To think school is just crap

[moanymoaner]

I mean why in 2019 are we still teaching children the same generic subjects , making them choose what they want for a future at 14 when they care about nothing and making them sit exams at 15/16 that they will have to rely on for jobs for the rest of their lives!!

As time goes on the more appealing home Ed is becoming , if nothing else than my children being victims of other people's horrors!

I'm genuinely interested in people's thoughts around it . Also I'm not by any means dissing teachers , it's government policy not teachers .

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Maldives2006

Ds is doing functional English. He isn’t expected to pass

[Ledkr]

I'd love to see education given a good shake up.
I work with traumatised children and spend hours trying to get schools to help a s support them often to no avail.
My own children didnt really enjoy school and the adults are Al dojng well now without a plethora of exams.
My daughter was so badly bullied that she was suicidal and afraid to leave the house for a year. I took her out after the school failed to stop it and she is doing really well planning a career in the entertainment Industry and has just recorded her first single even tho she wasn't allowed to take musc as na option 🙄
My 7 year old isn't keen and I've seen signs of anxiety in her since she went to juniors and it all got too hard.
I'm not even sure I've done the right thing sending her to school.

[FishCanFly]

I am with OP. I went to school in another country and felt that much of it was a waste of time. Nothing against generic subjects - maths, science, humanities - all needed. But they way they were delivered - irrelevant, outdated, and pointless, only to be forgotten after the exams. For example, English as a foreign language - years spent cramming grammar rules, memorizing texts, but conversational level - not beyond being able to order a coffee. My parents took me to private tutors, and we went on holidays abroad, but many of my former classmates wouldn't be able to understand a film, let alone read a book.
University education is also overrated. Previous generation told us we needed a degree to secure a job, but now it's the tradespeople who make good money, and graduates are serving at Starbucks. I am grateful for education I have, but wish I've done something more useful

[Maldives2006]

Or maybe look at a functional skills English exam

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Yes they have but both Dp and myself are totally useless at passing an English exam. I have taken it 7 times from O level to CSE to RSA which was an exam that 14 year olds took all failed with an unclassified.

Dp took it a couple of times and failed but it didn’t matter as he had other O levels and then he did A levels then did a qualification in a profession whilst also taking his law degree.
I know lots of professional people my age who don’t have the equivalent GCSE in both English and Maths that have very successful careers.

[Maldives2006]

My son has dyslexia, adhd and some motor co ordination difficulties.

[Maldives2006]

Have the college put in all the access arrangements in place for the English exam that your son could be entitled to because of his disabilities.

I would encourage your son to speak to the college inclusion team about everything he is entitled to help him with the exam.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Plumber’s tend to need to have a very good grasp of maths, physics, chemistry and English for their correspondence.

Electricians need to have a very good grasp of maths, physics and English.

Bricklayers need to be able to use maths and read technical drawings

But you don’t have to have passed an exam in English, Maths, Chemistry or Physics to be able to do any of the jobs

Ds is top of his class (100% regularly in the assessments and tests) in a trade where you are saying that he would needs a host of qualifications to do the job but he has only Maths and will not get English when he takes it this summer (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, and ADHD) let alone having any Science based GCSEs

He would love to qualify but because he can’t do English he cannot continue with the course.
Speaking to him he is very bright and knows a lot about a lot of things and can chat on a wide range of subjects but cannot pass an exam for toffee.

I have worked in a couple of the above areas and have absolutely no qualifications.

I can plumb in a bathroom and wire in a plug. I can’t do bricklaying because i am too messy rather not being able to count or read a technical drawing.

The issue now is unless you can pass certain GCSEs which really have nothing to do with the career you can’t qualify and then everyone wonders why there is a shortage of these trades.

If you do pass all these exams the likelihood is you are going to University not college to learn a trade.

FWIW some of the richest people I know are hairdressers and plumbers

[Gwenhwyfar]

It's a bit like saying 'you should be a cleaner because you can be like Kim and Aggie'. By all means, be a cleaner if that's what you really want, but don't think you're likely to work your way up to being a TV star.

[Kazzyhoward]

you can't look at people at the top of a particular trade or profession, you have to look at the average.

Agree. It annoys me when people quote top accountants and lawyers earning a million and extrapolate it to meaning all accountants and lawyers are rich millionaires. It's just ridiculous. Most accountants and lawyers are earning far lower amounts, many not even higher rate taxpayers. Same with footballers - how many young lads have been talked up into concentrating on football rather than their education in the hope of being the next Beckham (like my Nephew), only to realise far too late, they're destined to play Sunday league alongside their minimum wage factory job. As you see, you need to look at what the average hairdresser, plumber, accountant, lawyer, footballer, earns, not the top, as only a tiny percentage of people will reach the top!

[OnlineAlienator]

I home ed. Bit mystified at the idea that with home ed YOU teach your child everything start to finish. In reality, you enrol for online courses, resources etc and use tutors, classes, clubs etc.

