tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33696095.post146799094521454722..comments2024-03-20T16:27:56.522+00:00Comments on Norfolk Blogger: A plea on behalf of educationNich Starlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04237390959601973501noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33696095.post-73359020419733487522009-02-22T00:24:00.000+00:002009-02-22T00:24:00.000+00:00Great addition, Ivan! Absolutely right!Great addition, Ivan! Absolutely right!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33696095.post-67299288531153160772009-02-21T14:46:00.000+00:002009-02-21T14:46:00.000+00:00I would add one thing to what Steve said.(7) Strea...I would add one thing to what Steve said.<BR/><BR/>(7) Stream the schools by ability and get rid of the all abilities in each class. All children are NOT created equal and trying to teach a class where the abilities range from 'not on this planet' to genius, everyone is going to miss out. The bright kids look at the less bright and say 'they have everything handed to them so why should we work' the less bright look at the bright kids and say' we'll never get there so why work' and and the downward spiral continues. The result of allowing this to get to its conclusion is shown in the film Idiocracy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33696095.post-71976352886463396002009-02-21T00:23:00.000+00:002009-02-21T00:23:00.000+00:00>>schools are focusing too much on maths, En...>>schools are focusing too much on maths, English<<<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure schools can focus "too much" on Maths and English.<BR/><BR/>In my humble opinion the solution to better schools is both simple, and impossible:<BR/><BR/>(1) Scrap Lesson Plans. Let teacher's teach. That's what they've been trained to do. If they want to write a lesson plan, fine. But teachers should be allowed to develop their own style and teach a flexible curriculum in the way they think best. If they don't produce results, replace them with a teacher who does. Just like in... the real world!<BR/><BR/>(2) Weed out teachers who have no ability to control a class. Everybody knows the ones I mean, but nobody is allowed to say it. Sack them. Tell them to find a career they actually have some talent for.<BR/><BR/>(3) Scrap all 'course work' as part of exams. Let teachers teach and kids learn. End-of-term exams should be all about the paper. If you can't do a paper exam, you shouldn't get a qualification.<BR/><BR/>(4) Make the real exams challenging, so that having a qualification means something again. The guff that is being set now is an absolute joke. Everybody knows it. Only the really weak-kneed teachers defend these dumbed-down papers in private conversations.<BR/><BR/>(5) Have the courage to write FAILED on papers which score below a pass mark. Don't give them an "E" or an "F", mark it failed. Then offer them the opportunity to retake, if they merit it.<BR/><BR/>(6) Allow teachers to enforce discipline by protecting them (via legislation) from being sued and charged except in genuinely serious cases. Grabbing a child by the arm and pulling them off another child they are repeatedly punching in the face should not be grounds for an assault charge. Shouting at a boy who is being verbally aggressive should not be a black mark. Putting your arm around a crying child in sympathy should not be grounds for accusation.<BR/><BR/>I could go on, but I suspect I've already upset the liberals and teachers who might be reading this. Oh well. Que sera sera.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33696095.post-82241204985992225232009-02-20T15:54:00.000+00:002009-02-20T15:54:00.000+00:00I can't believe that there aren't ten good simple ...I can't believe that there aren't ten good simple ideas (scrapping KS2 SATS is one of them), that most of those involved in education would agree on, that would make a huge difference to the outcomes. We absolutely do not need major reforms yet again.<BR/><BR/>We need to find a way of improving standards without relying on testing. It has become abundantly clear that when you introduce tests, teachers teach to the tests and everything else suffers. This is not blaming the teachers, it's just human nature. If anyone is told they're being measured in a particular way, they adjust their actions to increase the score they get, regardless of whether it achieves the broader aims.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com