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THE VITAL INGREDIENT
Teaching and learning are a 2-way
process. In order for a child to
learn properly and for a teacher to provide satisfactory input, the essential
ingredient ‘ENTHUSIASM’ must be
present, bouncing back and forth between both participants. Enthusiasm
is usually found in the naturally optimistic, or in a
competitive, well-structured environment.
With the modern stresses of
today, it would be true to say that real enthusiasm is disappearing from our
schools, due to the current imbalance in education (See Table 1).
Dire poverty in the days of old could never kill hope, but some lessons
in conservation are doing just that.
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TABLE I
Reasons for
lack of enthusiasm
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REASON-1 (Too many exams)
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Most pupils are working to attain far more
qualifications than their parents, yet employers prefer to employ people
with experience; qualifications
alone are inadequate and can even be a hindrance, if the employer
considers the applicant ‘over-qualified.’
Employers judge applicants by the ‘norm’ which existed when
they were at school.
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COMMENT National
exams need to be standardised and our exam range needs to be simplified,
so exams do not dominate the whole of children’s education.
Whichever system is adopted, it should be sturdy enough to
withstand add-ons, so subjects can be
added without upsetting the balance.
Whatever type of exams are chosen, let it be the final upheaval,
because each change devalues previous certificates gained.
The Diploma idea sounded reasonable, especially as it would have
embraced non-academic subjects, but that has been rejected. The
NVQ system is not respected by intellectual snobs, who regard them as 'No
Value Qualifications'.
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REASON-2
(Depressing lessons about environmental problems)
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The fact that pupils are being asked more and more
to tackle weighty adult subjects – ones which adults, let alone
children, cannot themselves resolve, yet nevertheless ones which could weigh
heavily on their consciences for the rest of their childhood and possibly
their adulthood, too There are
always two ways of presenting every problem.
Global warming and threatened species only seem to be presented
negatively. Documentaries
often have very negative overtones of doom and gloom.
Nothing is wholly bad and the positive side of things should always
be emphasised to children, so they do not feel everything is hopeless.
As children take on adult problems, they are losing their
enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is
generated from hope. In a
child’s black and white world, a negative approach generates
hopelessness for the future of the world and therefore their own future.
They are not being allowed to have a carefree childhood.
Anti-depressants, common amongst the middle-aged, are being
prescribed more frequently to teenagers - a depressing thought.
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COMMENT
Instead of the negative aspects of these subjects,
why not start with the moves on a global scale to counteract the problems
and the success rate. The extinction of some species is sometimes
inevitable. It happened in the
past without human influence, so we cannot blame ourselves for every
disaster; furthermore, other
species sometimes prosper as a result. Therefore, the disadvantages should
be compared with the advantages, so children have a balanced perspective,
rather than a gloomy one. This
can be presented in charts. Children
need to know whether they can do anything constructive themselves;
internet research will almost certainly aid them to discover practical
ways in which they can help. In
addition, government-funded school outings and trips abroad could be
directed towards conservation projects, so pupils will know how to
actively help our world when they become adults.
Children need hope.
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REASON-3 (Sex Lessons)
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Sex lessons are given with
little, or no moral guidance. What
are children to make of these lessons, if they are not being brought up in
a moral and safe environment? It
does mean that they fully understand what is happening in films on general
release, so they have no excuse when pressure is on them to become
sexually active. After much
exposure to sexual behaviour, too many girls are developing the ‘tired
know-it-all’ look before even reaching their twenties. The purpose of sex lessons
at earlier and earlier ages was meant to prevent schoolgirl pregnancies.
Have they had the desired effect, or have they just served to
remove all innocence from our children?
Neither do boys and young
men escape such pressure. Not
only are they expected to ‘prove’ themselves at a much earlier age,
but the fashionably high profile of the gay movement, means vulnerable and
sexually-inexperienced lads are prey to the attentions of seasoned
homosexuals - long before they have had a chance to properly explore and
develop their real sexual leaning. (Experiments with fruit flies
have shown how influential one homosexual can be amongst heterosexual
males.)
