Robbo Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 As our education ranking has dropped out of the top 20 for the first time, Michael Gove the education minister has brought out a book and demanded that every teacher read it. The book is available on Amazon. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Everything-I-know-about-teaching/dp/1492912417#_ Of the pages that are available it promises to be a great read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Brilliant !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Interesting that those at the top of these rankings, are the emerging economic tigers., like S/Korea, Singapore etc; with a highly competitive meritocracy based on the economic ambitions of their Nations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Heh, nice one Robbo. There are concerns though that the measures used to construct these tables aren't fit for purpose: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/01/dont-let-pisa-league-tables-dictate-schooling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Presumably these "exams" consist of a series of questions designed to test the acquired knowledge of the student? Perhaps if there had been some questions on the performing arts, we may have done better ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egbert Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 It would seem that South Korea, et al, have shown that all work and no play does not make Jack a dull boy. Twelve hours of education a day, with little kids in class or doing homework until 11pm is turning out extremely bright boys (and girls)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 It would seem that South Korea, et al, have shown that all work and no play does not make Jack a dull boy. Well, I suppose it depends how one defines dull - from the article in the link above: One of the few areas where UK children are above average is in being happy at school. Those world-class Koreans are bottom of that league table, and the Estonians and the Poles aren't far above. Gove will probably announce a national drive to raise misery standards in schools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egbert Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Unfortunately you don't get A Levels or Degrees in happiness. And what makes kids happy - meaningful and interesting study or larking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 A bit of each I would think, there's a time and place for everything, like lessons and playtimes. It's really important to me to know that my son's happy at school, luckily he is, and he's doing well academically. Sadly, some people appear to prefer the Gradgrindian approach to learning, Gove being one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 That's the down side to these competitive and highly stressfull forms of education; believe suicide rates are higher. However, we appear to be at the other extreme, where schools are merely glorified child minders, with limited hours. imo the whole point of education, is to maximise the potential of every individual in the interest of the whole; our future depends on a highly educated and inventive workforce; inculcated with career ambition and work ethic; so that they won't be spending their futures in bed, dreaming of winning the X-factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 ...where schools are merely glorified child minders... Well, that's what some people want them to be. ....inventive workforce... Not much creativity engendered in the Korean model apparently, too regimented. Don't really disagree with anything you're saying there, obs. Btw, did you see that Educating Yorkshire series that was on a while back? The head's ethos chimes pretty much with your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Sorry I didn't, now you've mentioned it. The problem, as with other areas like the NHS, has been "political" interference by successive Governments; with short term electioneering in mind, rather than the long term prospects of our Nation. I fear, that their dabbling has cost us at least one, if not two, generations; in what is now an overtly competitive world; where we must stay ahead of the curve to survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Why? we should let it all go to pot and then claim some of the aid money back that we sent to help them get ahead of us in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Thought "letting it all go to pot", is precisely what they're doing ?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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