|
|
A top independent school is introducing compulsory grammar lessons. I’d like all secondary schools to have this – wouldn’t you? |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
|
|
|
|
Brighton College – the top independent school recently in the news for introducing compulsory mandarin Chinese lessons, is now making grammar lesson compulsory – and will have them taught by classics teachers, not English teachers. The sub-text of this is that English teachers trained over the last 20 years have never been themselves taught the basics of grammar, and are therefore unable to teach it to their pupils. This is so true, but we could only wish that all secondary schools would do this, not just for some parents paying £4,000 or so a term.
|
 |
|
|
More...
|
|
|
So where does the Open University fit into Higher Education provision ? |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
|
|
|
|
The Chancellor of the Open University makes clear the important role of the Open University is expanding. As traditional universities get more expensive to attend full time, the Open University is still expanding with people wanting to study whilst continuing to work. It also appears that the OU comes top in student surveys and must now be seen to challenge many of the lower quality institutions. The Chancellor talked about two new OU projects.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
I think class sizes are a red herring. Smaller is not necessarily better or even easier to teach. |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Friday, September 29, 2006
|
|
|
|
When I started teaching (a long time ago) my first few infant classes varied in size from 42 to 53 (with three intakes a year it could get a bit packed from Easter to Summer). Typically we started the year with 36ish and then took in another 12 or so at Christmas and shoe-horned a couple of others in after Easter. I had a teaching assistant with me one half day a week. Every day was formal teaching Literacy and Numeracy in the mornings (who thought that idea was new eh?) and each child was expected to read every day (the Headteacher helped out twice a week). Standards were amazingly high compared with today. Why ? Read my comments at the end.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Should the Education Budget be used to pay for daycare for adults with learning difficulties / |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Friday, September 22, 2006
|
|
|
|
Last week cuts in FE College budgets were said to be threatening key vocational training programmes – but there was a report that, at Salisbury College the “cuts” in courses included the closure of a course for adults with severe learning difficulties. It transpired, however, that most of the individuals has been on the programme for some time, - up to 12 years in some cases. For those of us who have been around for a while, we recognise that this “problem” has happened again and again.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Important thinkers believe current culture is taking away children’s childhood. But I don’t necessarily agree. |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Sunday, September 17, 2006
|
|
|
|
British children are being "poisoned" by a culture of processed food, computer games and over-competitive education, a group of academics and authors claimed today. The Guardian quotes a letter to the Daily Telegraph, in which 110 teachers, psychologists and children's authors have called on the government to prevent the death of childhood. But they don’t really analyse why children’s lives have changed like this and whether turning back the clock is any kind of possibility.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Its about time A levels were sorted out, isn’t it. |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Friday, September 08, 2006
|
|
|
|
All the stuff in the press and on the TV about the exam system must have impinged itself on the government as a key issue to resolve (if all the hype about Tony going has made everybody forget there’s a job to do.) No one can fail to see that the A-level results - which saw the second biggest rise in the number of A grades awarded in the history of the exam - added urgency to the review of the qualification that is being undertaken by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), the exams watchdog.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Poor literacy and numeracy of recent graduates. My heart sinks. |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Saturday, September 02, 2006
|
|
|
|
More and more information is available to show that young people with GCSE English grades at C or above are functionally illiterate. A family member has just had to let an apprentice go because even though she has a Grade A in English (Language AND Literature no less. Her spelling was appalling, and her grammar worse. Even left with a letter to copy she would manage to misspell three or four words and forget the punctuation. I cannot begin to tell you how deficient her skills were in answering the telephone.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Perhaps “high flyers” in maths and science should consider doing apprenticeships in engineering ? I think so. |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Monday, August 28, 2006
|
|
|
|
Students who earned good grades in maths and science at GCSE should consider taking apprenticeships rather than traditional academic career paths, a leading scientist has advised. Rather than following the traditional route to A-levels then university, students could join an apprenticeship program straight after their GCSEs, train to become an engineer, for example, and then study for a degree or a diploma while working. And they would have a job and be earning money – seems like a really good idea.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Limits should be made on the number of GCSEs taken by students |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Thursday, August 24, 2006