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COMMENT
By all means, basic sex lessons, which stress the importance of
contraception, need to be given, but they should be minimal, clinical and combined
with moral guidance. The
teachings of religious Faiths should be brought in to
complement the lessons and add other dimensions to this subject. Teachers should not be allowed to promote their
own sexual views; furthermore,
some aspects should be left for pupils to discover for themselves when
they are older and the time is right.
Only a well-balanced home life, with a good moral influence, can
really help youngsters and teenagers to be more discerning, but good
parents are on their own these days. The
church, society in general, agony aunts and media used to support parents,
but no longer seem to do so. Therefore,
when family, society and education fail them, the only protection some
children have is the law, yet even this protection is being eroded.
It would take a referendum to gauge how the whole population really
feels, rather than the outspoken few, though I fear much of society would
have to be re-educated first in ‘standards & values’.
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REASON-4 (Clothing at
school)
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When school uniform is not
enforced, girls feel they must wear make-up, shoes with heels and replicas
of sexy women’s clothes in order to compete with peers.
Apart from the expense, they can neither run, nor jump properly in
fashionable clothing and footwear, resulting in them being unable to
develop their sports potential, or a healthy life-style.
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COMMENT
Modern unisex school uniform (tracksuits, cheap trainers,
t-shirts, etc) should be adopted by schools, so girls can take part in
games and sports in the playground in addition to sports lessons.
(In 2000, I briefly taught year-6 children in a German junior
school in Lingen. Their
enthusiasm was like a coiled spring, which was instantly triggered when
they were asked to participate in the language lessons, either by singing,
or some other task. None of
them wore make-up or provocative clothes;
neither were they reluctant to participate for fear of showing
enthusiasm in front of their peers. )
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WHAT
ELSE HAS GONE WRONG WITH EDUCATION?
Education has been a political
football for some time. As a result,
various changes have been made to correct certain shortfalls, thereby upsetting
the balance which successfully existed for years.
Admittedly, traditional teaching
methods were purely academic and thereby one-dimensional.
Not ideal, especially for non-academic, disabled and dyslexic students, who were
considered to be second-class citizens in contrast with the elite intellectuals.
Therefore, a radical shake-up in education as a whole was long overdue.
The seventies saw the start of a revolution in education, which
eventually went too far, resulting in many aspiring university students having to
make up the shortfall in their education, before they could start a degree
course. All learning-by-rote
teaching methods were banned (the alphabet, the times table, spellings .....),
yet this method of learning can be fun too, in addition to providing a firm foundation upon
which to build each child’s education. Woe
betide the teacher who continued to use any of these methods, as school
inspectors would certainly not have allowed it.
The intention was well-meaning, but the fact that we all learn
differently was not fully taken into account;
this meant that children were denied access to an efficient learning
process, which may have suited them in particular, eg:
those with memory problems, or hearing difficulties for whom repetition
was essential, etc. Furthermore,
some jobs require these skills, e.g. the acting profession, tour guides, etc.
John Major went still further
and upgraded colleges to ‘university colleges’, thereby degrading the
degree, which was once considered a worthy qualification.
Now, there is a glut of students with degrees, believing they are
entitled to high salaries and who feel too educated, or important to apply for
the jobs which are mostly available.
Japan
has university graduates working in factories, but many of our graduates would be
unlikely to even consider that option.
SPAIN
has an extremely efficient method, which encourages failing students (for
whatever reason) to work harder and helps them to make the most of their
schooling. No child is allowed to
move up a level, unless they pass their end of year exams.
Failed children are then encouraged to study during their summer holidays
before retaking their exams in time for the autumn term.
This method is ideal for infants and junior schools and also for some
senior schools; however, the pupils
would have to be already familiar with the system from their junior schools,
before it is introduced in senior schools.
FRANCE
has a system in which education is standardised throughout the country.
