This is America, but the English-speaking world is experiencing widespread illiteracy. The Latin world is fine; they still read. But we need to get children reading, and we need to worry less about feelings. Just read, anything.
Showing posts with label Schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Schools. Show all posts
May 08, 2026
July 03, 2023
This is what they're Teaching Children in British Schools
A young woman talks total sense. It is generally advantageous to have more than one language or culture.
May 17, 2023
Katharine Birbalsingh: Epic Rant
Almost as good as the bloke on the Underground in London back during lockdowns and all that silly mask wearing:
May 25, 2016
Bryan Bruce on NZ Education System
I watched the Bryan Bruce documentary on TV3, about the failing New Zealand education system. He touched on some areas I know only too well. Some things he got right, spot on, but other issues I feel he either overlooked or skipped over.
He touched on the unfairness of the Tomorrow's Schools programme. This reform, which did away with the old Department of Education, effectively gutted education in this country. I forget when education boards were scrapped, but it must have been at the same time.
The way the old system worked, the department was in charge of the teaching. Inspectors would assess whether a teacher was up to grade. If they didn't measure up, they'd be gone. Then the school buildings were operated by the boards in each district. The management of boards were not teachers, instead they were managers, architects, carpenters and the like. The boards paid the teachers.
The system worked. It had flaws, school buildings all looked the same and a lot of effort went in to getting them right. In the classroom; the inspectors, principals and heads of department dictated what got taught. Bruce mentioned this was a collaborative approach, yeah sure, but it was also dictatorial. Let's be honest about this.
Think of it like this. The Department of Education inspectors were like Jesuit priests. Hair shirt. No money. They'd drive around in old worn out government issue cars, and operate out of dingy offices. To get permission to spend anything they'd have to make a toll call to Wellington.
Meanwhile, the boards had fancy foreign import cars, swanky offices, all the bells and whistles.
Here's the rub - the inspectors had all the power. A room full of teachers would hush when an inspector walked in. Board staff would be suitably obsequious. Get the idea?
Now just about anything goes, and of course, schools are isolated.
What do I mean by that? Well, now schools control their buildings and employ the teachers, but they're cut off from one another, competing with one another as it were, and from that you get some that do well, while others fail. Bruce is right to question whether we want schools failing. And the ones who fail are usually poor.
Bruce's inquiry learning method is a nice idea to aim for. But heh, sometimes you have to grind it out. And children learn in different ways too, there is no one way to do anything. I think the best thing you can do is instil a lifelong love of learning.
Bruce was too uncritical of teachers. They have to share the blame. Yes, the government broke the system but teachers are too unionised, and too focused on not doing any teaching.
I agree with Bruce and his smaller schools idea. I think the ideal school is 250-350 for primary school and 750-900 secondary. Keep it small, keep it real. Pay good teachers to stay in the classroom, don't promote them into administrative jobs.
Can NZ turn it around? Unlikely. But it can happen if we're honest about the direction the country has taken and scrap this unfortunate Tomorrow's Schools experiment.
He touched on the unfairness of the Tomorrow's Schools programme. This reform, which did away with the old Department of Education, effectively gutted education in this country. I forget when education boards were scrapped, but it must have been at the same time.
The way the old system worked, the department was in charge of the teaching. Inspectors would assess whether a teacher was up to grade. If they didn't measure up, they'd be gone. Then the school buildings were operated by the boards in each district. The management of boards were not teachers, instead they were managers, architects, carpenters and the like. The boards paid the teachers.
The system worked. It had flaws, school buildings all looked the same and a lot of effort went in to getting them right. In the classroom; the inspectors, principals and heads of department dictated what got taught. Bruce mentioned this was a collaborative approach, yeah sure, but it was also dictatorial. Let's be honest about this.
Think of it like this. The Department of Education inspectors were like Jesuit priests. Hair shirt. No money. They'd drive around in old worn out government issue cars, and operate out of dingy offices. To get permission to spend anything they'd have to make a toll call to Wellington.
Meanwhile, the boards had fancy foreign import cars, swanky offices, all the bells and whistles.
Here's the rub - the inspectors had all the power. A room full of teachers would hush when an inspector walked in. Board staff would be suitably obsequious. Get the idea?
Now just about anything goes, and of course, schools are isolated.
What do I mean by that? Well, now schools control their buildings and employ the teachers, but they're cut off from one another, competing with one another as it were, and from that you get some that do well, while others fail. Bruce is right to question whether we want schools failing. And the ones who fail are usually poor.
Bruce's inquiry learning method is a nice idea to aim for. But heh, sometimes you have to grind it out. And children learn in different ways too, there is no one way to do anything. I think the best thing you can do is instil a lifelong love of learning.
