At some point in the last thirty years or so, school leavers have become less literate, less numerate have less general knowledge than their parents or grandparents. Of course there are many exceptions, and nothing in the generalization relates to the quality or the innate ability of our young people, but the evidence of the decline confronts anyone who deals with school leavers and undergraduates. Why is this so? Is it the increase in foetal alcohol distress syndrome which is driving the epidemic of ADHD and antisocial behaviour so destructive of classroom discipline? Is the influence of mass media and popular culture wholly adverse? Is it political correctness which declares that competitiveness is bad and that participation in organized team games is undesirable and unnecessary as a preparation for adult life? Is it because teacher training concentrates on factors which have little relevance to the classroom environment?

Surely, this subject is so important that there should be a well funded research program to identify the causes of inadequate education outcomes. It seems quite unlikely that these relate to education funding. Excellent outcomes were produced in the past with much less funding. Let us identify - carefully – how we can improve the results of our education systems. Let us invest much more in the very earliest years when the returns on investment are so much the highest – invest not just money but dedicated teaching skills.

This topic must depoliticized: it is not left vs right, but right vs wrong

I think that all this teacher bashing resonates with people whose last classroom experience was in the 1950s and 1960s when class numbers were very high, and teachers were not always trained. The catholic system was staffed by teaching brothers and sisters who were often trapped and frustrated and sometimes treated their students brutally. My Grade 3 class at state primary school had 44 pupils of varying abilities, if we were good our teacher would end the afternoon telling us tales of India, when we were naughty we got maths. [Bet she prayed we were good!] The local catholic school had 60 students per class.

The biggest classroom changes would be
• banning of corporal punishment – I prefer to be whacked than submitted to psychological terror
• retirement of aged brothers, nuns and other teachers who don’t want to be there
• rise in school leaving age from most pupils leaving at 14 to go to work to most students staying at school to year 10 or later who then proceed on to further education
• reduction in class sizes
• requirement for all teachers to have teacher training.

The biggest social changes would be
• change of culture from community service to individual gratification
• Rise in number of working mums
• Increase in number of children raised in single parent families
• In many schools the dominant culture is no longer Christian British - so teachers have to be careful about inculcating morals in the classroom

Politicians of all hues shamelessly attack teachers because the teacher unions are the largest union standing against the new IR regime. If Australia follows overseas experience then teachers will be re-accredited every 3 years like they are in HongKong, where teachers who don’t toe the party line are dismissed.

As I get older I think that school holidays exist so that kids can grow. Many kids find school stimulating but stressful and primary school age children often grow taller in the summer holidays. A good teacher calmly controls the class – difficult to achieve when you are stressed.

Ive had girlfreiends who were teachers, all of them out and out nutters, revelling in jamming this leftist crap down the throats of thier young charges.

You never quite left school did you ladies and I say ladies because there are precious little men to be found in the system now because of the hairy armpit brigade of feminazis that have infected the educational system.

Loads of paid holidays, student free days, public holidays the list goes on. People who actually work for a living dont feel sorry for you. Its your job and there are perks deal with it or find somthing else, perhaps a building site for a couple of months may give insight into what most have to do to get by while your on holidays.

Get a real job

chainsmoker, I'm flattered at all to be in the same league as the Good Doctor. I give you leave to favour her ;)

As for wre, I think we can all read between the lines:

"I spent 4 of those years sitting on a student representative body (not protest group) that was committed to the unfashionable ideal of universities being for learning and not political activism."

This would be the campus Liberals, who still run in the election process, and, if they win, receive pay from a system they claim to despise. Let's not forget how many of our own current government members began as factional headkickers in campus groups.

"Similarly, I had students studying commerce repeatedly complain that the first four weeks of every subject were dedicated to the history of Marxism..."

Students? Or....friends? Perhaps with similar political views? And in what context was Marxism taught? An historical context perhaps regarding....capitalism? That would seem to be highly in keeping with the study of commerce.

"...and that the final four weeks were interrupted by the rhetorical speeches of far left protest groups."

Would these speeches be regarding the student elections process that has nothing to do with the university or its teaching curriculum but rather the independent student union?

Your argument smacks of conspiracy theories, unfounded allegations and exaggerated rhetoric. Oh my god, are you a lefty, feminist, pinko Marxist?!?!?

Oh my goodness, what a nasty article. Playing the blame game along with the pollies is not going to help anyone. Despite the clever phrasing, the author looks like a dimwit. Of course today's children can be sat down and taught grammar. Yes, it is hard to make the trouble-makers shut up long enough to teach the majority of the class. I would have thought that where streaming would come in. I know it is unfashionable to grade students, but those that have reasonable academic ability should be put into classes with similarly-minded students so that they can focus on learning technical skills, which they will have some chance of using later, and split the remaining students into average and future dole-bludgers. Then structure the curriculum to skills suited to their learning abilities and future needs. This seems to happen in senior high school, but should be introduced earlier. It happens in maths, so why not in other subjects too. It would help keep the "bright" kids focussed and interested, whilst allowing students at other levels to be taught at a pace and be taught "things" that interest them. Win-win. But, we come up against the crowd that says that this type of segregation is wrong. My sister is a prime example. She is dyslexic (and finally no longer ashamed of it). When she started kinder, she could read at the level of the average 8 year old (not bad considering her condition and that she was 5). By the time she finished primary school, she could barely read at all, and she was still getting b's and d's back the front in year 9 (which she wasnt doing when she started school). She would have benefited immensely by being segregated into a class that worked on the basic skills of english and helped her in a manner suited to her learning abilities. We need to stop trying to be politically correct, work out what outcomes are desired at the end of school by various students, then set curriculums and teaching methods to achieve these outcomes.

ah Audrey Apple

Your response was so refreshingly predictable.

Firstly I sat on a representative group that was neither paid nor sanctioned by the university. We had no political affiliations and were not members of any political party. Unlike the gang that sat at the student council, we didn't get paid $40,000.00 a year to attend one lecture a semester, drive to Woomera detention centre in a university supplied vehicle and through eggs at police officers. We tried to address less honourable issues like making sure security was on hand to walk women to cars at 9.00p.m, ensuring lectures were not interrupted by ANYONE, and lobbying for the increase of transport options for all students.

Funnily enough, we ended up having more meetings with the VC and state government than the student council. We never needed to be paid because all of us had part time jobs while studying (yes it can be done) and wwere often approached by students of all political leaning who actually wanted to learn something. I could never understand why these students didn't feel comfortable approaching their 'elected representatives' in the 'Queer Space' (don't ask) where they were invariably resting up watching the plasma after Woomera trips.

If you're little lefty student union groups are so popular, why was the introduction of VSU the most popular idea amongst main stream student's since pub crawls? Get over yourselves-no one cares about your stupiod agendas and political muck raking.