I believe our National Curriculum has similar aims, but less extreme;
nevertheless, changes to the National Curriculum are being made too often
and teachers are weary of the paperwork, which prevents them from teaching
properly. The methods and approach used to teach the Curriculum should be up to
individual teachers. Ofsted
inspections also need to be swift and without warning and should not involve a
whole school at one time; a year’s
notice puts unnecessary strain on all teaching staff and can hardly provide a
true picture. Teachers, who fail the
inspection, need the support of colleagues;
to fail a whole school in one fell swoop is counter-productive.
TEACHING STAFF
It would also be prudent here to
mention that teachers are not as versatile as we would like them to be.
It is therefore inevitable that their lessons will not convey enthusiasm
if they are made to undertake tasks, which are unsuited to their type.
In my experience, I have discovered three main types of teaching staff.
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TABLE 2
Differing
Types of Teacher
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THE INTELLECTUAL who can
do well with minimal effort and for whom teaching becomes a job, which
brings in a reasonable wage. Initially
lazy about preparation and often indifferent to their charges, they tend
to prefer repetitive tasks which require little ongoing preparation, ie
teaching & supervising exams. They
enjoy being in charge of a disciplined situation.
As the years go by, preparation becomes even more minimal and many
do not really enjoy teaching, often just taking pleasure in the materials
from which they are teaching, or in developing the art of belittling
pupils.
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THE LATE DEVELOPERS AND
ACADEMICS, for whom teaching is a calling.
Preparation and teaching provide ongoing pleasure and fulfillment,
as they seek ever new ideas. These
people spend hours preparing and are dedicated to giving inspirational
lessons; furthermore, they are
caring and patient and willing to work more hours than those for which
they are paid. Unfortunately,
they are becoming increasingly demoralised by reductions in teaching
hours, due to:
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THE PRACTICAL TEACHER, who
enjoys teaching non-academic subjects and who systematically prepares
pupils soundly and methodically, year after year.
Preparation is usually repetitive.
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There are always exceptions to
every rule. Sadly some teachers lack class management skills, resulting in
disorderly classes which benefit no-one. Such
teachers require re-training and a change of school if they are to succeed;
they should not be allowed to continue, if they are not up to the work -
no matter how much they love their subject.
In order to reap the best from teachers, allow them to specialise in a
way that suits their energy and enthusiasm. (See Table 3)
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TABLE 3
Types Of
Teachers
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PRACTICAL TEACHERS would
introduce children to practical skills and knowledge required for the
world of work, parenting and married life in an interesting, practical
way, so by the time they leave school, they would understand what is
required of them. During
parenting lessons, brothers and sisters under school age would be allowed
to attend and pupils would be shown how best to look after and amuse them.
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INSPIRATIONAL TEACHERS
would be allowed to teach subjects without the worry of preparing children
for exams. They could then
concentrate on helping children to use knowledge to think laterally and
globally by combining subjects from the National Curriculum in a positive,
fun way. They would take time
to show children how to notice positive and beautiful things around them
in everyday life: sunsets,
signs of nature in the town and country, crafts, family life, animal care,
cultural differences, etc.
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EXAM TEACHERS would
supervise the learning of facts for exams and test regularly, so pupils
have regular exam practice. If
relevant, this might also involve learning by rote and other traditional
methods for disciplined skills, which require accuracy and a good memory
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CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS
¨
There have already been moves to increase the numbers and type of
classroom assistants; however, more
could be done to lighten the current unreasonable burden on teachers.
Teaching staff should be assisted by four types of classroom assistants,
as appropriate:
¨
helpers (mostly for infants’ classes to do up laces, take
children to the toilet, supervise breaks, etc.)
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practical assistants (to prepare materials, photocopying, etc)
¨
pedagogic assistants to help reinforce difficult teaching points
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clerical assistants (to complete as much paperwork as possible on
behalf of teachers)
Assistants could be shared
between teachers and even schools - allocated, according to need.
Teachers’ lesson plans would indicate whether assistance would be
needed, the type and when.
SCHOOL TABLES
Many teachers despise school tables,
because they do not give a true picture of individual communities and
their special difficulties.
