The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Outcomes option flawed > Comments

Outcomes option flawed : Comments

By Kevin Donnelly, published 18/5/2005

Kevin Donnelly argues against an outcomes-based approach to education in Western Australia.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All
Kevin's comments resonate strongly with most high school teachers in WA. Such has been the level of discontent recently that the Gallop government has seen fit to launch a Parliamentary inquiry into the proposed changes. However, the Minister for Education, Ljiljanna Ravlich, has been publicly quoted that the changes ARE going ahead. It defies logic that one arm of her government has launched an inquiry because there is so much concern, while another, ie the Minister herself, is saying that nothing will stop the implementation. Some changes are timetabled to occur as early as January next year, yet the inquiry does not table its report until June in 2006. If the government were serious about the inquiry it would stop all implementation immediately.
Posted by Surftilidie, Thursday, 19 May 2005 1:55:52 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Donnelly's article makes some good points. Indeed some of us parents might proclaim that it is more or less what we were saying in the 1980's ...

Our younger children never having a spelling test. Being told not to worry about grammar or spelling ... just do a first, or second, 'draft'. Then perhaps do yet another draft. No homework of course (odd that - but the Teachers always seemed to be able to provide a reason why there was no homework).

Our teenage children forced to undertake wierd 'Projects' in order to 'learn' Physics. History lessons always seemingly focused on the Eureka Stockade.
Mind you, this was only when they were actually *at* school. Most of the school year included 3-day weeks when Curriculum days always co-incided with Public Holidays.

The question that some might ask is, "Why is it so?"

The main reasons are ... the Left mind-set of so many teachers and the all-powerful Teacher Unions, coupled with the appallingly low standards of qualifications for Teachers ( I read today that most do not have anything beyond Year 10 Maths).

What are we to do about it?

Pay the 'good' teachers more. Find out which Teachers are performing badly and 'why'. Give them extra assistance and advice. If they do not improve after 3 years, ask them to find another career.

Have all children , at every age above 7-years old, do spelling tests and Mental Arithmetic at least once a week.

Bring in competition with children scored and a record kept for reporting to parents.

Have yearly exams for all children. A national exam for 11 year-olds. A common system of national exams for all 16 year-olds. A common system of national exams for all 18 year-olds wanting to attend University.

Oh, and sack any teacher that refers to children or students as 'kids'. Its about time 'kids' were treated with respect.
Posted by ciompi, Thursday, 19 May 2005 9:09:51 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
i just wanted to comment on the comment made by ciompi...

coupled with the appallingly low standards of qualifications for Teachers ( I read today that most do not have anything beyond Year 10 Maths).

i am studying to be a teacher. I just wanted you to know that i have a degree in my teaching area (that's three years of specialised study in my field) plus i am completing a two year post graduate teaching qualification which includes two and a bit terms of practical teaching experience in a school. i'm surprised that someone would consider that a "low standard". i think you need to check what you read. i'd hate to think that the parents of my students think i don't have anything "beyond Year 10 Maths".

most teachers have to have completed TEE (to enter university), and study a four year Bachelor of Education or a degree plus a one or two year teaching qualification like a Graduate Diploma of Education.
Posted by missc, Friday, 20 May 2005 1:07:21 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Missc is indeed correct. Teachers in schools do indeed have a university qualification. It is a shame that missc gave a poor example for a trainee teacher by using i rather than I when writing the comment.

The big shame of all this is that most teachers long ago came to the realisation that Outcomes Based Education has been bad for schools, bad for teachers, bad for parents and especially bad for children. It has complicated the task of teaching, rendered objective assessment virtually impossible, transformed school reports into wordy almost meaningless documents and worst of all, has lowered standards. Unfortunately, in Australian States we have bureaucracies whose bureaucrats have built their careers by embracing the OBE philosophy and thrusting it onto schools. As such recognition of its failure is too much for them to admit. So, in WA, it is push on into years 11 & 12 with all the strength Government can deliver. Never mind the consequences.

As a result it is being left to people like Kevin Donnelly, like many teachers and former teachers such as myself, and to parents and grandparents who want their children and grandchildren to have the same quality of education as they had to use all means available to force governments to admit failure and change course.
Posted by Sniggid, Friday, 20 May 2005 12:14:11 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
A problem with any change is the capacity of the teachers to put it into place. Secondary school teachers in Western Australia are complaining about the quality of the courses of study and the timelines imposed by the Curriculum Council. Added to that, the resignation of some course writers, the consistent attacks by the Editor of the West Australian, and the disquiet of parliamentarians are not a ringing endorsement for the dated changes.

A major issue for all teachers is their exposure to episodic change, resulting in the growing cynicism of some teachers as a change of government or minister either dismantles or tweaks the changes. Hopefully the parliamentary review will look at a ten to twenty year horizon and make decisions that will put this state at the forefront of education and give a foreward looking sense of direction that will win universal approval.
Posted by Nihil, Sunday, 22 May 2005 4:56:44 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Nihil makes some very good points, but we need a lot more than hope. As long as the bureaucracies are filled with people who haven't darkened the doors of a classroom for eons, and who have the power to surround themselves with like-minded clones, then there is little hope for the poor classroom teacher.

The sad thing in all of this is that the victims are the children we teach. And even sadder, is the fact that it takes a few years before people become aware, and then sufficiently angry, to dismantle the lunatic system. Meanwhile, a generation of children are disadvantaged.
Posted by Surftilidie, Thursday, 26 May 2005 12:14:00 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy