Almost Canadian

In most communities, are there lots of "shit" schools then and how does one define "shit"?

Almost Canadian

I haven't stated that all schools are the same, simply that my children have all gone to the local State school, in every place we have lived. Others can do what they like.

Almost Canadian

When was the 11+ done away with? I lived on the Isle of Wight when I was school aged. I don't know of anyone that took the 11+. It didn't appear to affect us though. Some in my class went to, supposedly, very good Universities after their A levels.

Alan2005

I have no idea how many shit schools there are, but even you must accept that the number is greater than zero. People can define shit however they like; the FI has it's definition and I'm sure you have yours.

Alan2005

I think it was still going in some areas until the late 80's. The secondary modern I went to became comprehensive when I was halfway through.

Oink

Some LEA's kept it, most didn't. It was mainly kept in southern middle class areas. It was wholly discontinued in the north as it was thought to be more of a punishment than an assessment.

marika g

My son started middle school here in sept and spent grade 1 to grade 4 really not learning a great deal in his elementary school to be honest. I constantly asked about homework to be told that the school didn't 'do' homework! There is a HUGE concentration on literacy and not so much on numeracy (so if your kid is a 'numbers' kid then you will have to do extra work with them after school). In grade 1 my son had already done certain things such as division back in the UK and they only touched on that in the beginning of grade 3 so I found that he lost some of his education during the transition here. As parents we decided to let him 'fit in' to the school system here as there is enough stress involved in such a huge move as it is (which to be honest I found a bit frustrating...I was concerned about behavioural problems starting as a result of boredom in the classroom).

I was a special needs assistant back in the UK and I am very used to OFSTED etc and really wish there was a similar organization here. The FI report I found it to be useless. TBH...I just checked out the school website and also checked the 'results' from the school's previous years but this isn't a good reflection either as not 100% of the children in the schools actually take the exams so it's not an accurate guide. go check out a few schools and get a 'feel' for them. Other deciding factors are where you live in relation to the school and the bus system (if your child will need to take the bus) as we found out the hard way...we bought a house close to the school only to find that there wasn't any kids in the area as 90% of them are bussed in from the south communities in Calgary! ??!! I know! All I can think is that when they decided to build the newer communities the fact that they would need a school or two in those areas came as an after thought! Lol! In my opinion don't expect the teachers to be great...I'm sure there are some great ones but as another poster said there are no 'standards' here...no one checking effective teaching so no one to have to answer to if you don't pull in those good results at exam time.

Anyway, sorry about the long post but that's just my experience.

Shard

It sounds like you are equating accountability (OFSTED) with learning. There are many ways to teach, and slavishly teaching to a standardized national curriculum does not necessarily provided a great education.

Oink

What a load incomplete lesson plans. Most teachers without decent structure and accountability would teach naff all and be down the pub at lunchtime, especially in lower social-economic areas.

Shard

Not most teachers, just the crap teachers. Most teachers actually enjoy teaching and there is always some level of structure and accountability within the school.

marika g

Shard I understand that completely! As a child of a teacher who slaved away in the UK system for over 30 years and achieved great results with her kids but with no thanks! She often stepped 'out of the box' with her teaching (as I also have had to do with kids who struggle with certain learning) and that is quite probably how she achieved those good results! I understand that ofsted doesn't guarantee 100% accountability, however at least there is SOME accountability.

I am simply sharing MY experience with schooling so far here. Just saying....

marika g

@ Oink...I was mortified to hear that a lot of teachers here don't do lesson plans! Whaaaat??!!

Shard...that also depends on the leadership within the school. When my mum came for a visit and collected her grandson from school one day she was mortified at how unprofessional the other teachers appeared and conducted themselves and after talking one on one with the head teacher she certainly was worried as far as her grandson's education is going to pan out! Me too if I'm honest!

Shard

It's interesting to hear your experiences, thanks for sharing. I think the key is "so far" and possibly as you get more familiar with the Canadian system, you will find it equally good. I just feel there is a lot of "teaching to the test" in modern Britain and not enough true learning. And whether homework is entirely necessary for elementary school kids is a debatable topic. I'm not and educator so I don't have an informed opinion on it, but as a parent, I have doubts and think it should be minimised.

As you know, every school is different. Some will be ultra professional and structured, some will be quiet slack. That's why it's important to visit a school and meet the head in person if at all possible.

Oink

Of course, especially the concerned ESL parents from the estate reviewing the curriculum and going over detailed personalized instructional programs with the teacher and the head.

ann m

I don't drink coffee, but if I did, I might have just had a coffee/keyboard moment.