I must admit I am a bit bemused by the hoo-ha over Primary School Education BBC NEWS
The Cambridge University report Children in England are getting a "deficient" primary education because schools are focusing too much on maths, English and testing, Their right to a broad curriculum is being "needlessly compromised" and their lives "impoverished" by the "standards agenda".
It has been a while since I was in “infants” as it was known, and I must admit I enjoyed it, I know times have changed, but isn’t “primary” education there to prepare very young children for “secondary” education, by teaching them to read, write and “add up”.
Reading is essential, it enables kids to access the vast number of different topics that are in book form, writing is again essential because it enables kids to express their views on the vast number of topics in our world.
Arithmetic is essential because it enables kids to function in the world by being able to control their finances.
And of course all three are essential because it enables kids to get a job and earn a living.
The key word is of course “enable”, to enable a child is to allow them to use their imagination and gifts to follow the path they want to, to discover new things, to be an historian, or a weather person or maybe an actor or a writer.
To enable is to be able to want to learn and progress through their whole life.
The real problem it seems is that there is too much testing of young children, and parents “expect” this is not about how proud a parent feels, or how much they can “one up” because their child is “better” but it is about the kids and their futures.
I remember that we had one exam per year to decide which stream you would be in the next year, there were small tests during the terms but it was done in a way that it didn’t seem to be a test.
Maybe it is a matter of attitudes, maybe the style of teaching has changed or maybe it’s that the kids are pushed too hard, not by the schools but by parents, because the harder you push a kid the harder they will push back.
"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." Aristotle
Angus
NHS Behind the headlines
Angus Dei politico
The Cambridge University report Children in England are getting a "deficient" primary education because schools are focusing too much on maths, English and testing, Their right to a broad curriculum is being "needlessly compromised" and their lives "impoverished" by the "standards agenda".
It has been a while since I was in “infants” as it was known, and I must admit I enjoyed it, I know times have changed, but isn’t “primary” education there to prepare very young children for “secondary” education, by teaching them to read, write and “add up”.
Reading is essential, it enables kids to access the vast number of different topics that are in book form, writing is again essential because it enables kids to express their views on the vast number of topics in our world.
Arithmetic is essential because it enables kids to function in the world by being able to control their finances.
And of course all three are essential because it enables kids to get a job and earn a living.
The key word is of course “enable”, to enable a child is to allow them to use their imagination and gifts to follow the path they want to, to discover new things, to be an historian, or a weather person or maybe an actor or a writer.
To enable is to be able to want to learn and progress through their whole life.
The real problem it seems is that there is too much testing of young children, and parents “expect” this is not about how proud a parent feels, or how much they can “one up” because their child is “better” but it is about the kids and their futures.
I remember that we had one exam per year to decide which stream you would be in the next year, there were small tests during the terms but it was done in a way that it didn’t seem to be a test.
Maybe it is a matter of attitudes, maybe the style of teaching has changed or maybe it’s that the kids are pushed too hard, not by the schools but by parents, because the harder you push a kid the harder they will push back.
"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." Aristotle
Angus
NHS Behind the headlines
Angus Dei politico
1 comment:
You should check out Discoverybox. They are great for Kids aged 9-12 and are supporting World Book Day on the 5th of March, which encourages children to explore books and reading!
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