To think secondary school rules are harsh and missing the point

[craxyrulebraker]

DS has just started secondary I just think it is all too much and the focus is all wrong.

You have to ask to take your blazer or jumper off
warning about the 'wrong' type of PE shorts, etc
Not allowed to drink water in lessons
Cautions for forgotten kit
Detentions for homework not complete - even when its not clear who/how to hand it in

Meanwhile very little nurture or pastrol care; poor communication so children don't know what is always expected of them, but scared they will get a detention; hardly any SEN support; very little staff presence at break/lunch times or in corridors; problems with bullying. Schools can't do these basics but tell the kids off for wearing the 'wrong' grey trousers!!

Do they really though?

And by suit them what do you actually mean?

No, they haven’t just guessed if their pupils understand it or not. How do you think it’s done?

Ooh I don't know? The same people who set the curriculum now, what with it being their remit.

Where did I say they had guessed?

But you don’t like the curriculum! I’m asking you what’s ‘useful’ and how do we know how that ‘use’ applies to everyone?

So how do you think it’s done? How do we know if they’ve understood or not?

I've already said what I think is useful. I'm not sure there's any point in responding to you when you're so very sure you're right and don't want to consider any other opinion.

I can’t see where you’ve put the list of useful things you’d like to see in the curriculum.

Presumably by their work? I'm guessing mock exams as well but again, only a test of their memory and not their understanding.

Im sorry but I didn't think I needed to provide you with a list considering you're a teacher who could do fuck all about it and have to follow the current curriculum regardless?

So you do want us to assess their work? Why do you think exams don’t test understanding?

Exams do test understanding, it's not all rote facts.

Well, I’m in Scotland so we do actually have a fair amount of control over what we teach. But I’m SUPER interested in how you, who knows very little about the curriculum or how to teach, can improve it.

So far you've listed mortgages and savings as "useful". These are already taught (I'll accept to different extents). What else do you want?

Or have you adopted a position of "I never needed Pythagoras" without critical thinking about those who may do, and the other skills that people do use from school?

And people wonder why teachers get no respect. It's not a lack of critical thinking, I just disagree with you. That's okay, you know.

It is simply my opinion. I haven't said otherwise.

A lot of them just test what you can remember. I've literally said this, again, this is my opinion, just in case you're struggling.

I forgot that were not allowed to disagree with teachers on MN

But this isn’t a case of ‘opinion’. Assessments test understanding and progress, we assess everything they do. So to say they only test memory isn’t an opinion, it’s just incorrect.

No, you can disagree, you just can’t talk nonsense and expect not to be challenged on it. Bold of you to take such an opinionated stance on something you don’t know anything about.

So, I'm not allowed an opinion? That's what you're saying? Ok.

Examples? Or just your imagination?

I'm not talking nonsense, it's literally my opinion.

It's quite disappointing that the people teaching our next generation are so intolerant to be honest.

See, this is why we teach reading comprehension.

Well it's not imagination is it. Plenty of criminals absolutely will have had detentions. Why wouldn't they have? You seriously think 0 criminals had detentions?