education system
#61
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Hills District
Posts: 1,399
Re: education system
We'll have to agree to differ on that!
#64
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 3,453
Re: education system
...and they do, not least, because of your last statement about the quality of teachers.
For too long poor teachers have hidden their own performance behind a multitude of child issues - problems at home, poor parents, older sibling dominance, low self-esteem, dyslexia.
Of course these issues are extremely important and of course they all affect child attainment and of course no two children are alike.
But if you can start from a point which says "1000 children who scored the same aptitude as your daughter at aged 7 went on to produce a Year 12 average result of 95% (and the highest was 97% and the lowest 80%)" then you have a starting point for discussion about all of the above issues. You can create dialogue.
"My child isn't achieving quite as well as is suggested from the data - let's think about what the cause could be...self-esteem, bullying?, laziness, family problems......crap teacher?????"
Of course gleaning statistics and sitting back and watching won't help but as part of informing and diagnosing and helping the individual child...it's invaluable.
WA teachers continually block attempts for greater transparency and use of objective data.
For too long poor teachers have hidden their own performance behind a multitude of child issues - problems at home, poor parents, older sibling dominance, low self-esteem, dyslexia.
Of course these issues are extremely important and of course they all affect child attainment and of course no two children are alike.
But if you can start from a point which says "1000 children who scored the same aptitude as your daughter at aged 7 went on to produce a Year 12 average result of 95% (and the highest was 97% and the lowest 80%)" then you have a starting point for discussion about all of the above issues. You can create dialogue.
"My child isn't achieving quite as well as is suggested from the data - let's think about what the cause could be...self-esteem, bullying?, laziness, family problems......crap teacher?????"
Of course gleaning statistics and sitting back and watching won't help but as part of informing and diagnosing and helping the individual child...it's invaluable.
WA teachers continually block attempts for greater transparency and use of objective data.
Last edited by NKSK version 2; Nov 11th 2008 at 11:50 am.
#65
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 3,453
Re: education system
You never know, a few parents have started to turn down places because of the economic situation, this might ease the queues - I heard today that one low fee private school is seriously worried about enrollments.
#66
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 3,453
Re: education system
And we're not talking about severely disadvantaged communities compared with City Beach here - we're talking differences in classes in the same school in a wealthy suburb...
Surely such a state of affirs has to be addressed?
#67
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Hills District
Posts: 1,399
Re: education system
...and they do, not least, because of your last statement about the quality of teachers.
For too long poor teachers have hidden their own performance behind a multitude of child issues - problems at home, poor parents, older sibling dominance, low self-esteem, dyslexia.
Of course these issues are extremely important and of course they all affect child attainment and of course no two children are alike.
But if you can start from a point which says "1000 children who scored the same aptitude as your daughter at aged 7 went on to produce a Year 12 average result of 95% (and the highest was 97% and the lowest 80%)" then you have a starting point for discussion about all of the above issues. You can create dialogue.
"My child isn't achieving quite as well as is suggested from the data - let's think about what the cause could be...self-esteem, bullying?, laziness, family problems......crap teacher?????"
Of course gleaning statistics and sitting back and watching won't help but as part of informing and diagnosing and helping the individual child...it's invaluable.
WA teachers continually block attempts for greater transparency and use of objective data.
For too long poor teachers have hidden their own performance behind a multitude of child issues - problems at home, poor parents, older sibling dominance, low self-esteem, dyslexia.
Of course these issues are extremely important and of course they all affect child attainment and of course no two children are alike.
But if you can start from a point which says "1000 children who scored the same aptitude as your daughter at aged 7 went on to produce a Year 12 average result of 95% (and the highest was 97% and the lowest 80%)" then you have a starting point for discussion about all of the above issues. You can create dialogue.
"My child isn't achieving quite as well as is suggested from the data - let's think about what the cause could be...self-esteem, bullying?, laziness, family problems......crap teacher?????"
Of course gleaning statistics and sitting back and watching won't help but as part of informing and diagnosing and helping the individual child...it's invaluable.
WA teachers continually block attempts for greater transparency and use of objective data.
#68
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Hills District
Posts: 1,399
Re: education system
What I find so frustrating is that some people have great experiences of Australian education and others have dire experiences.
And we're not talking about severely disadvantaged communities compared with City Beach here - we're talking differences in classes in the same school in a wealthy suburb...
Surely such a state of affirs has to be addressed?
And we're not talking about severely disadvantaged communities compared with City Beach here - we're talking differences in classes in the same school in a wealthy suburb...
Surely such a state of affirs has to be addressed?
#69
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 3,453
Re: education system
Still can't agree with you. Statistics can be manipulated and therefore can be deemed to be flawed, especially when applied to people. We are never going to agree on this so why don't we just leave it at that. Must admit that we could have a very lively discussion on the subject but not really appropriate for a website.
#70
Re: education system
I live in a normal suburb, middle of the road 20 year old suburb, certainly not City Beach (in my dreams!). The school has excellent leadership under a fantastic principal who takes an active interest in all areas of the school. I honestly can't really fault it.
#73
Re: education system
As a univerity educated adult from the UK who went to a primary school with no testing to see how i was doing against the rest of my class i quite like the australian system which develops the whole and allows kids to be kids.
I dont know what you are all concerned about!!!
I dont know what you are all concerned about!!!
Ok so if you know that 60% of the kids in your school get a certain grade or below and only 30% of neighbouring (ie same socio-economic mix etc) schools do you'd really want to ask why ?
Wish me luck - off to challenge the head of year today having got the brush off from class teacher yesterday .....
#74
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 68
Re: education system
http://www.theage.com.au/national/ne...1111-5mkg.html
#75
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 57
Re: education system
Spoken by someone who does have children in the Australian education system 10 and 8 and in comparison to their cousins in the UK who go to a middle england supposedly high performing school they have far more critical thinking skills and understand how to learn rather than be taught by rote which is well researched to be the worst method of learning.
Very happy with our experience....and they are growing up slower which cant be a bad thing.
Very happy with our experience....and they are growing up slower which cant be a bad thing.