It was reported that the government want to ensure that all pupils can read and write and yes you have guessed it, want to implement another test system to ensure this happens. I am baffled as to why we do not adopt the American system, where pupils who are not at a particular reading and writing ability drop back a year until they are on par. The system by now should be full proof, so that the foundations that are built on top are flexible to fit changes within societies and pupils needs.
I make this point as pupils of today face a wealth of problems more intense than I ever had to encounter in my day. Observations need to be noted and understood to implement change that helps them, after all it is about them which the government seems to have forgotten. The current state suggests that it is all about league tables which help support the appearance that Britain’s education system is still of a high standard. The longer this façade and puffed out chests with swelling egos remain, the further the education systems slides into a pit.
So what needs to change? The sooner we stop living in past “glories” the better. The past is gone, never to return so whilst Henry the VIII is an interesting subject, current and present happenings need to be explored and understood to the same depth. The issues that children seem to be dealing with are:
Bereavement- The number of teenagers killed since 2000 is alarming. The degrees of separation between an individual and victim I’m sure is less than 6.
Sex – Sexual pressure is on the rise and seems to take the form of abuse, bullying and exploitation. Transactional sex (The exchange of sex for material possession) is also on the rise as is teenage pregnancies, STD’s and HIV.
Behaviour- The lack of respect, responsibility and compassion is shocking. Girls especially have become quite brutal in their behaviour and speech. These are mothers of tomorrow.
The extent of the past cannot be truly acknowledged and taken in, if the majority of pupils are sitting there fearing whether they will be stabbed on the way home tonight. Maslow’s Hierarchy’s of needs encapsulates what I am trying to say. If the basic needs are not met, then an individual cannot even begin to think about anything else. The pyramid levels are below.
In this case the basic needs are safety, which for many pupils is not met within their environment, as a result the ability to concentrate in class, if they turn up at all may not be present. Love, unconditional love could also be lacking so it is sought for in other areas.
Like maths some theories can be applied to any situation. The key is that the formula needs to be viewed within various environments. Making use of what has been before with an open mind means that we move away from rigidness and repetition to see things in a different light.
It is also important to acknowledge that this generation are born into the technological new age. When I left school computers were only beginning to make an appearance. What worked before will not have the same impact now. The children of today are fabulous multi-taskers though with poor attention spans because they have access to everything at a click of button. Whilst to my knowledge there is no research evidence to prove this, I am calling upon common sense. So unless the lesson captures them, it could be reminiscent of watching two people playing conkers! They are not from that era, though the educational system is. Technology, society and children have changed therefore so must the lesson plans.
Teachers need more support, less paper work and more creative freedom /resources when teaching. Power needs to be given back to teachers as currently pupils seem to have it. However teachers being given the power to search pupils and remove materials they deem to be a distraction in class as proposed last week, is not the way forward. The one thing teachers and pupils have in common is the safety issue. Teachers don’t feel safe in the classroom and pupils don’t feel safe outside the classroom. Related and unrelated in the same breath, the impact, friction and energy being given off is evidently fear and powerlessness displayed in both adult and pupil in different ways.
The foundation of the educational system needs to change to extend beyond reading, writing and league tables. It has to encapsulate morals, values, respect, discipline and rules, whilst moving away from the regurgitation of information and memorising, to the development, harnessing and support of ones ability to think for oneself. Thought turns into awareness, awareness transcends to choice, choice into responsibility which travels beyond the education system and into society as a whole. The education system as it stands does not currently do this; as a result those who leave without specific grades are made to feel less then. If everyone was taught to think, perhaps there would be a few more Richard Branson’s in the world. He, as we know is a multi millionaire and extraordinary entrepreneur who left university with one O’ Level.
So how much of a role does a piece of paper have in regards to future success? Each case is individual so it is hard to measure; though people like Richard Branson prove that it is not vital. The education system does not and has not pushed people to think beyond what they are told and this is the problem. It is in the government’s interest to change the education system to help create the future leaders of tomorrow, as it is this type of forward thinking that builds entrepreneurs which in turn can build prospects, jobs and raise economy. This is the way forward especially in light of the high cost of education.
The reality is that society is controlled by power hungry service to self individuals that keep wealth and control within the elite. Collectively enhancing the masses so that everyone has the ability to reach their full potential is unfortunately not on the consensus agenda.
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© Lisa Bent 2011
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