Hello again everyone. I am glad to see that people are still reading and responding by week five. With some last minutes comments, it seems that our debate over celebrity chefs is... A draw! (this seems to be a trend) But now onto something a little more serious which is a daily annoyance for parents like myself.
Is school letting our children down?
Back in my day (yes, I know, I sound like a ninety year old) 'prep' or pre-school as it was then called, was a half-day of school, designed for the specific purpose of getting children used to a schooling environment, and PREparing them for the routine and rules of school. However, nowadays things are quite different! My eldest child has just started prep, and already, she is expected to learn science, english, mathematics, and even has HOMEWORK! Come on! She is five! This 'prep' year is not even mandatory! It is supposed to simply be a year of school to get her used to being away from Mummy and Daddy, and following instructions given to her by someone else. (I should not be punished for raising my child myself instead of dumping them in childcare, to be raised by strangers) But the government has decided to take advantage of this extra year and cram their heads full of information that they should not be learning yet. What is so bad about kids being kids and enjoying their childhood for a little bit?
Back to the homework. Are teachers that inept that they think a five year could not possibly fit all of their 'work' into school hours?! In our society there is an increasing problem with depression and stress, even in children. Much of this stems from people's inability to seperate their work life and their home life. By constantly bringing work home with you, you are not giving your mind the down time it requires to relax and destress. Yet so many people do it! We are teaching our children from such an early age to adopt this dreadful bad habit! I understand homework if the child has been playing up or not doing their work at school. If they want to waste the teachers time, then the teacher should waste their home time, but my daughter is very good at school and always completes the tasks set to her. It is a little unfair that her relax time should be filled with learning words. What is her teacher being paid for if I am the one teaching her? She may as well be home schooled.
Another problem that worries me is the move of grade 7 from primary school to high school. Well, now that they are using prep as grade 1, it makes sense to move it. But they have not looked at the bigger picture. The 'kids' in grade 12, 11 and even 10 are usually having sex, doing drugs and drinking alcohol. It is bad enough that the grade 8 and 9 are exposed to this very active age group, but now we want our tiny little grade 7's around them too?! Most people reading this must be thinking 'aren't you over-reacting?' No, I am not. I remember high school. In grade 7 I was a child, playing hide the apple sticker in the toilets, and much too scared of the opposite sex to even think about dating them. Not 2 months after I started high school I had my first date. My friends were into drugs, and I was teased for not being interested in sex, drugs and alcohol. In my opinion, schools should be split into three groups. prep - 5, 6 - 9, 10 - 12. Or at the very least, do not put our little, innocent, vulnerable babies into high school. I am rather upset that the government just decided to do this, never even asking our opinion! I for one say 'no!' I think maybe I should take my kids out of school for that year, although that would harbour its own problems.
The government is making so many changes to our children's education, and the sad truth is, none of them are beneficial, and our kids will pay for these bad choices with their future.
So flood the page with all of your crazy opinions both for and against. Also, feel free to leave comments on old pages. It won't count towards the current tally of for or against, but I will still read it, and later on I will try to update the tally. I look forward to everyone's opinions. Happy reading.
-T.J.
I believe approx 5 yrs ago they gave parents the opportunity to give their opinion on moving grade 7 to high school while they were doing trials in selected Qld schools. Of course other states have had this in place for a number of years. The other thing to keep in mind is that Qld education is not that great compared to other states. Also other states have higher suicide rates around the time of final year exams such as hsc.
ReplyDeleteJust a word from Mum,
ReplyDeleteGrade 7 in NSW or it was 1st year after 6 years in Primary school was around when I was in school - now I am a dinosaur just remember and I was at a school that was expanding but a lot of my peers were not in that situation, so this year 7 in high school is not new to the majority of Australia - 'In Australia, Primary School is generally for children aged 5–12. In South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland grade 7 is part of primary school' wikipedia.
Therefore we are falling into line with other states - Queensland education is also behind that of other states just ask a teacher who was educated in another state.
As far as giving 5 year olds home work - are you for real. . . . I think that is the most ridiculous thing I have have heard of, maybe a short word list on Friday and I mean 2 words only for the first semester, and then 3 for the second. Next year Full On - reading and word lists most certainly. You can't do the necessary upggrading for the 3 'r's in a school day with other distractions around so doing a little learning in the peace and quiet of the family home is a great idea but time frames must be adhered to. Are the 5 year olds only given 5 minutes work to do??
I think you are totally correct in your analysis of this question ! I find that the concept of homework for pre schoolers is not only farcical but bordering on child abuse !
ReplyDeleteThe big issues are 1. Not allowing children to be children.
2. Not teaching our kids to separate work & home.
3. The total failure of our education system & some of our educators to prepare our kids for the real world.
1. Why do some parents dress their little girls up in provocatively sexy outfits & parade them around for everyone to ooh & aah over & then complain about paedofilier?
Why do some parents insist their children do homework & then complain that teenagers at school are under so much stress?