|
|
|
|
A headteacher of one of the major independent schools asks for schools to cut the number of GCSEs taken by pupils – he wants education to benefit students and not league tables. At a time when top grades are increasing many people fear that this is because schools sit pupils for “easy” subjects where students can get high grades and thus boost the school’s tables. This is backed up by news that results of grades C+ in Maths and English and other key major academic subjects are not particularly good.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Major universities advises students to not study “soft option” A level subjects and concentrate on academic subjects |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
|
|
|
|
As many astute “A” level tutors would already have known, major universities are not willing to accept high grades in “soft option” A levels as entry requirements to their courses, but prefer lower grades in academic subjects. Cambridge, the London School of Economics and Manchester are advising students to concentrate of academic A levels and Cambridge has gone so far as to post a notice on its website advising young people of acceptable and unacceptable combinations of subjects for entry to its courses.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Schools choose “easier” GCSEs than Maths and English to boost exam pass rate |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
|
|
|
|
It appears that there is a gap in performance of 16 year olds in Maths and English at GCSE as compared with other GCSEs, prompting critics to say that schools are putting young people into programmes of subjects where it is easier for them to get higher grades, so as to boost the school’s performance in the tables. New % 5 Grade A-C passes standards will have to include Maths and English by 2008 – so the results will fall unless socks are pulled up smartly.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
“A” Levels results are up but University student numbers likely to go down. |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Sunday, August 20, 2006
|
|
|
|
Fewer students are likely to go to university this autumn despite a record year for A-level results, prompting fears that new "top-up" fees have put young people off higher education. Although critics of fees predicted poorer students would be hit hardest, the UCAS figures say the decrease was similar across the different social groups. Perhaps “A” level students are also looking at entering the job market whilst they can, earning money and work experience whilst the job market is buoyant enough for them to do so. If they’re worried about the money then this would be a really wise move instead of looking forward to increasing loans or bankrupting their parents.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Four good websites for teachers (or interested parents) |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
|
|
|
|
Here are four subject association websites in maths, languages, geography and science, that are set up mainly for teachers, but can be useful for more advanced students and parents for resources and information – plus they themselves are linked to other good sites in the same area.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Schools’ Reading lists are to be thinned out in more ways than one. |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Friday, August 11, 2006
|
|
|
|
I can’t say that I believe that, for the last 20 years at least, that schools’ reading lists have meant that children have left school with a feeling for the rich literacy heritage of English. Some may well have done, but I bet that the majority of these would have been, in the main, supported and role modelled by their parents literacy and the books on their shelves. However, there will have been some who were stimulated by their English curriculum. Now being accused of a “Dumbing down” of the Key Stage 3 curriculum Alan Johnson, the Schools minister says that the place of “heritage” novels has been secured. Though, it appears, very little else is sure to remain. What it does mean is that, it appears, modern novels (modern say, after the first world war !) seem to be likely to disappear as do novels written in English by writers from other ethnic heritages.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Structure of the new vocational diplomas released by government |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Saturday, August 05, 2006
|
|
|
|
Details of what 14-19 year olds will study in the new specialist diplomas were disclosed at the end of July. The Diplomas for 14 to 19-year-olds, which have been developed jointly by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and industry representatives, will be a blend of general education and work-related study in a special subject
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Did you know about “cyberbullying” in schools ? |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Thursday, August 03, 2006
|
|
|
|
Schools were this week being requested to stamp out "cyberbullying" as new research revealed that up to one in five children are being bullied via their mobile phone or through the internet. New Government guidelines say that teachers should ensure all e-mails sent from computers on site are monitored and internet use is restricted where necessary
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Research evidence about “Brain Based Learning” identifies “neuromyths” |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Sunday, July 30, 2006
|
|
|
|