Surely a better indication of a school's success should be judged
on the number of children in work, or continuing education. The type of
job should not be mentioned, because it would be relevant to the
school-leaver's ability and needs. It would be very easy to compile
such a list and far more positive and realistic than the current school
tables, because every school-leaver's progress would be judged evenly.
WHY ARE MANY TEENAGERS
UNEMPLOYABLE?
Many bosses will confirm that
there are serious difficulties when employing teenagers, (see Table 4)
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TABLE 4
According
to employers, many
teenagers display the following-
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a lack of commitment
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a lack of enthusiasm & motivation
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a lack of pride in the company & its achievements
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a lack of self-discipline
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a lack of respect for the workplace
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poor time-keeping & attendance
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poor grammar & numerical skills
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No longer can schools depend
upon physical punishment to maintain discipline and standards;
therefore, inspirational alternatives must be found.
This is the Age of Innovation and the whole re-structuring of education
must be thought through in close liaison with the business world - both large
& small employers (national & international).
It is important to plan education to provide the ideal employee - someone
who is:
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positive & enthusiastic about their job
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punctual, reliable and honest
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loyal & respectful towards the company
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conscientious
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able to work as part of a team
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able to work on their own initiative
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able to work to a deadline
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able to prioritise
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able to accept responsibility for their mistakes
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versatile & adaptable
¨
willing to give their best (initially) for their school
and later for their employer
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keen on self-improvement & willing to attend
additional training sessions when required to do so
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In order to redress the current
imbalance,
teacher training must, at the very minimum, include a form of class management
which mirrors workplace practices and which informs pupils of the long-term
benefits of doing something a certain way. A
radical, but more ideal, situation would be to turn whole senior schools into
‘companies or corporations’ with teachers at the top managing, older pupils
supervising and new pupils working their way up through ‘departments’. (See
Table 5) This would generate a
collective pride in their school and ongoing enthusiasm.
In fact, it would not only be a new way of presenting the current system,
but also one which would capture the imagination, if the presentation is realistic
enough. This would, probably, mean
teaching staff having to undergo combined pedagogic and business courses in
preparation.
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TABLE 5
Corporate
Schools
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DEPARTMENTS
A ‘department’ would
cover a module of training - all aspects to providing a service, or
product; furthermore, pupils
would participate in the planning, administration, preparation, financial
considerations, etc. and be shown how it would all differ from:
¨
that of a cottage industry (where relevant)
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that of a single company
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that of a national chainstore
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that of an international company
Pupils would be made aware
of the future benefits from working in that department, so they would be
fully aware of what they can achieve from that department, in the way of:
skills, qualifications, experience, personal development, etc.
Departments could offer a service, product, etc. to pupils, locals,
businesses. (This could even
be extended nationally and internationally through partnerships with other
schools: the local
environment, pensioners, etc. could benefit in so many ways.)
In the 1990s, I visited Lingen,
in Germany, and saw the way
in which Adult Education courses were benefitting the community in so many
ways. Some British
colleges already offer skills at reduced prices to local residents (e.g. hairdressing), but I
doubt whether these skills are presented as part of a comprehensive business course.
RESPONSIBILITY
Pupils need to feel that
they are making decisions about their future and they should take
responsibility for those decisions.
Many people cannot make decisions;
for them the whole process is tortuous. Such
people are usually negative, due to life not offering them what they
want, because they are letting other people make decisions for them.
ATTITUDE &
UNDERSTANDING
Each department would
develop the necessary skills and attitude for the work-skills it promotes,
by encouraging input, feedback, decision-making, conscientiousness and
teamwork. (similar to team
meetings)
MIXED AGES & SKILLS
Departments would be
structured, incorporating mixed ages to represent new and long-term
employees. Pupils would
be assessed according to their suitability in those departments (similar
to end-of-term reports, but presented as an annual, or quarterly
appraisal). Importantly, their CVs would be able to show experience
in different fields.
SMART-CARDS, WAGES &
INCENTIVES
Pupils could even
receive a ‘wage' in the form of credits on a smart card, from which
they pay their snacks and lunches.
