Education The Old Fashioned Way!

[SamF]

It's twenty to one so I'm only really posting to remind myself to re-read this topic tomorrow, however failing my tired state of mind leading me to misinterpret 99% of what has been said on this thread, a few people are very mistaken in their beliefs about the current education system. I find it strange that people normally so sceptical about figures and statistics just swallow something as shocking, misleading and plain right incorrect as truth without a question, just for the chance to ramble about the "good old days".

[BERNADETTE]

Well I agree with Lilly that being an avid reader does help greatly. I have always been a big reader and both my children took to reading as well. We can learn a great deal from books and reading should be actively encouraged.

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

It quite often happens nowadays. Some children start reception class not being able to speak a word of English and yet these children are in the same classes as children whose first language is English so it does make teaching them anything at all incredibly difficult. A problem they didn't have back in the good old days.

Oh! Yes they did WillowTheWhisp – during and in the post war years, except it wasn’t a problem. There were thousands of refugees from Europe. Poles, French, Dutch, Czecks etc. But they made the effort to learn English and did so during evening classes and Saturday mornings. 5 and 6 year olds pick up a language quite quickly with older kids taking a bit longer because they are also living the language all day and every day.

Once the kids got reasonably competent in English they joined the English schools and then had tuition on their own language in the evenings and Saturday mornings so they grew up bilingual.

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by SamF

It's twenty to one so I'm only really posting to remind myself to re-read this topic tomorrow, however failing my tired state of mind leading me to misinterpret 99% of what has been said on this thread, a few people are very mistaken in their beliefs about the current education system. I find it strange that people normally so sceptical about figures and statistics just swallow something as shocking, misleading and plain right incorrect as truth without a question, just for the chance to ramble about the "good old days".

Nationally some 50% of kids leave Primary school unable to read and write properly and do simple arithmetic. That means that in some areas it is 95% and in others just 5%. It doesn’t mean that some 50% cannot read or write but their level is well below what is expected at that age.

Even universities have been complaining that some of the students need bringing up to speed in English and Maths.

A child leaving Primary school should be able to read children’s books without stuttering over the words or underlining each word with their finger, should be able to write a simple 200 words story and add, subtract, multiply and divided numbers under 1,000.

I and my other Primary school classmates were going to the children’s library in Accrington to borrow books to read and they weren’t picture books either, although those were available.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by jambutty

A child leaving Primary school should be able to read children’s books without stuttering over the words or underlining each word with their finger, should be able to write a simple 200 words story and add, subtract, multiply and divided numbers under 1,000.

I think you'll find that a little more is expected of them than that. Are you actually aware of the current SATS requirements?

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I think you'll find that a little more is expected of them than that. Are you actually aware of the current SATS requirements?

Come on WillowTheWhisp how would I a 70 years old geezer with a youngest child of 34 and grandchildren past their teens and great grandchildren under 3 years old know about modern SATS requirements?

The criteria that I outlined was a bare minimum and if the modern SATS require “a little more” then it just goes to show that the standard is too low. Sadly many Primary school leavers do not attain even that low standard.

When my classmates and me left Primary school we were able to do long division with numbers with a decimal point, long multiplication also with decimal pointed numbers and of course complex addition and subtraction. We could manipulate the old currency, weights and measure. We learned and knew by heart all the multiplication tables.

We were reading books like Robinson Crusoe and the Enid Blyton Five stories.

Lessons have been ‘dumbed down’ to cater for the least clever instead of striking a middle balance.

I accept that not all kids can be clever and there will always be some cleverer than others or put another way thicker than others but you don’t do anyone any favours by pandering to the lowest common denominator. All that does is slows everyone down.

[Stanleymad]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I think you'll find that a little more is expected of them than that. Are you actually aware of the current SATS requirements?

Current curriculum for pupils is:

For KS1 [years 1 & 2 infants] these are theirs as set The national curriculum: Years 1 and 2

For KS2 [years 3-6 junior school] these are their curriculum The national curriculum: Years 3, 4, 5 and 6

For KS3 [years 7-9 1st 3 years of secondary] The national curriculum: Years 7, 8 and 9