2. Our modern world has become very stressful & many thousands of dollars are spent on therapy & other methods of stress relief. Much of this stress is the direct result of the inability of "modern" employers & employees to be able to relax after the end of the working day, which in turn adds stress to the family of these poor souls.
3. It has been my hope, prayer & dream that our education system would be able to look outside it's bureaucratically focused world & see the real world around us & promptly fine tune our system to appropriately prepare the students that we have given into their care for the world that they are about to be cast out into.
For many years I have seen homework ( not projects) as the inability of the teacher to teach the students the subject for which they have been entrusted.
A great topic this week TJ. I'm sure you were expecting me to comment as I am a teacher this being my 8th year of doing so. I have taught my own classes of year 3, 4, 7 and all grades in the high school. I have also taught other grades whilst doing supply teaching. As a parent this topic is something I know from both sides.
ReplyDeleteHomework has always been a topical issue between teachers, parents and students. I don't know many children who enjoy homework and I'm sure many a parent has had headaches about homework as well.
As a teacher I do advocate SOME homework. I'd like to emphasise the word SOME.It has taken me a few years to develop what could be considered a good plan for homework. In the primary years the focus for homework should be on reading, writind, and arithmetic. I have believe reading for upto 30 mins a night depending on age is a must, out loud to a parent up until year 4 is important as parents are able to see where their children need assistance and can relay this information to the teacher for further tuition. The more practice with reading, just as riding a bike, the better. More variety in what is being read is also a must as it helps improve vocabulary and writing styles (I would say spelling but it didn't help me nor my 10 year old).
The next part of homework is spelling words/sight words. These words need to be targeted to the child not compiled from a list generated as 'words for grade ...'a child who does not do well with this style will almost never succeed as they will miss spelling patterns and also will become discouraged as they see themselves not ever succeeding. This part of homework should take no more than 5 mins a night.
Last is number facts, basic numbers for lower grades, moving to addition and subtraction facts in middle years and multiplication and division in upper grades. Some problem solving can also be added here to apply the skills to real situations. This should also only take 5 mins per night.
As a parent I also see the otherside. My 10 year old has had hr issues with homework. I had no problem getting her to complete tasks set in grade 1 and 2 (no homework given in Prep), grade 3 to 5 I struggled to get her to read to me or do any of the other work she was expected to do. As my husband is completely against homework altogether I was also fighting this influence. This year I have witnessed a change to her attitude. She is more willing to complete her homework and even attempts to make it as neat as she can. I am so proud of her enthusiasm and work ethic. However, the problem I am now facing is the amount. She has two teachers this year, one who is her main teacher and onother who teachers literacy.
ReplyDeleteHer main teacher sets 20 spelling words, five sight words and 15 aimed at her spelling ability. He also asks them to do 10 problem solving questions for math. He has also set a project that is worked on at school as well as at home.
Her literacy teacher has set 30mins of reading each night as well as writing a journal entry. This may seem ok, however, she also is reading a book inclass that has several difficult words, ones we don't even use today. She writes these words on the board as she reads them. The children are to then write them into their journal books and at home look up to meanings. So far they are upto about 4 A4 pages of words. My daughter has spent upto 3 hours looking up these words and writing the meanings. When asked why her journal writng had dropped off from the beginning of the year, I explained how long it was taking my 10 year old to do these words. The response was that she should do one word a night.
I ask you this question, what message are these kids getting when they're given upto 20 words at a time to look up and then told they will be tested on them? I would say that it was most important to look up the meanings, wouldn't you???
They were also given a week assignment to do at home which involved writing a sales advertisement to sell their house. How much homework should they be doing - the diary says 1hr per night, I say thats too much.
My next comment is that projects should never be sent home! Yes projects should never be sent home!!! Why you may ask, I have three reasons:
1. It is impossible to mark assignments that have been entirely completed or partially completed by parents. As a teacher you can tell which ones have had a parents influence!!! These assignments can not compare with ones that are completed by the student themselves. It is not surprising that parents will help their children and want the best grade for them, however, this will not reflect their childs ability but their own!!
2. Students are forgetful, taking assessment home often means that it is not returned on time or at all. Also when doing project work at school, if time is allowed at home it is common for students to not have their work with them for the lesson. Very frustrating!!
3. Finally even if a task sheet has been sent home parents and students often have questions to ask, if tasks are completed at home assuptions are often made which are commonly incorrect. Therefore only allowing project work to be done at school means that ALL students get the benefit of hearing hints and expectations from the teacher.
My last comment on homework is this, homework should only be given as part of a consolidating process. All elements of the homework should have been covered in class. Studies have shown that only about 10% of what is taught at school is retained by the end of the day. To improve on this one must revisit what has been studied, this is the purpose of homework, to build upon previous learning.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that the home life is the most important part of a childs upbringing. The relationship with their parents and family members, their responsibilities as a member of the household, a balanced life of education, fitness/health, social interactions and spiritual growth are all part of developing a well rounded member of the community. This being said we all know that there is increased pressure on families to fit more into their schedules such as sport and clubs. I being aware of this have previously sent the students home with their homework on a Friday so they can use the weekend to do some if they know they will be busy during the week. This also allows some parents time to actually sit with their children and help them, during the week this is often impossible. I have had many positive comments from parents about this strategy.
