The Forum > Article Comments > Liberal doses of in/equality: Advance Australia where? > Comments
Liberal doses of in/equality: Advance Australia where? : Comments
By Linda Graham, published 28/5/2007Australian schools and teachers have so far been plugging the gap between increasing expectations and decreasing resources: they can't do it forever.
- Pages:
-
- 1
- 2
- Page 3
- 4
-
- All
Now everyone will jump on me for being idealistic (and simplistic) and carp on about how impossible it is, and how "this is the result of many years of development", etc, etc. Shut up. IT IS NOT YOUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. It is our children's. Stop thinking of the way it's done today, because it is obviously failing. The problems are getting worse and it will continue to get worse if you let it continue. Band aid solutions cannot give us the results we need.
With all due respect to my primary school collegues, they are failing. Many students are leaving primary school with poor literacy skills. Why? Not because the teachers lack skills, dedication, professionalism or anything else the govt wants to blame. THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES are the only ones who can improve their skills. This is clear in high schools, where lack of effort sabotages the scores of many capable students.
I don't pretend to know the answers but I'll tell you something for sure; many student's see little or no benefit in the system that is worth their effort. OK, some do, and go on and do well, but they have bought into the system (or have been bullied, cajoled or bribed into participating).
So the question would seem to be "how do we make an education system that student's will want to participate in"? Bribery, threats, discipline, consequences, etc are methods of the past. We must be honest with students and not insult their intelligence. They are smarter and more savvy than many people think. They understand power and control, consciously or not.
In the past the system has has been geared toward producing obedient, compliant workers. Is this still our purpose? If not, time for a rethink.