[Gwenhwyfar]

Fresta - you can't look at people at the top of a particular trade or profession, you have to look at the average.

[Fresta]

Hairdressing is a skilled and rewarding career for many. Many hairdressers own their own salons, enjoy their job and employ several other people. Some might own a small chain of shops, some might reach the heights of Vidal Sassoon. Some might work in television, theatre, film, magazine shoots or catwalk shows. The possibilities are there. And, BTW, being on your feet is preferable to sitting on your arse all day for some people- hairdressing appeals to those who might be creative and want a varied role, to those that enjoy interacting with clients and those that like being innovative.

[Gwenhwyfar]

"because plumbing and hairdressing aren't careers anyone should actually 'aspire' to. (Tell Nicky Clarke or John Frieda that)"

Plumbing can be well paid, but look at the average wage for hairdressing and the fact you're on your feet the whole time. The average hairdresser is not going to be Nicky Clarke.

[SadOtter]

It’s not a race to the bottom some of the stuff i’ve read on here is insulting to people who do these jobs for example

Plumber’s tend to need to have a very good grasp of maths, physics, chemistry and English for their correspondence.

Electricians need to have a very good grasp of maths, physics and English.

Bricklayers need to be able to use maths and read technical drawings.

^^ yes! A lot of my family do practical jobs (Electricians, roofers, builders) Their maths particularly is amazing, I mean I've seen Dad look at a job and go 'to cover an area that size I'll need this quantity of that material that'll be around this much for materials, plus this much for labour so its this much' that would have taken me 5-10 minutes with a pen and paper, he's done it in his head in seconds!

[SadOtter]

I'm a TA/cover supervisor, I wouldn't homeschool because as much as I'm good at helping other peoples kids helping my DD with bits shes struggling with has proved I can't teach her, she strops and shouts at me in a way she'd never talk to her teacher (I've checked, her attitude at school is fine, its just me she talks to like it).

But yes, there are bits of the school system that I find totally pointless and stupid, SATS for example - some parents put too much pressure on their small children and at year 2 no child should be crying over tests. The way PE is done (i thought i hated all sports, actually I just hated school PE, turns out there's lots of exercise I enjoy, i just really hate netball, rounders, dodgeball and hockey). Forcing children who have no interest in subjects to learn them - Maths and English are necessary, I think RE is important if done well, which it often isn't (a basic understanding of peoples beliefs is useful, if its taught in a some people believe this but we are all different and that's ok way) and PSHE is important as not everyone has parents or will or can explain sex, puberty, social skills etc. But a lot of other subjects are just a waste of time for some children, that's not saying they shouldn't be taught but making a child study another language for example when they struggle with English is pointless, or worse if they are already bi-lingual, I mean my friend is French, moved here at 11 years old, what was the point in her doing French GCSE when she could have slotted in another GCSE option?

[PrismGuile]

And I don't use maths or science in my current role and am unlikely ever to but I appreciate that it's good to understand how the world works 🙄🙄 v childish argument there

[PrismGuile]

I agree though uni places need to be cut in half so that a new non-degree job market can open up again. It's insane when apprentices have masters degrees...

[PrismGuile]

I loved my lessons (other kids less so). They taught us many different ones in year 7, year nine you narrowed, again in year 10 and 11. I did humanities, 3 languages, drama, food tech, art, IT, classics, minor Ancient Greek, and the core subjects.... then I narrowed them when appropriate. And, I was at an awful huge comp.

What would you rather they do? Never teach maths or English if you don't like them aged 10? Half of England is already basically illiterate.

[zwellers]

Feeling happy that the five years of my life I spent learning german to never use it ever again makes me a interesting person. Said no one ever.

[tilder]

I found this thread rather depressing. So many people who do not value education.

Education should not, in my view, be limited to the bare minimum. Nor should we be limited by our parents achievements or assumptions about our capabilities when we are young children.

I do appreciate education is not a joy for all. Doesn't mean you should be exempt and remain in ignorance.

[Maldives2006]

I lived abroad in one of the countries where a lot of our tradespeople have come from and am aware of the differences in the systems.

[Maldives2006]

Well that’s fantastic and proves that maybe we should look at our education system then because your son is obviously highly intelligent.

[Maldives2006]

Well we have to find a way to educate these people then not just write them off as being unable to educate.

[Maldives2006]

No I don’t what I think is that we should respect education a lot more and maybe learn from other countries. England currently ranks around 26 in the world in maths and science below the countries where a lot of trade-people have come from. It’s not a race to the bottom some of the stuff i’ve read on here is insulting to people who do these jobs for example

Plumber’s tend to need to have a very good grasp of maths, physics, chemistry and English for their correspondence.

Electricians need to have a very good grasp of maths, physics and English.

Bricklayers need to be able to use maths and read technical drawings.

McDonald’s have a well defined career structure for people who are interested in progression.