Education The Old Fashioned Way!

[jambutty]

With some 50% of kids leaving primary school neither numerate or literate there is obviously something wrong with the modern education system. Whether it is because of the teachers, their methods or the government poking its nose in or the students themselves is open for debate. Maybe it is a combination of all four.

It is time to look backwards and see how over 95% of kids leaving primary school did so being able to read, write and do simple arithmetic. Don’t forget that in those days there was no metrification, so the kids had to learn Pounds, Shillings and Pence - Inches, Feet, Yards, Furlongs And Miles – Ounces, Pounds, Stones, Hundredweights and Tons - Pints, Quarts and Gallons.

In my primary school days (up to 1948) we had a test at the end of every term in most subjects so that the teachers could evaluate how each child was progressing in the class. With 30 + kids in a class it was asking a lot for the teacher to keep the progress of each child in his/her head. Thus next term the ‘duffers’ were brought up to standard without holding back the brighter kids.

We also had periodic mini tests during the term. Incidentally the tests were not multiple choice answers type. You were asked a question and you had to supply the answer out of your head and for the Maths questions you had to supply how you got the answer.

Were we stressed because of all the testing? Not a bit. In fact I looked forward to them so that I could show how clever I was, or not in some cases. We competed against each other to see who would be top of the class, but next term the top few were paired with the ‘duffers’ to help them.

School was from 9:00am to 12:00 noon and 1:00pm to 4:00pm with a ten minutes playtime break morning and afternoon.

The Eleven Plus decided if the child had the aptitude to go to a Grammar School, College or a Technical School or a Secondary School. Not all kids are the same with some having a penchant for working with their hands and others being good with the head.

When it came to the Secondary School the hours were the same as the Primary School hours as were the end of term tests.

Each morning and afternoon was split up into four periods of 45 minutes, except for those straddling playtime.

Being an all boys Technical School like the Accrington Secondary Technical School on Union Road in Ozzy was, one full day was reserved for woodwork and metalwork. One morning or afternoon was reserved for games up at King George’s Playing Fields being either football or cricket. We were transported there and back by bus. A one and a half hour period was set aside for swimming, where an Accy corporation bus took us to Scaitcliffe Street baths and brought us back. Another one and a half hour period was for Gym. The rest of the week was for academic lessons. Maths (arithmetic – algebra – geometry), English (language – literature), Geography, History, Science, Technical Drawing, Art, French, Music and RE.

Each teacher, with the exception of the Art and Music teachers, was skilled in teaching 2 subjects with a good knowledge of the rest. Each classroom was specific to a subject so we kids moved from classroom to classroom.

There were 4 years in the school with an “A” and a “B” class (with the “A” class being a bit cleverer than the “B” class) but the top students in the end of term “B” class exams would be moved up to the “A” class and of course the strugglers in the “A” would be relegated to the “B” class. But they always had a chance of going up next term.

The whole school was split into 4 Houses where the Houses competed against each other in a once a year Swimming Gala and a Sports Day plus inter house football and cricket matches and not forgetting cross country. There were also inter-school Sports days and Swimming Galas and football and cricket with the ever present cross country.

At the end of each school year the top three students in the “A” and “B” classes were awarded prizes – usually a book of their choice from a pre-set list or a super box of water paints and brushes or technical drawing tools. These were presented by god, – er sorry I mean the Headmaster, during Parent’s Day, when after the presentations some of the students put on a Gang Show type of thing. Rehearsals were done in our own time.

The most boring lesson of all was music. We didn’t learn to play an instrument but as the music teacher banged out songs that were older than the surrounding hills, on a piano, we sang them. Things like Greensleeves, Widdicome Fair when we wanted to sing Rock Around The Clock etc. But it was only for about 40 minutes so we put a brave face on it.

Is it any wonder that my generation left school able to take on an apprenticeship.

[lancsdave]

Out of curiosity how many times in a lesson did you have to wait for people to catch up when they had to have everything translated in to English ?

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Out of curiosity how many times in a lesson did you have to wait for people to catch up when they had to have everything translated in to English ?

No times. We could all speak English.

The war refugee kids went to evening and Saturday morning classes to learn English and it didn’t take them very long either.

[Bonnyboy]

Should be interesting to see how things pan out at the school that's attempting to have each lesson of an 8 minute duration only.