Over the last ten years “brain-based learning” has been a subject of considerable interest to teachersa. Neuroscience is informing the education industry about brain disorders (eg. ADHD and Dyslexia) there is precious little evidence for the current enthusiasm of basing classroom practice on a so-called neuroscientific basis. So says new Scottish Research.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Helping young people to improve investigative, reasoning and writing skills |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Friday, July 28, 2006
|
|
|
|
It is increasingly clear we get what we teach to young people – rote learning in, rote writing out. A recent study finds that, if teachers are not careful, students relay on their teacher’s and textbooks interpretations of historical events rather than think of working out their own interpretation of an issue by looking at different source documents
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Sixth formers & parents underestimate University Debts |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Sunday, July 23, 2006
|
|
|
|
The average sixth-former expects to leave university with debts of just over £6,000 - less than half the average amount graduates actually owe, research showed today. Parents were not much better at estimating the financial burden of going to university, with the average parent expecting their child to accrue debts of £7,080. Parents say that they are willing to deprive themselves of holidays in order to put their child through University
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
Sir James Dyson to fund a school for inventors and engineers. |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Friday, July 14, 2006
|
|
|
|
Said to be open in two years, it is reported that Sir James Dyson, the vacuum man, is willing to spend millions investing in Britain’s first specialist design and engineering school, which he wants to train, inspire and educate future generations of inventors and engineers.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Drugs and young people –some interesting facts and figures |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Thursday, June 29, 2006
|
|
|
|
Mental Health problems are increasingly being linked with drug abuse, which damages many young people’s chances of success at school. You won’t be surprised about the groups that are at risk, but you may need to be looking at who your children spend time with.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
|
Can Thinking Skills be taught ? Research says yes but |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
|
|
|
|
Teaching Thinking is, it is said, a growing area in schools and colleges – and Thinking Skills are often rushed into by enthusiastic teachers but there are now so many approaches that it is unclear what kind of activity is supposed to do what.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
Education for Citizenship. What on earth is this – could it be any use. |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
|
|
|
|
I was quite bewildered as to what Education for Citizenship would possibly be. Would this be like saluting the flag stuff like the Americans ? Surely not. No, it turns out to be nothing like that at all, and though looking at some evaluation studies I can see some point in certain aspects, I can’t really see how this more than woolly curriculum as it is developing, can meld our children into respectful citizens (in fact, some of the issues seem determined to foster rather selfish ideals.)
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Teaching sentence combining likely to improve children’s writing skills |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Sunday, May 28, 2006
|
|
|
|
A systematic review of literature on the teaching of grammar identified a particular technique as likely to improve writing skills. If teaching time is limited, the researchers suggested that using the time to teach techniques such as sentence combining would help children write better, rather than teaching formal grammar which they say there is little proof of it improving writing skill in young children.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Do you think grammar should be taught formally in schools ? Is such teaching effective ? |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Saturday, May 27, 2006
|
|
|
|
I have found reports of two research reviews about grammar teaching. The two reviews had some rather controversial findings and want ministers to review National Curriculum guidelines about the teaching of formal grammar teaching. At the moment, younger primary children are required to learn about nouns, verbs and pronouns, and older primary school pupils learn all major parts of speech as well as the grammar of complex sentences.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Its Adult Learners’ Week. Is this an outdated concept ? |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
|
|
|
|
Adult Learners’ Week is when events are staged all over the country to celebrate Adult Learning and Learners’ achievements. But, there have been major changes in priorities in further education and money for leisure provision has gone –and support for learners over 19 cut (at least that’s how it seems to have ended up).
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Parents should support children in working hard at school |
|
Education
|
By Fusive on
Sunday, May 21, 2006
|
|
|
|
The Chief Inspector of Schools (the head of OFSTED) Maurice Smith has said that parents should make sure that their children do not stay up late watching TV and do not look scruffy going to school. He says that parental support was important for children and schools’ success.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|