What are our schools doing these days .Have they given up teaching our kids?

Answer 1

No discipline anymore and too PC. There are some good schools though, the law of averages says this.

Answer 2

I think that teachers cannot do their jobs properly because of government policy and interference.

It seems that every few months, a new hair-brained scheme is dreamt up by some minister in an ivory tower, which usually involves upheaval, and mountains of paperwork.

The lack of discipline is also a big problem. This should start with the parents (who often seem too feckless to have children in the first place), and the teachers should be given back the authority to mete out punishment to unruly pupils, without the PC brigade threatening to sue them for human rights abuses.

Schools want to do a good job, but are prevented from doing so.

Please note that I am not a teacher.

Answer 3

I am sorry to hear that you feel that schools are failing our children and that somehow a child's failure is due more to the teachers imcompetence rather than the students effort.

In regards to your question of what we are doing these days? I have only this to say. My typical work week entails 60-80 hours of planning, teaching, supervising, meeting, grading, conferencing, and researching.

On average, I am at work by 7 (even though school does not start until 9) so that I can answer parents emails, tutor students, make copies for the day, set up the presentation of the lesson, etc.) Then I teach for 6 hours from 9-2:45 where I am busy explaining new concepts, answering questions, correcting students who misbehave, supervising students progress, etc.

The remaining 2 hours are devoted to planning time which is usually spent doing anything but planning. For the next two hours I am grading papers, conferencing with parents and administrators about certain students, writing up discipline and academic progress reports, and at least 3 times a week I am in meetings concerning struggling students and what we can do to help them succeed. (the solution for this is often that teachers need to stay after school or come in earlier to tutor this student one on one or to send home daily progress reports).

Before I can leave school at 5:00 I have to post the daily assingments to the web, finish responding to parent emails and phone calls (yes, there are alot in a typical day) and any other unfinished business of the day. When I get home I relax for an hour or two and then spend at least 1 hour reserarching lesson plans, typing up activities and then answering emails from students who are having difficulty with their homework.

At least 3 times a week I spend 9 hours (total) grading papers (unless I have assinged a project or essay and then this figure doubles) On the weekends I spend minimum of 5 hours on Saturday doing the hard core planning, creating tests, going to the library to find material, shopping at stores to find materials for the classroom either for basic necessities or fun and engaging activities. (I would estimate that I spend at least 2 hours, and $25, per week on this sort of thing). Over the break our work is still not done. I spend at least 1/2 of my time planning or grading classwork/homework that has been piling up over the past couple of weeks.

Why do I do all of this work just so I can struggle to pay the bills at the end of the month? Because I know that what I am doing is a benefit to society. I love my job and I can say with great pride that "I am a teacher." Because without this profession no others could exist.

I know that there will be some who read this posting and view my statement as a complaint. Nothing can be farther than the truth. My reason for posting this is because there are many who are outside the field of education who view teachers as lazy and incompetent. I hope that by reading this posting you have been informed on both sides of this issue and now can come to a conclusion that is not so black and white.

Answer 4

I'm still in school and no they haven't, I'm looking for mostly A*s and I have no problems with the way we're taught. All teachers have their faults, and a few aren't very good, but in general I'm not complaining; we have good facilities and teachers. Far from being taught nothing, we're behind schedule on most of our courses, as there's so much to fit in.

And yes, I go to a state school, put down whatever tabloid rag you read and try to look beyond the propaganda they throw at you. Some schools are very bad, yes, but most aren't. Rising illiteracy and innumeracy is mostly to do with immigration of children from poor countries with little education.

Now, I don't ever remember being taught diversity. I think the younger years get 'citizenship days' which are very politically motivated, and are about things like wars in Africa, refugees, the homeless and the like, but that's just one day a year; we get more than that off for sports days.

And I also don't appreciate remarks generalising my entire generation as spoilt brats who have no discipline and smoke dope on street corners. Of course, there are quite a few people about whom that is true, but most people do have discipline, get on with their work and don't cause trouble.
As always however, the quiet majority gets ignored and the loud minority gets all the attention.

Answer 5

I Feel sorry for the teachers nowadays, they get abused by the pupils , what other occupation do you get abused in work like they do . They cant control the pupils because they are not allowed to administer any punishment by ( our so called government ) the kids love to be suspended so that's no punishment ,I bet a lot of teachers dread going back to school so lets lay off the teachers they are doing the best they can .

No I'm not or never have been a teacher

Answer 6

No. They are working hard trying to teach children. Some, if not most, come to school not ready to learn. There needs to be more parental support to assist the school. Remember, it takes a village? Also, why do people blame the school? Schools now have the children from the womb to the tomb. How can they be properly educated when they come to school hungry, needing clothes, they've stayed up watching TV, they don't have anyone to help them with their school work, these are just to name a few. A lot of time is needed to meet their physical needs before you can begin teaching them. Oh, I haven't even said anything about discipline.............

Answer 7

Experience with my family at school is that state schools in deprived areas merely provide the minimum that the law demands.
ie.A place to say that kids are being schooled.
There is no reward for good work and no consequence for poor work.
Ironically, the teachers crave the bell more than the kids.

I dare say circum stances differ from area to area.Good results probably generates better funding.In less deprived areas , parents generally make for better guardians which has a knock on effect at school.
Its unfortunate that the govt papers over the cracks with lesser qualified teachers then dumbs down exams to counter the effect.

We need Blair out!

Answer 8

our schools have been focused on the social and non academical activities since students do nothing at home but play games or go infront of their pc's. that is why they focus more on the social and non academical.

i believe that they havent given up. they are just stuggling with the evolution of technology and the rapid development of man.

but as we see, school administrators only care about the financial side of the school and the development of the school. they do nothing when it comes to the kids. i mean, in my school the field trip is so simple that even i can go at a weekend and if you visit my school its becoming bigger as the years go by.

but never give up. there is still chance. there is still hope. i hope the future generations can be taught well.

Answer 9

You do wonder, based on some of the questions on here.

If you want a good laugh, go over to Pregnancy and Parenting, and read the Adolescent questions. Obviously, sex has become far more complex since I was at school, because nobody under the age of 25 seems to know how people get pregnant.

Answer 10

We need to get back to the basics and stop wasting time on diversity, and social issues. We are wasting money and not getting a good return. I am not saying it is the teachers fault.
I am saying reading, writing and arithmetic are what we should put our efforts and energy into. It is not the schools problem if parents don't teach children about about how to act. Schools have taken it upon themselves to brainwash children, sometimes even against the parents wishes. Promoting immorallity, promiscuity...etc. etc. etc. Teach children how to think and not what to think.

Note: my guess is that this will never happen because the unions would lose jobs and therefore revenue into their coffers.