Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack

The general complaint here is that primary school kids do too much. They seem to swing from one programme to the next and that includes concerts. To be honest, we can barely keep up with it all.

My daughter is in Prep - (Year 1) and if she suddenly disappears then we know she has put herself to bed - they are often wacked at the end of the day. Her reading is nothing short of incredible.

Originally Posted by kips

As I usually do on a Monday after my son, aged 8,comes home from school I asked him where his weekly homework sheet was as it wasn't in his school bag.

We haven't got any because it's nearly the end of term he cried. That's a week and and a half away I remonstrated in disgust.

Not allowed to take out a library book either this week and he has started to bring home all his work, including exercise books.

And he seems to be spending a lot of time colouring in pictures in class. Very nice but not exactly challenging.

So I am not sure if the kids are being taught anything educational. Call me old-fashioned but I thought we sent our children to learn English, maths, science, geography, history, etc right up until at least the last couple of days of the school year.

On Wednesday I was handed a note from my son's school informing me: "During the last few days of the 2011 school year, the Year 3 classes will be watching Nativity, a 2009 BBC comedy" as part of end of year celebrations. Not sure how this fits into the curriculum.

I'd like to know from other parents if their kids' teachers also on "go slow" for the rest of the school year and think the teachers are being lazy.

I know if I decided to "take it easy" at work for 8 days because I was going on leave for a couple of weeks I would be sacked. Why don't the same standards apply in the public sector ?

I would be very annoyed if I was sending my son to a private school and paying for him to spend time watching TV and colouring in pictures of crocodiles and snakes.

Originally Posted by NickyC

Studies of Society and Environment?

In NSW it's called HSIE - Human Society and its Environment.

They revert back to History and Geography in High School - it's only in primary they are taught together.

Originally Posted by Amazulu

We got my son's school report last week. To be honest it was a bit average, apart from a few exceptions, and I was slightly disappointed. However I was more interested in the comments from his teacher and head about what a pleasant child he is to teach and interact with, about his enthusiasm and how he gets stuck in and gives things a go - especially at sport and about how he tries to help around the classroom.

Academic achievement is important at a young age, but being well adjusted, interacting and having fun are just as important. I reckon he's going to do okay.

Originally Posted by kips

Thanks for your advice. Much of it is sensible. I have been very polite to my son's teacher and not challenged her on on any of her comments. Certainly never been blunt.

I've no doubt his teacher means well - and she is a very nice lady - but it doesn't help when my efforts to encourage my child to read regularly, for example, are undermined.

My son has now decided he doesn't need to read a book because his teacher has said so. He's edited out the bit about her saying he can read "other things".

Children at this age take anything a teacher says as Gospel and have far more influence over them than a parent when it comes to learning.

And nice idea about parents learning maths and science to year 10 but I don't think you'll get many takers. Most parents are too busy juggling work,child care and after-shool activities to have the energy or time for studying.

I was secretary of the P&C committee for 4 years at my son's last school and we had great difficulty getting parents to attend meetings, even when we offered to change the times of the monthly meeting.

It was the same handful of parents, who year after year, volunteered to run the canteen, helped on sports days,swimming galas, spring fairs, Senior Citizens' luncheon, sausage sizzles etc

If you can't get parents to volunteer a couple of hours of their time you've got no chance getting them to study maths and science.