able to discipline the pupils better, but the NQTs, on the whole, seem to communicate more effectively with them and are more capable of making lessons an enjoyable experience.

My sons have certainly always got on better with the younger teachers.

 

[Melton Fox]

My sons have certainly always got on better with the younger teachers.

Therin lies the problem

I don't want my kids "getting on" with their teachers. I want them to respect them, learn form them, look up to them, and be aspire to be them. But overall they must have a healthy respectful fear of them.

They make their friends in the playground, not in the staff room.

 

[Hazzman]

I think the more experienced teachers do command more respect and are able to discipline the pupils better, but the NQTs, on the whole, seem to communicate more effectively with them and are more capable of making lessons an enjoyable experience.

I'd say most of all boils now to more experience teachers' attitude to schoolchildren. They feel and rightly so IMO that there is no need to motivate a child for education. Sadly as our state of affairs are there is a need and NQ's seem to have this area spot on.

However, it can works backwards speaking from my own experience, I remember feeling like I was gonna fail my GCSEs because they appointed a naive, newly qualified teacher for it. She fell to bits in front of our class thanks to some kids. We had to seperate the class!

My Dad used to be absolutely pissed off at Parents Evenings hearing teachers say 'at GCSE level, he's predicted an A'. That was when I was 11 years old. With due respect at your child's age Melts, the Sats are nothing but away of grading schools into tables at that age level.

There is a major probelm is how education is judged at the top and how this makes schools assess themselves.

 

[muzzysgal]

Therin lies the problem

I don't want my kids "getting on" with their teachers. I want them to repect them, learn form them, look up to them, and be aspire to be them. But overall they must have a healthy respectful fear of them.

They make their friends in the playground, not in the staff room.

I meant academically.

 

[Macky]

I'd say most of all boils now to more experience teachers' attitude to schoolchildren. They feel and rightly so IMO that there is no need to motivate a child for education. Sadly as our state of affairs are there is a need and NQ's seem to have this area spot on.

However, it can works backwards speaking from my own experience, I remember feeling like I was gonna fail my GCSEs because they appointed a naive, newly qualified teacher for it. She fell to bits in front of our class thanks to some kids. We had to seperate the class!

My Dad used to be absolutely pissed off at Parents Evenings hearing teachers say 'at GCSE level, he's predicted an A'. That was when I was 11 years old. With due respect at your child's age Melts, the Sats are nothing but away of grading schools into tables at that age level.

There is a major probelm is how education is judged at the top and how this makes schools assess themselves.

I'm going to hazard at guess that this was your English teacher.

 

[Melton Fox]

I'm going to hazard at guess that this was your English teacher.

:icon_lol::icon_lol: