Something to think about

A bit of a rant follows, you may not agree with me, and have your own views, well that’s fine,  I am setting out on this site to provoke thought, rattle cages and generally say what I think. I respect all opinions, and their right to be heard. So roll up your sleeves, put your typing fingers on and join in. I just hope we can still be friends afterwards.

I’ve been thinking about the story I put up last time, and although it was written 5 years ago, I think the implied criticism of the whole system is still valid. If you haven’t read it, perhaps you might like to before you read this.

Personally, I have a lot of admiration for teachers, I couldn’t do the job, but I wonder if they are not being let down by society, both parental and governmental. I guess that the problem is very large and complex, and has been a long time getting to the state that we are in today.

At the risk of sounding terribly right wing (which I’m not), I wonder if two events aren’t connected.

First, is the reason that private schools have more exam success and a higher proportion of “high achievers” the fact that they are “Posh” and elite, or is it that the rest of the system is being left behind. Do teachers inspire as well in both systems and is there a desire to learn in both? Is it easier to teach children who want to learn, who are prepared for learning and who have back up in their lives? I’m not a fan of private education, but for it to consistently outperform suggests something is wrong with the whole system.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, I often wonder if the cure for all the worlds problems is latent in a brain somewhere, destined never to be brought out because of apathy, or lack of resources.

The Soviet Union may have had its faults, but they were relentless in their development of talent in every field, identifying potential and refining it.

And you have to wonder, in a time of financial constraints, or at any time, isn’t the most important thing the education of the next generation?

I have to be honest, I am a product of the 11+ system, but I don’t consider myself privileged in any way because I passed and went to a Technical School. Just as it's wrong to label anyone as a “Failure”, because they don’t achieve what you think they should. Everyone has their own particular strength and the system should be designed to determine what it is and develop it. My life would have been just as valid had I failed my 11+, and I’m sure that in general the selection system worked as well as any such system could. And I still think that selection by ability is the best ways to raise standards, if it isn’t then why do so many other countries still do it?

Back to me, maybe I shouldn’t have gone on as a pass because I failed nearly all my O Levels and had to do year 11 (or the fifth year as it was then) again. It was only then that I got the motivation to succeed, coupled with some brilliant teachers, and the realisation that life was not easy, everyone did not win prizes, and that failure was no-ones fault but mine.

Like I said, I’m not really political, I was once but age has given me a much wider view of things, in fact I get exasperated with all politicians, particularly the ones that have never had to make a profit, or run a business, or live in the real world. It often seems that politics is more important to them than the people who put them where they are. And you shouldn’t really play point-scoring politics with peoples lives. Nor should you automatically do the opposite of whatever the other lot spent five years doing, just because “they” did it.

Maybe that’s part of the answer to my first point; state education seems to change its plans every few years, instead of continuing with a long term strategy that leaves everyone knowing what’s likely to be going on in 10 or more years, whereas the private sector has been happily pursuing the same route forever.

Whew! That’s got that out of the way, I hope I don’t sound too rabid. Lighter things next time.