Modern education in the UK. Are they having a larf?

Question

Children seem to be leaving school ignorant of some of the building blocks of education....arithmetic, spelling, history, geography. The excuse which we are given is that they are taught differently.....you don't have to know what 9 x 6 is equal to, or what is the capital of Austria.

My question is......what have they learned that previous generations did not? What academic knowledge do they have that previous generations have to consult THEM on? (other than how to download to an i-Pod).

Answer 1

Can I just say that not all schools are like this. I am going into Year 10 in September and at my school we have to take 13 GCSEs in educational subjects- you have to do English, Maths, 4 Science GCSEs, ICT, RE, at least one language although a lot of people take 2, etc.

It is a good school and you DO need to know what 9x6= and the capital of Australia and whatever else you said- I don't know what you mean about being taught differently to you used to.

I know that some schools are all drugs, smoking, drink, etc and no learning, but I'm just saying that not all are.

Answer 2

Brain of Britain and Saz have given a very good exposition of the facts in answering your question.

To add my support to them:

If we want an Olympic team to have some chance of winning honours there are regular trials and selection.

Those selected are given the very best facilities, training and coaching.

The Government actively supports this. However, when it comes to education competitiveness is frowned upon and everyone must be brought down to the same level.

There will ALWAYS be "Hewers of wood and drawers of water".

To condemn Public and Grammar Schools out of hand in the name of Social Equality is an erroneous path to follow.

Social Equality has given us a government where the majority of the ministers are millionaires and live like 'fat cats' at the expense of the ordinary working man whom they claim to represent. The gravy train rolls on for them.

Teachers' pay, pensions and holidays are often attacked. Compare this with the MPs who vote themselves increases in all of these cases, plus of course expenses. Current inflation rates have no bearing on their remuneration.

The taxpayer foots the bill. Holidays are frequently 'freebies' provided by foreign politicians, pop stars or extremely wealthy businessmen.

As we all know, there is no place for sentiment in business! There has to be something in it for the donor.

Answer 3

I'm amazed that kids learn anything at all. they spend less time in school than idid and have much less homework yet they have to learn what i did plus the advances of the last 25 years since i left school. teachers seem to be always taking days off and then they have discipline problems. the homework set for my 13 year old nephew is stuff an eight year old would have found challenging in my day. they have no idea what's going on in the world yet schools are now telling all kids they can run their own businesses or be pop stars and they waste money on mock std clinics!!!

Answer 4

nowadays competition is frowned upon in case the cleverer ones get too ahead of themselves and make the less academically inclined feel bad about themselves. There is no longer any discipline in the school, and in an outbreak of political correctness one can no longer discipline unruly children with a smack or someother punishment that could upset the poor darlings emotionally. There are no incentives and no consequences. Bring back prizegiving and the belt.

Answer 5

The public education system in the UK has one aim, of producing an equal level of mediocrity throughout. Gifted children are frequently overlooked in favour of the less able, so that the end result is more children reaching the same level of ability, which is targeted far too low.

Answer 6

The problem is the PARENTS!! As a teacher I am fed up with parents blaming schools for the lack of discipine in their child and the lack of eduation they receive!!
If kids were not stuck like glue to silly game boys etc or placed in front of TV's from the age of dot to watch DVD's etc (because the parents want 'space') they might learn some social skills etc. Give them 'time' and play with kids teach them cooking and games skills and card games etc. TALK with them ( converse) discuss their friends, school, likes dislikes fears etc.
Another problem today is that too many parents don't know where their adolescent kids are Nor do they CARE!- they are often hanging aroound street corners in groups called 'crews' drinking alcohol underage and generally getting up to mischief!!!!
If you want to have kid then LOOK AFTER THEM!!!!!!
They are only the in school classroom for an average of 4 and a half hours a day as they have breaks and lunch etc.
That equates to 22.5 hours per week X 39 weeks of school =
877.5 hours per year IN SCHOOL !
They are at home 17 hours per school day plus weekends and holidays - so 17 X 5 X 39 = 3315 plus 48 hours at weekends X 39 = 1872 PLUS 13 weeks hols X 24 X 7 = 2184 a TOTAL of
7371 hours at HOME.

So work it out over 8 times as much time at home as school
YOUR CALL PARENTS!!!!

Answer 7

urgh these really annoy me

id love for you to read a recent guardian article regarding exam results and the fact that we are actually cleverer rather than exams getting easier and the range of vocabulary used and the standard of written language is getting better a better.

i know what 9 x 6 is. I'm better at maths than my mum and a lot of other adults i know, and that's not me lying or being dramatic, its the truth

history and geography aren't as necessary as they used to be...history= past! and even still i know a lot of people in my generation who are extremely good at both. Just the other night, when i was out with some friends, one of them was explaining to me, in depth, the events of Hadrian's wall and the battle of Hastings.

please get your facts right before insulting us like every other generation feels the need to

Answer 8

our government is immitating the states. Although it is mainly only english children which suffer the most, its all to do with culture. Children in Northern Ireland continue to get smarter and smarter every year as exam success increases, yet the stupid government wants to remove grammar schools for the sake of making the stupid people feel better.....the idiots!

Answer 9

It frustrating. Every few years the syllabus gets 'dumbed down' further and further. Teaching these days is all about getting your pupils to jump through the hoop of assessment objectives. There is very little scope for individuality, flair or intellect in either teacher or pupil.

Answer 10

Well now they are offering courses in hairdressing etc instead of typical G.C.S.E's . What a cop out.. We will fail as a country to educate our youth and we as a country will suffer for it in the future when we have hairdressers gallore and one doctor to every county!!