[Eric]

Don't forget beginning the day with some mental artithmetic, the 1950s version of calculators. With all the structures and the high expectations that teachers had for their students, I still remember that most of the time I really enjoyed school. Most of us did.

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by Bonnyboy

Should be interesting to see how things pan out at the school that's attempting to have each lesson of an 8 minute duration only.

Eight minutes lessons? They’ve got to be kidding!

[Bonnyboy]

Originally Posted by jambutty

Eight minutes lessons? They’ve got to be kidding!

Nope, not kidding, it was on the news recently

[jambutty]

Yes! Mental arithmetic came in handy when we tried to decide how the fags should be divided up between us.

One of the lessons that we learned which were not on the curriculum was dodging missiles hurled by an irate teacher. Including a hard board duster, assorted pieces of chalk and the odd golf ball that had been confiscated, with the occasional gym shoe that wasn’t being used for its normal purpose of whacking some kid across the backside.

But on balance, school was OK. If you did your work, kept your gob shut during class except when asked to speak, the missiles were aimed at the spoilers.

[magpie]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Out of curiosity how many times in a lesson did you have to wait for people to catch up when they had to have everything translated in to English ?

good point....

[Lynne]

I hope the government will look seriously at todays Ofsted report and ask themselves why over half the schools in the UK are classed only as SATISFACTORY.

Leave the teaching to the teachers and the paperwork to administrators and then hopefully we will have an education system every student deserves.

[Lilly]

It certainly seems to me that education was better in Jambutty's school days than it is now. Too much red tape and paperwork now. Too much pussy footing around too. The teachers have no authority to discipline the kids and the kids know it. I'm not suggesting bringing back the cane but the teachers have their hands tied when it comes to any discipline these days. There needs to be some deterrant for bad behaviour. Who'd be a teacher these days? Hats off to the brave ones that are.

I find it astonishing that kids are leaving primary school unable to read properly. It's very sad and does not bode well at all for the future.

[West Ender]

The figure of 50% of children leaving school illiterate and innumerate seems incredibly high and I wonder where this 50% is concentrated. If it is universal, given that a fair proportion of Accyweb members have children at school there should be a number of those children who fall into this catagory. Is there anyone on here whose child cannot read, write or add up?

Assuming the answer to that question is "No" we must also assume that the "failures" are concentrated in particular areas/schools. I know that there are no children in our 4 local schools who fall into this sphere and the primary schools in Warrington have good reputations. Some are better than others but there have been no Ofsted failures.

I can only speak of the schools with which I am familiar but, though teaching methods are very different from when I was at school, the children do seem to learn. The curriculum is much wider but, certainly in the case of my granddaughter's primary school, English and Maths are still priority, as was also the case with my grandson's school in Warrington (he went on to Manchester Grammar). It must be very different in schools where many of the children's first language is not English and I wonder if this is where the figure comes from.

I think the question of school discipline and parental interaction must also count. I would not like to be a teacher struggling to educate children whose parents don't really give a damn how their children learn or behave at school and who is prevented by law from imposing discipline on the feckless and obnoxious child. In that field the government is definitely to blame.

[Bonnyboy]

Originally Posted by Lilly

I'm not suggesting bringing back the cane but...

I used to get the strap in school, that was from the age 5 to around 9 years. My early years were spent in Scotland, dont know what the young ones got here as punishment. It doesn't seem to have done me any harm, my parents never objected. I honestly think we need a return to those kind of days. the children need a clear statement of what will and will not be accepted and the "Head"needs to be feared once more.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Out of curiosity how many times in a lesson did you have to wait for people to catch up when they had to have everything translated in to English ?

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.

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by West Ender

It must be very different in schools where many of the children's first language is not English
.

It must be. My kids could read and write before they started school. I am an avid reader and have always read to them and now they both love reading, like me. I am sure that they would suffer if they were at a school where children were entering reception not even being able to say hello in English or not even knowing which way up to hold a book. These things do happen apparently and a lot of teaching time has to be spent on bringing these children up to standard, therefore the rest of the the class are not being given enough attention and support

Parental apathy is another thing that irritates me. How anyone can not be interested in their child's education just beggars belief. Yet there are parents like that. Parents who don't back the teachers up, don't support the school and don't do any work at home with the children or encourage them. What chance have the children got with parents like this?