Opportunities to earn small bonuses, or promotion, for good
attitude, practical ideas, etc. would provide further incentive.
At the end of term, they could be given the remaining balance on
their smart-cards in cash. (A
blank card at the start of each term would help to generate enthusiasm.)
The daily wage (an attendance fee) could be adequate to cover meals
and snacks on the days attended, meaning of course that truants would be
penalised financially, as they would miss out on bonuses and they would no
longer have dinner money from their parents to spend.
This system might also help prevent bullying for money.
TRUANTS & DISRUPTIVE
PUPILS SHOULD NOT BE WRITTEN OFF
Persistent truants,
disruptive pupils and bullies would be removed from the project and either
sent for remedial education if they have special learning difficulties, or
found work locally, or even abroad in English-speaking countries.
It may sound drastic, but when children are reluctant to
participate, they will often respond well to interesting alternatives.
They are all individuals who require the inspirational approach
which suits them best.
SHAREHOLDERS?
For corporate schools with
departments, which are able to make a profit in some way, the pupils could
be encouraged to become shareholders in different departments and to earn
dividends, accordingly. All
in a small way, of course.
CONCLUSION
All of the above would
help to give pupils the impression that they are managing their daily
lives in an adult way. We
cannot give them rights and adult problems to worry over, then treat them
like children. The running of
schools today still resembles that of the past in many ways, but children
have changed. This plan is to teach children to enjoy work and to be proud of their role in
a workforce.
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TO SUMMARISE
Drastic action
must be taken to revitalise our education system, but most of all the essential
ingredient for success in education is enthusiasm.
(See table 6)
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TABLE 6
Ground Rules
For Education
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Education should be pleasurable for both parties, otherwise,
a child cannot learn and teachers cannot teach.
One of the most rewarding things in life is to teach a motivated
pupil.
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Education should also teach self-discipline, by providing a
strict disciplined environment at certain times, so children are prepared
for a disciplined workplace; otherwise,
they could become unemployable. Exams
& exam classes should serve this purpose.
¨
Education should encourage self-study and study groups at
junior level, leading to self-motivation & research skills within set
limits. In some schools, this
already happens, but more could adopt this strategy.
In order to do well at school and in later life, children need
controlled freedom. Study
groups will prepare children for a life of work, in which they will need
to liaise with colleagues and/or work as a team.
Self-study will help them learn how to work on their own
initiative. Exams &
projects will help them to prepare work to strict deadlines and targets.
(Most companies set deadlines and targets.)
¨
Children require boundaries within education.
They give the impression that they only want fun lessons.
Children (adults too) through the ages have always groaned whenever
they have had to concentrate on something demanding and serious;
nevertheless, they feel cheated if they do not have the contrast in
tasks, the stressful atmosphere, the deadlines and the wonderful ‘sense
of relief and achievement after completing something difficult’ (e.g.
exams). In the workplace,
those experiences are commonplace, so pupils need to be prepared, so they
know how to deal with them.
¨
Competition is also important and exists everywhere in the
world of work. Whoever decided
competition in schools was unhealthy for our youngsters, did not envisage
the difficulties which lie ahead of the non-competitive child in the real
world of work; how on earth
could they run a business of their own?
I realise they were trying to build the confidence of shy children
by holding back the confident, but the methodology behind this thinking
was surely flawed. Every child
has different skills and must be shown
how they can shine in the way best suited to their skills, in
whichever subject they might excel and enjoy: sport, academic subjects,
debate, cookery, crafts, story-telling, photography, music, dress-making,
fashion, or other relevant subjects worth highlighting.
(We only had annual ‘French poetry’ competitions at our school
and holiday competitions, but it was a start.)
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Exciting ideas in education’s recent past (i.e.
sport academies, stage schools,
etc), have not maintained their high profile - probably due to lack of
continuity, competition and long-term goals.
The idea of corporate schools would mean competition between schools in
innovation and the ‘end results’, i.e. enthusiastic school-leavers in
employment - the type of job would be irrelevant, as long as the school-leaver
is working comfortably in the post.
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