Free Education from Political Control

[Octavia156]

We take the mick out of the US in my evolution lessons - "there are children in the USA who are being taught the world is 6000yrs old - how crazy it that!" They can't believe it - neither can I.
Thankfully - we're noonewhere near as bad as USA for indoctrination and out right lying in the eduction of children - but its still happening.

I just want the governement to stop setting stupid targets to measure schools by and leave the benchmarking to those who understand how children learn

[Noaidi]

Originally Posted by Octavia156

I just want the governement to stop setting stupid targets to measure schools by and leave the benchmarking to those who understand how children learn

This is one of the main concerns of teachers today in the UK. The drive to perform well in league tables negates the purpose of education. We are under constant pressure to perform well in these tables that we resort to "teaching to the test", thereby leaving behind the pupils that are not academically inclined. But - to be clear - it's not the teachers that are advocating this; it's the education authorities. Ask any teacher their opinion on this and they'll tell you that it is not the reason they joined the profession.

[Simurgh]

Originally Posted by Octavia156

We take the mick out of the US in my evolution lessons - "there are children in the USA who are being taught the world is 6000yrs old - how crazy it that!" They can't believe it - neither can I.
Thankfully - we're noonewhere near as bad as USA for indoctrination and out right lying in the eduction of children - but its still happening.

I just want the governement to stop setting stupid targets to measure schools by and leave the benchmarking to those who understand how children learn

Can't agree with you more. First, just think about those children taught by creationists who think the earth is flat and that dinosaurs were animals that roamed the wilds during Jesus' lifetime. They will eventually go to college and aftere that they will work for the governemnt, become teachers, own businesses, etc. how badly will the US then fare in the global market?

And when it comes to standardized tests administered by textbook companies that are supposed to measure "knowledge"? The only thing they measure is memory. KIds who know how these tests are strucutred to really well in them, even if they have no clue as to what is being tested. This stupidity costs millions and does nothing but discourage the bright and creative kids with this mind numbing excercise.

Education needs to be removed from career politicians and guided by actual educators who understand that intelligence, learning, and success cannot be measured in multiple choice tests that are badly written and confusing to people who actually know something about the content area.

[bandress]

Originally Posted by Noaidi

This is one of the main concerns of teachers today in the UK. The drive to perform well in league tables negates the purpose of education. We are under constant pressure to perform well in these tables that we resort to "teaching to the test", thereby leaving behind the pupils that are not academically inclined. But - to be clear - it's not the teachers that are advocating this; it's the education authorities. Ask any teacher their opinion on this and they'll tell you that it is not the reason they joined the profession.

Agreed. It is kind of worrying situation. I like teaching profession but I know that the persons who love to join this profession have a great pressure to do well. But government should have a look at the measures that are meant to upgrade the students because teachers know well to what to do.

[Octavia156]

tooo-angry---to---go---into---details----- *scrunched face*

but the Education Secretary in this country wants to bring in performance related pay for teachers from this sept 2013



*octavia weeps*

[Octavia156]

schools in UK are judged by their ability to gets as many students to perform average or above in English AND Maths,

Think about that for a second....

Averages are like normal bell curves... they lie in the middle.

I don't understand why they can't see that there will ALWAYS be children who fall below average - this is NORMAL --- Thats why they call it the average!!!!

To be average and above in BOTH subjects is a stupid measurement! Failure to meet this standard is unavoidable.

I think education MUST be linked to employment -- but schools should wholely be measured by their ability to provide suitable qualifications to their students - bespoke if necessary. They should NOT be subject specific.

ANd teachers pay shouldn't depend on their ability to churn out high grades! that will mean all the good teachers will move to middle class schools and the less able will have no choice but to work in areas of low ability.

Utter Utter STUPIDITY

[Octavia156]

I work in a deprived-ish area of generational unemployment and very very low aspiration.
Literacy and Numeracy are low. I've met parents in my 5 yrs there that I've realised could not read documents I'd hand them concerning their child. I've met parents who've never allowed their child near a computer (JWs), or told their child that maths is pointless cause you always have your phone....

We get a small smattering of brilliant children, a few freaks of nature; a minority with an almsot spiritual drive to escape and thus just knuckle down like crazy and grab everything they can, or the lucky ones with stable supportive backgrounds. Sadly these children aren't pushed anywhere near enough because we are so busy making sure everyone is average... that the brightest are left unchallenegd.

A 'C in Eng & Math' for most of our students is like a Gold medal.
According to our data (generated through extensive IQ testing at age 11) less than 35% were capable of getting these grades in BOTH subjects ... we got 39%. Considering the theoretical yield was 35% - putting adolecence (and all its choas) aside - we worked a mini miracle.

BUT... the Gov floor target is 40%.... so on paper we are ineffective.
I just wish the powers that be knew just how tough it is for teachers in low performing schools; how weak SOME learners are; and how placing benchmarks and targets here there and everywhere hurts everyone involved.

REMOVE REGULATION!

STOP JUDGING US - LET US DO OUR JOBS!!!!!!!


As a teacher I see some of my students more often than their parents do. We parent them, we advise them, we teach them and we tend to love them. We can take a child predicted an F get him a D in Maths. That D is one of his greatest achievements - yet staticially he is a failed data point. A reason to call that school a 'failing school'.

It madens men that some children grow up constanly being told they are failing because they are below average in something.
Lets not focus on what they can't do, lets focus on what they can do!

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by Octavia156

Averages are like normal bell curves... they lie in the middle.

Now that's what I call a well educated observation!

[bandress]

Originally Posted by bandress

Agreed. It is kind of worrying situation. I like teaching profession but I know that the persons who love to join this profession have a great pressure to do well. But government should have a look at the measures that are meant to upgrade the students because teachers know well to what to do.

Teachers should be free in order to teach effectively.

cert iv training & assessment

[alacks hovel]

Originally Posted by Octavia156

he want's to prevent teachers teaching to the test by banning access to past papers

That doesn't seem that bad to me. In my home state of Florida, and in Texas, and countless other American states, teachers spend almost the entire year teaching to a standardized test; and all because it determines next years funding.

It seems to me to defeat the purpose of having a test that's supposed to be a general evaluation of overall understanding of concepts, but that you teach exactly what's on the test. I feel that it requires the same level of rote memorization and cold recall that you're lambasting above.

Granted, he apparently knows little to nothing about education and is just making blanket changes without really thinking of the micro-consequences; but that particular one doesn't strike me as that terribly unwarranted or threatening to education quality.