Now onto the Year 7 in high school. This is something I am very passionate about. This has a lot to do with my own daughter who will be in year 7 next year. Her school is planning to move year 7 into the high school next year. Many will wonder why is is such an issue for me. My daughter was a member of the last group of children who were able to start Prep the year they turned 5. Her birthday is in August so she will be 10 for most of this year (Year 6) and next year she will be 11 for most of the year. This is a concern as she will be exposed to many teenage things two years before she is even a teenager!
ReplyDeleteI was also under the impression that year 7 was to be moved to high school by 2015??!! Now lets look at some facts such as enrolment ages for each state and territory in Australia:
ACT - Must be 5 on April 30 in the year they enrol in Kindergarten
NSW - Must be 5 on July 31 in the year they enrol in Kindergarten
NT - Must be 5 on June 30 in the year they enrol in Transition
QLD - Must be 5 by June 30 in the year they enrol in Prep.
SA - Must be 5 by June 30 in the year they enrol in Reception
TAS - Must be 5 by January 1 in the year they enrol in Preparatory
VIC - Must be 5 by April 30 in the year they enrol in Preparatory
WA - Must be 5 by June 30 in the year they enrol in Pre-Primary
* SA has a continuous enrolment policy, which means your child can attend in the term after they turn 5 years (for Reception)
With this information in mind lets dispell some myths:
1. That QLD students are younger than their counter parts in other states. From the above information you can see that this is not true. The exception is with Tasmania where all children turn 6 the year they start school and Victoria and ACT where most children will turn 6 after April. The other states half will turn 5 the other half will turn 6.
2. That most students entering year 7 will be have turned 13 or will be turning 13. From the above information you can see that in most states half will be turning 12 the other half will be turning 13 unless in Victoria, ACT or Tasmania. This statistic will not occur for year 7's next year, this will begin for 2014 onwards.
Next is the concern for what these children will be exposed to. Peer pressure is at its highest in high school to do many things that a young 11 or 12 can not handle nor understand. The looks they give highschoolers at the moment are precious, however put them in that environment perminently and the looks will turn from thats gross and why are they doing that to I want to be like them. I have seen this happen with year eights. Every year they begin the year wide eyed and unsure of themselves, they're still babies in many ways. After several weeks of interacting with other grades inbetween classes and break times these babies begin to change, their attitudes towards the opposite sex and the way they treat their teachers and present themselves to name a few things.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe this is due to the age, I believe it is the environment. I have heard the comments the older students make towards the new year 8's and one can understand why they try to grow up so quickly, if they don't they will not be accepted by the older students as being grown up, but also their own counterparts.
If you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend you're strange, if you haven't even made it to first base you're fridgit. If you don't smoke or try drugs (depending on your group) you're chicken! Being a teeenager is a constant struggle to fit in, to look like you're the same as everyone else (even if you're in the group that doesn't want to conform, ironic huh?). Do we really want our 11 year olds turning 12 and our 12 year olds turn 13 exposed to this?? I don't.
My last comment is this. I agree with what TJ says about breaking the grades up differently that they are now. I believe the ACT have something going with their primary school being from Prep - grade 6, this is run just like primary schools have been for ever!!! They then have a middle school for years 7 - 10, it is run like a normal high school, I'd prefer it be similar to primary as in they have one teacher for Math, English, SOSE, Health and Religious Studies (for private schools) and then go to scecialist teachers for Science, Sport and Arts (other subjects are not required. This will limit the amount of time students are able to interact with other grades between classes, they are also with the one teacher most of the time who can monitor behaviours that may be missed by high school teachers. A college like institution should be created for those students who wish to go on to higher education this would be for years 10 - 12 set up like a normal high school. Those who do not want to go on to higher education should stay at the middle school then go into the work force via traineeships or apprenticeships.
ReplyDeleteI believe this way we are not expecting our kids to grow up before they're supposed to, the media tells them to do so enough without schools getting in on the action.
If it is within our means I am seriously considering homeschooling my 10 year old next year rather than having her start high school a year earlier than is needed.
a comment to anonymous, you are absolutely correct on the standard of education in QLD. It isn't the teachers however, it is the curriculum. A good example of this is the move to National Curriculum. I discovered last year than something that was taught to year 5's in QLD will now be taught to year 3's with the new National Curriculum. This stems from the attitude many QLD educators have about the capabilities children have. During one of my Prac teaching experiences with grade 1 and 2's my mentor teachers were surprised to hear that in SA 5 year olds are being taught how to write. THey said to me that a five year old did not have the fine motor skills to do such an activity!! I would like to now challenge that with showing them that my 3 year old has been holding a pencil correctly for at least 18 months and is now successfully tracing shapes and letters!
ReplyDeleteNo wonder QLD has been struggling to keep up with other states NAPLAN scores when they haven't been taught at the same level!!!