I'd like to clarify my previous Post. I do not want to 'attack' all (or any ) teachers. I'm not blaming them. I'm sure that they all want the best for their children/students. And of course there are many very intelligent people who become teachers (thank goodness). And, of course, some very good mathematicians.

From my memory of schooldays, I can honestly say that Teaching requires a devotion to duty that the rest of us generally lack.

I must say that I'm heartened by the increasing honesty of those in the Teaching profession, to express their concerns and to make suggestions about improvements. The next step is to challenge the Powers-that-be to make the major changes.

I am heartened too Ciompi, as at last some people at the point where education is being delivered, ie in the classroom, are starting to find their voices. At last teachers are taking the union leaders to task over their abject failure to recognise the change in working conditions that the OBE system being introduced by the Curriculum Council is causing. At last teachers in government schools, who are held under threat of persecution by the the bureacracy that administers their schools, are being brave enough to speak out against the nonsense emanating from the Curriculum Council. At last parents are finding their voice through the Parents' Associations and are putting the changes to our system on the agenda of meetings and conferences. The Curriculum Council has been introducing this process by bullying teachers and simply not informing parents, and finally it is starting to unravel.

Perhaps the government will realise that the parliamentary inquiry actually has some value other than drawing our attention away from the enormous problems this system has been causing. Perhaps the Inquiry will come up with recommendations to stop the implementation of this system until further research has been done, and in doing so, defy the government's own Minister for Education, who says that the implementation is going ahead regardless of the results of the Inquiry.

Thanks to the efforts of some people like Kevin in highlighting the plight of teachers and students under the proposed changes to the education system of Western Australia, the Gallop government saw fit to call a parliamentary inquiry.

Despite this, the Minister, Ms Ljiljanna Ravlich, has repeatedly claimed that the changes are going ahead regardless of the outcomes of the inquiry. Further proof of her attitude is evidenced in her establishment of a task force with responsibility for coordinating the implementation across all school sectors, including resolving concerns with school level implementation.

Her absolute cynicism and disregard for her government’s efforts in establishing the parliamentary inquiry can be seen as even more profound when one looks at the membership of the task force. Once again, not a sign of a practitioner in education, and one of the five members of the committee is a Media consultant. Clearly, the great education concerns of teachers and parents are not the issues this committee will be examining, but rather how this ridiculous system can be implemented with as little pain to the government as possible.

Contrary to Ciompi's claim that teacher qualifications are of a low standard, the reality is that teachers are entering the profession with higher qualifications in this country than ever previously. A signinficant proportion are entering with double degrees or post grad
qualifications.
(Read the study into teacher training and education commissioned in Victoria by DET).

It is unbelievable that WA is insisting on going done the same misguided path as other countries and states. Why do these people not learn from other people's mistakes?
As a teacher in a WA State school, I am appalled by the tactics employed by our leaders. They are the biggest bullies I have ever seen in my life. They monopolise the time at any public forum by presenting overhead after mindless overhead (none of which give any details) then hand pick questions from the audience. If anyone actually refuses to be denied the right of free speech, they are labelled as trouble makers, burnt out or incapable of grasping the subtleties!

Then the mind games start. You are made to feel that your job is under threat if you don't comply. OBE is mentioned in 3 out of the 5 requirements for Level 3 teacher promotion. Circulars such as the following are distributed by the District Director:

"Unfortunately like other Districts we do have some cynics and recalcitrants in our schools when it comes to curriculum and pedagogical change although they do appear to be a dying breed. Perhaps they need to re-focus their career or look for other options because our schools need leaders and team players at all levels in the contemporary and challenging times we now face, We cannot teach students the way we have taught them for the past 25 years and expect them to succeed in a post-modern society. I encourage you to take on a leadership role within your school community and help provide your students with the capacity to meet the challenges that they will face in their future."

This is straight out of Orwell's 1984. Without questioning the changes, we must accept them and become team players in a post modern society.

If there is anyone in Australia that can help us over here it would be greatly appreciated. Try www.plato.com to see what we have had to resort to.

Cheers,

Doik

My daughter is in Year 10 and in 'extension class' everything. I have now asked her and her two overnight stay friends; 'Do you understand the outcomes information provided to you by your teachers?'

Their collective response was 'NO!' and that they do their work and the teachers give them a level result. They have no idea as to what they should do to progress from, say, a level 5 to a level 6. What is it then that their teachers are doing?

This is not a criticism of the teachers but another recognition that 'grades' have morphed into 'levels'. What has changed?

Please tap into http://www.platowa.com to source recent opinions from teachers and students re the recent implemtation and proposed implemntation of 'outcomes based education' in WA.

We, in WA, need input from teachers in other states/overseas to source useable information for the anti-outcomes approach cause in Western Australia.