in recent news the government have threatened to fine schools for not teaching children to read and write properly with over a third leaving primary school without the ability
something i feel very strongly about and its about time the teachers where held to account after all it is their job isn't it ??????
Sometimes one comes across a post so ridiculously bigoted its hard to even begin to challenge it. So I wont bother other than to say shame on you for believing such twaddle, accepting it at face value to support your own twisted views and propagating such hatred and unrest.
You know, I had an eloquent response for this all typed up. Then I thought 'What's the point, it'll only result in vitriol from one source or another?'
So I deleted it.
I think a shake up of schools and our education system is on its way Rob.
Michael Gove thinks universities are best-placed to decide what students should study and how they should be tested at A-levels
A solution. Strictly control teaching standards so only the best get the jobs - and keep their jobs. Pay it well - these are the educators of our future. Make it a prestigious job, something to aspire to for more than its 'vocational' quality.
Then, radical I know - LET THEM GET ON WITH IT!
Back to the OP.
Is there any evidence that literacy rates amongst 11 yr olds has declined over the short or long term?
If they have, what evidence is there that it is the fault of the education system or the people who work in it?
Is there anything to support the view that the very best teachers can turn pigs ears into silk purses?
The problem with newspaper reports is they often ask difficult questions then give obvious answers but rarely provide any information to facilitate an in depth understanding. Politicians are even more likely to do it.
I don't doubt your word.
I do doubt that the abilty to recite a song (for that is all a times table is) is a measure of literacy or numeracy.
its quite simple really....classes are to big. Over the years class sizes have increased and increased. All to save money ofcause. Teachers don't really have the time to help those falling behind now.
Put more money into education and reduce class size and see results improve !!
I didint comment on the methods for teaching recitation did I?
I never did learn my times tables. It doesn't seem to have done me any harm, I can still do a bit of mathematics when the need arises.
Interestingly I do remember helping one of my kids to get 'A's in their GCSE French homework. Now then it may only be an anecdotal point, but this was one of the examinations I failed at GCE level. My subjective observation is that these have got a lot easier.
Further to the GCSE French above, it may be a philosophical point but apart from the anecdotal evidence I don't see how either the declining standards of GCSE, or not can be assessed. On this basis there has in fact been a worryingly massive decline in academic standards within the schools.
I'm not sure that I would single out teachers, personally I would put this down to the policy from the last two governments.
If the author of this thread had faced a low ability class on a sink estate in Bolton daily for 2 years his opinion of Teachers may differ slightly.
Teaching in a society where claim for gain rules is tough.. Parents and Pupils are always on the look out for an opportunity to complain or demonise teachers. little Jonnie told the teacher to " fuck off" turns into little jonnie was being victimised by the teacher. therefore massive kickoff by equally ignorant parents.. ending in investigation of the person who has truly been victimised, leading to a official apology from the school.
I was alway's of the opinion that manners and behaviour was learn't at home. Obviously not due to the bigoted rant that started this thread.
I am not a teacher, but I have had all too many dealings with schools. Some of the teachers were very good, but many were appalling. When dealing with the inadequate staff the usual approach was to 'blame the parents' as you have done Emma.
It is this attitude from teachers generally that probably started this 'bigoted rant'. I don't know so much about the schools on the sink estates of Bolton. The problem may just be as you say that the 'generation of entitled' feel it is their right to 'kick off' even when this isn't the case (know all about their rights but little of the responsibility).
Personally I think the problem is down to the banning of corporal punishment. When the only sanction left to a school is to give the trouble making child a holiday.....
Most of the scientific evidence does too mind.
I have watched this thread with some interest.
I can't help being reminded of an episode of 'Yes Minister' or was it 'Yes Primeminister', in which a reform of the eductaion system was discussed. In the end the reforms were shelved to avoid political embarrasment, but many of the arguments both for and against seem to have surfaced here.
I would urge all parties that have read or added to this thread to find themselves this episode and watch it.
Yes, it is fictional, but it is my firm belief that it closer to the truth than we would wish to believe.
Happy viewing
Laff
Reciting anything is utterly useless if you do not have any idea how to apply it.
Times tables come in useful if you have to work out the square metres of tiles you need for your kitchen floor. But if you don't know that the area of that floor is one side TIMES the other - being able to mindlessly spout 1 times 1 is 1 etc etc etc is irrelavent.
The problem solving and which methods and models to apply in each case must go hand in hand with basic literacy and basic numeracy.
I will say - without the basics everything else is much harder and some is impossible.
I do a lot of gundog training. To train a good gundog one must start with the very basics. I see so many inpatient people, struggling as they have tried to take short cuts with there training and not got the basics 100% first.
I feel this applies equally to our lives.
I have used the recital of the times table as a basis of mathematical understanding that sits alongside counting, adding and subtracting. How can any child reciting (for example) 7 times 9 equals 63 not understand that it means 7 X 9 = 63? How can this be recital without understanding? Failure to have a grasp of these basic numeracy skills is a complete failure of primary school teaching. No child should leave primary school without being able to add, subtract and multiply.
If you feel that it is not important for anyone to understand basic multiplication (times table) as a pre requisite to entering University - let alone High School - then I have to say that in my opinion this is completely wrong.
Teaching should be about pushing forwards, driving the pupil and seeking excellence. It seems to me that education today is about containment rather than advancement.
learning things parrot fashion is how most things are taught in life. its only when qualified that originality and personality is brought into the equation.
Ok this times table malarky, anybody know why we learnt them up to 12?
these reports and tables rob do not tell the whole truth. i have friends who teach in secondary schools and the difficulties they face are enormous. primary school is much worse as children are literally starting school yet cannot speak a word of english. that child then takes up so much time from the teecher and so it snowballs into the situation we have today. there must be thousands of examples of this up and down the land, and i have to say being a teacher in these times cannot be an easy thing to do.
