HRS, but do you have the ability to critically, abstractly, philosophically? You appear to be a bit boxed in.

"The schoolteachers are now good at excuse making instead of problem solving. They have become good at blaming the parents, blaming the students, blaming the government or blaming everything or everyone but their own archaic and incestuous teaching practices. Good at asking for more of the taxpayer’s money, not so good at improving student results. Good at suggesting that they are the only ones who know how to teach, not so good at looking at the teaching and training practices that occur outside of schools, and these teaching practices are often much more advanced than what is occurring in schools."

"The schoolteachers" - all of them?
"They have become good at ... " is this your expert, evidence-based opinion? Is your evidence of any better quality than the opinions you have posted previously above, or is it all based on a selection of personal experiences, filtered through your personal biases?

Don't get me wrong here, I have personal biases as well. I can check them out by re-reading a paragraph I have written and substituting another subject for the paragraph - eg

"The farmers are now good at excuse making instead of problem solving. They have become good at blaming the weather, blaming the banks, blaming the government or blaming everything or everyone but their own archaic and incestuous farming practices. Good at asking for more of the taxpayer’s money, not so good at improving farm productivity. Good at suggesting that they are the only ones who know how to farm, not so good at looking at the farming practices that occur in other countries, and these farming practices are often much more advanced than what is occurring in Australia."

Don't take this personally if you're a farmer - just read it for the parody that it is meant to be, then think again about what is written above, about teachers

Rainer,
So you're a teacher who thinks critically, abstractly, and philosophically. I hope you don’t think that way when you are in front of a class of students. They might think you’re on drugs. Not a good role model for the young and impressionable.

I’m outside the education box looking in, and what I see I’m not impressed with at all.

I see an education system where student marks have not improved nationally in 30 years.

I see a state education department (NSW) that printed 10,000 copies of a book on how to improve boy’s education, and then didn’t deliver the book to anyone.

I see many schoolteachers who have yet to identify that there is such a thing as risk management, when risk management has been required by legislation for many years.

I see over 10 University lecturers who never once contacted a student in 4 years, and then they called their course a correspondence course.

I have heard directly from a school teacher that they never do any class preparation any more, but just repeat the same lesson plan from previous years, (and if students fail then that is their fault), but the education system allows that teacher to do it.

In a school one of my children goes to, I regularly see a stream of teachers driving out the school gate in the afternoon earlier than what the students can get on the school bus, and the Principal of that school allows those teachers to do that also.

I see school Principals at P&C meetings, only telling the P&C members what the Principal wants them to hear, and nothing else.

This is only a very small sample of what I have seen looking into the incestuous and archaic box called the education system, but try as I might, I cannot think of it as being quality teaching, or even acceptable teaching.

I say bring on the chaplains. I don’t think they can make the system any worse.

HRS,

Ok, so you think I shouldn’t teach student how to be responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and purposes - develop scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking.

Wow! Do you just expect me to give them a book and tell them to shut up and read? (or watch an induction video on reading a book?)

Is this "banking" concept of education, in which students are simply seen as empty accounts to be filled by a teacher what you want?

This contradicts your earlier criticism about not being contacted by lecturers to help you “learn”.

Instead of universalising your own personal experiences and arguing this to be an accurate account of everyone and everything, show me the empirical evidence to support your claims about teachers, schooling etcetera.

And just what are your commitments to improving these so called deficits in education beyond whinging here on OLO? Or is this too abstract and philosophical for you to ponder?

Hi Ranier,

Seriously, I think you've given HRS oxygen poisoning.
I'd cut off the flow, give him the last word. He may not be as erudite as Kevin, but his brain works much the same way.

I'd say apply some applied risk management. Incidentally, there's some interesting stuff on the NSWTF website on risk management - looks like they all came out from under their futons long enough to p*ss (that's pass - they all hate families and kids)on the wedding cake, eh?

Cheers,

So much work 2b done.... One clear point. Many posters, many perspectives, but the same object of scrutiny. I'm wondering if Frank and Ranier are more influenced by:

1/ K.D. is 'Liberal' connected (therefore anything he says is by default wrong)
2/ The political atmosphere and possibly involvement/committment of Frank and Ranier ?

Just asking. But for sure, this difference in perspective UNDERLINES the need for an apolitical arbiter or determiner of 'moral' direction.
The only morality that I would expect a Chaplain to impart without being specifically asked is this:

"Do for others, as you would have them do for you".

If critically minded, clear thinking students are told this, they should ask 'WHY'?....by what authority ? And of course, little Johnny has just finished reading his 'History of Western Philosophy' -the chapter on JeanPaul Satre, and has concluded at this stage that the best approach for is life is to establish goals, and simply trample into the ground anyone who gets in the way.

But here..is the Chaplain..saying something different.....hmmmmm

You see.. apart from DIVINE authority, all humanistic sentimentality is simply that..sentimentality, with zero authority.

So, the dimwitted chaplain (as all chaplains inevitably are right ?) starts to speak of "Well, God, Creator of all that is, said it is how we should live". Johnny rejects this, and as he walks out of the chaplains office, he sees a young student who he intimidates for his lunch money for 'protection'.

HoHum... you need special attention.. see this link
http://aussiebikinimarch07.wikispaces.com/