Rudi

Um why? My daughter had no extra tuition to get offered a place at a selective school. We turned the place down because we moved to Qld.......and to be honest, we might well have done even if we had remained in NSW, but that's by the by.

Love

Rudi
x

Kapri

I went to secondary school in Ireland where it was quite normal to have extra tuition. I had extra maths tuition (for all the good it did me ).

I don't think it's a British thing to assume the school is wholly responsible
My OH and I spend a lot of time helping our kids, and I'm currently looking for a tutor to help my daughter have the best chance at getting into the top stream when she starts secondary school next year. Although my county doesn't do the 11 plus exam, the school does an equivalent exam to stream the children.

IndieG

I can see why some parents would want their to child take extra tutoring - especially in cases where a parent either does not have the time to coach their children if they're weak in a particular subject (working parents for e.g.), or the teaching standards are lacking and a child is not motivated enough to study on her own.

What I don't understand is why reasonably bright children who can very well study and cope on their own are pushed by parents towards tutors.

What if a child is just not academically inclined? Why push her? Why not find something that really interests her?

IndieG

PS: I just love this speech by JK Rowling:

http://www.ted.com/talks/jk_rowling_...f_failure.html


Really worth taking a few minutes to watch and listen to this speech!

DeadVim

(Dentists) And a high suicide rate apparently.

I'm sure somebody will be along to argue the toss though

Whatever works and is needed I say ... too much education cannot do any harm.

Not sure about the negative impression of British migrants and their reliance on benefits ... in my experience (5 years) I've found most 'anglo' migrants to be more than willing to put the effort in.

Kapri

My dentist always looks down in the mouth

Dentists, doctors, vets, nurses and farmers aren't any more likely than the general population to try suicide, but they are much more likely to succeed if they do attempt it.
This is due to having the medical knowledge to be successful and access to drugs. In the case of farmers it's access to guns.

IndieG

I still have nightmares studying for the wrong exam, or it's my exam the next day and I haven't even opened my brand new text book (all this especially after I caught up with a lot of my classmates from school recently on FB)

It is amazing how kids turn out though. There was this really quiet girl in my class, don't remember her being particularly bright. Today she teaches medicine in Yale and is on their intern selection committee!

OzSheila

As you know my daughter is also at the same school. 90% is an exaggeration but I do understand a large number of students do have tutors. One of the reasons for this is that they were coached to get into the school in the first place. Once in they are unable to "stand on their own feet". Let's just say that the school counsellor is one of the busiest staff members at that school thanks in part to "pushy" parents. My daughter was not coached for entry and it is only this year (11) she has talked about getting a tutor for maths - which is still under discussion.

I do not necessarily agee with your comment regarding an academically inclined child doing well in any school. My middle child is in a good private school and in the last two years has effectively come 1st or 2nd in the year overall out of 240 students. Yes, he may be doing "well" but he is not being "stretched" to his true capacity despite being in the "extension" classes. He is a competitive child by nature and there just is no competition.

Kapri

Yes, this is where people have think carefully about tutors. It's one thing to have extra coaching to catch up in weak areas, but if it leaves a child unable to think for themselves or direct their own study then it will not do them any good in the long term.

DeadVim

Ah, interesting, never thought of it that way.

I have the occasional nighmare about school exams, probably an indication of some deep-seated sense of inadequacy ... or too much cheese before bed.

Education is a big thing of ours ... I knew a guy at school, brightest in the class, went to a top uni and got a degree in Physics ... ended up doing stand-up comedy in Newcastle.

Lesson to be learnt ... do a degree in something useful!

Or become famous for nothing at all and squirrel away the money before the envitable media backlash and descent into Drink and Drugs Hell.

Kapri

That was my original career plan, but I became a psych nurse instead

DeadVim

Worked for Jo Brand in reverse ... I deal with enough head cases to qualify ...

paulry

My in-laws in Malaysia place enormous emphasis on education. During my visits there it was nothing unusual to see the pre-secondary school relatives studying into the early hours. It's become an eduction bubble really. What it means is the kids are forced to put enormous effort into their studies just to keep up with the class average. I admire their hard work ethic but preparing for adulthood is about so much more than just academic achievement.

dhama

Yes he may be right. When i observed in brisbane maximum i found asian students who go for a extra coaching (North shore coaching center). Hardly we find a student form other orgin

IndieG

You reckon there's such a thing as a degree in common sense?