Bruce was too uncritical of teachers. They have to share the blame. Yes, the government broke the system but teachers are too unionised, and too focused on not doing any teaching.
I agree with Bruce and his smaller schools idea. I think the ideal school is 250-350 for primary school and 750-900 secondary. Keep it small, keep it real. Pay good teachers to stay in the classroom, don't promote them into administrative jobs.
Can NZ turn it around? Unlikely. But it can happen if we're honest about the direction the country has taken and scrap this unfortunate Tomorrow's Schools experiment.
May 03, 2016
Beckenham School
Oh god teachers are such a pain in the arse aren't they? You are not going to believe what news my eleven year old daughter came home with. Now they're not allowed to eat before play. That's right, they have to play first then eat, then straight into the classroom. I mean, what sort of world is this? Are teachers that stupid?
Well yes they are. You've got children wandering around the playground grumpy cos they're hungry and of course they certainly haven't got the energy to do anything. Is this a means to control behaviour during breaks? Food as a weapon?
What I think it is is a misguided attempt to ensure food is in bellies in the classroom. But it overlooks school is also about the quality of play and social interaction. Take that away and what have you got? Personally I was of moderate athletic ability, but I went to school with several people who became professional athletes. They didn't get there by not eating before practising. You eat, then you do. It's that simple.
Beckenham School has slipped badly. They have this teacher hub system, which is silly, and the children have to use the teachers first names. Hi Thaddeus, or Mark or Jane, or Sandy. Yeah right. Nice professional distance there Beckenham (I'm not talking about pupils knowing the teachers first name, but routinely using it? C'mon).
Beckenham School is getting too silly now, they've lost the plot.
Well yes they are. You've got children wandering around the playground grumpy cos they're hungry and of course they certainly haven't got the energy to do anything. Is this a means to control behaviour during breaks? Food as a weapon?
What I think it is is a misguided attempt to ensure food is in bellies in the classroom. But it overlooks school is also about the quality of play and social interaction. Take that away and what have you got? Personally I was of moderate athletic ability, but I went to school with several people who became professional athletes. They didn't get there by not eating before practising. You eat, then you do. It's that simple.
Beckenham School has slipped badly. They have this teacher hub system, which is silly, and the children have to use the teachers first names. Hi Thaddeus, or Mark or Jane, or Sandy. Yeah right. Nice professional distance there Beckenham (I'm not talking about pupils knowing the teachers first name, but routinely using it? C'mon).
Beckenham School is getting too silly now, they've lost the plot.
August 07, 2014
Nigel Latta on Education
Nigel Latta on Education
I really enjoyed Nigel Latta's TV documentary on the gap between rich and poor so I was looking forward to his piece on NCEA ( TVNZ series 1 episode 2 Nigel Latta ). Oh dear, not so good. I have written him a letter outlining my concerns. The text you can read below...
I really enjoyed Nigel Latta's TV documentary on the gap between rich and poor so I was looking forward to his piece on NCEA ( TVNZ series 1 episode 2 Nigel Latta ). Oh dear, not so good. I have written him a letter outlining my concerns. The text you can read below...
June 19, 2014
Reform of NZ Education
What went wrong?
We incentivized Teaching the wrong way, and what we incentivized we got. It's as simple as that. Forget national standards, and the expert teacher status upgrade and all that nonsense, none of it makes a difference. All that these so-called reforms do is entrench the drop. It doesn't even arrest the decline in standards.
The main problem as I see it is - as teachers become better they do less teaching. The more promotion, the more administration, and the less classroom time. In the end, all that are left in the classroom are teachers unable to get promotion, or younger ones with less experience.
We incentivized Teaching the wrong way, and what we incentivized we got. It's as simple as that. Forget national standards, and the expert teacher status upgrade and all that nonsense, none of it makes a difference. All that these so-called reforms do is entrench the drop. It doesn't even arrest the decline in standards.
The main problem as I see it is - as teachers become better they do less teaching. The more promotion, the more administration, and the less classroom time. In the end, all that are left in the classroom are teachers unable to get promotion, or younger ones with less experience.
June 18, 2014
NCEA
I've got three daughters, the eldest has been through High School and is now finishing up her BCom on the way to being an accountant, then the middle child is doing NCEA level 1 this year, the youngest being still at Primary School.
Observation - the NZ secondary education system is broken. I'm talking about State schools here, as I have knowledge of them as a parent of children attending State schools.
Basically, NCEA is flawed. Several problems as I see it:-
Observation - the NZ secondary education system is broken. I'm talking about State schools here, as I have knowledge of them as a parent of children attending State schools.
Basically, NCEA is flawed. Several problems as I see it:-