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The Forum > Article Comments > Poor kids; poor parents; poor future > Comments

Poor kids; poor parents; poor future : Comments

By Phil Cullen, published 16/7/2010

Without a doubt education is a turbulent mess in Australia, for which we can thank Julia Gillard.

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Otokonoku and Hasbeen. You're right. I am a failure. You devils you.
I wrote this article trying to draw attention to the dangers of a politically-motivated, learning-destructive, unilaterally-decided conversion of a school learning-based system to a hard-data one....and what sort of response did I get ? Fish smwlls...bureaucratic bungles...back to basics...schoolyard discipline...pay rise...'when I went to school' stuff.
It was a real failure. Except for some comments from some serial commentators and two new-comers to OLO, no interest was shown. Two of the seven serial writers were vitriolic. See above. Overall, it seemed to illustrate that disinterest in schooling is very, very high. At least it gave Oto a chance to converse with Vanna on topics that were not connected to this particular patch.
As GlenC said, "That's the way it is." Teachers and parents will probably vote the way they are used to voting; and I am wasting my time trying to get them to think deeply about the effects of testing on the future of this country. My short CV from the later end of my working life was no help, as it gave you both a chance to indulge. No sweat. As one of 'them', I'm hard to hurt.
Posted by Filip, Monday, 19 July 2010 4:05:01 PM
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Flip,

You were very lucky not to be paid according to performance. There would not be one area of education in QLD that shows any signs of improvement.

Teachers and education administrators are also lucky that litigation has not commenced on this education system for its massive failure to adequately educate, although litigation is being talked about by some university students regards the quality of their university education.

Personally I would think it a good thing that class action commenced regards the education system.

That short, sharp shock may be enough for individuals in the education system to really have a think about what they have created.
Posted by vanna, Monday, 19 July 2010 4:43:39 PM
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Otokonoku. Oops. I needed to say more. May I dismiss the bureaucratic rhetoric? When I was an inexperienced, struggling teacher, Oto, I treated all of 'them' with fear and suspicion, too; so I know where you are coming from. Your study of the Queensland system, though, seems impressive. I was there once, of course, and was proud to be a Queensland State School teacher. They are the best in the world. I'd be surprised with your knowledge of the State, that you didn't come to the same conclusion.
As you have, I'e seen many and varied examples of 'developmental learning' [as GAJ called it] and of the less effective kinds as well, sadly. I've been truly privileged to have been in ones that GAJ and Deborah L would have liked. Except for some in England, I haven't seen as good in seven other countries. There's the totally aboriginal school on the Gulf of Carpentaria where the pupils [about 60] turned up at 7.30 a.m. and had to be chased home at 5 p.m. because they liked all the 'achievement stuff', as they called it. There's the larger [200] school in a coastal town where 'mastery' was the catch-word. There's the large [800] school in Brisbane suburbia where 'thinking' promoted a love for doing well at all learnings. Literacy and numeracy reigned supreme in these cultures of achieving, mastering and thinking.
My schools during my 24 years at the chalk-face were not in the same class. Later, in the pilot seat, I tried to spread the word. If you read BACK TO DRASTICS [prophetic, I would boast] you will know why things did not go as well as they should....political posturing, restructuring management on a non-school business model, plumbers used as mechanics; and fair-dinkum-on-the-spot quality control banished.
Oto ! I've been there. Primary teaching is a wonderful, exciting, busy, productive occupation.
Posted by Filip, Monday, 19 July 2010 5:12:41 PM
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Please keep writing on these issues, Phil. There are people passionately concerned about the way education is heading in this country who are not teachers. In my case, an interested mother of young children, one about to enter high school and one due to start primary school next year (in NSW).

I for one would love to see your response to the critic who questioned how you promoted an alternative model of education in your time as a top bureaucrat working within the system and the barriers you may have encountered in this attempt. As someone who has not been in this system as an educator I don't know how it works, but am interested to know, because I can't understand how the bureaucracy (not just Gillard but all the senior administrators, curriculum writers and policy developers) continues to ignore the compelling evidence for education that is child-centred, encourages creativity and avoids standardised testing.

Also, I was sincere in asking how a revolution may be started in education. What are your thoughts? How can the system be changed in response to Gillard's reforms?
Posted by Deborah L, Monday, 19 July 2010 5:58:42 PM
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Professional development and support are essential components of strategies like developmental learning (this idea is well understood by good early childhood teachers) and this has been sadly lacking in the Qld system..........plenty of superficial stuff but not indepth embedding of the concepts and practical activities.

Learning at ones level of growth/development isnt merely a fantasy/good idea/lets see if it works concept............... it is the basis of ongoing learning....and it doesnt finish there as it also is relevant in High School but i suspect there are few HS teachers who acknowledge it in their teaching

On another tack:
Having had a grandchild "do" year 11 and 12 last year........... watched the ghastly assessment procedures which at times seem so irrelevant and pointless...treated derisively by students who seemed to gain very little from the testing and assignments, I despaired at the system and the torture it inflicts on students.

I dont see many children who are helped by the current system and wish we could have a revolution for the sake of sanity
Places like Finland have best practice methods which we could use and adapt............why isnt it happening?
Posted by GAJ, Monday, 19 July 2010 6:28:21 PM
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We orchestrated our own revolution and decided to homeschool.
It gave me the greatest of pleasure earlier this year "not" to register my son for the NAPLAN tests - as we are able to choose our own methods of evaluation.
Posted by Poirot, Monday, 19 July 2010 6:38:25 PM
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