To think the school system is ridiculous

[Suflan]

This post is talking about the school system in the republic of Ireland, but I know that the school system in the UK has some similiatites, so this is also relevant to people in the UK.

I went to school in Ireland a long time ago, 20 years ago.

My younger cousins are just sitting their school leaving certificate (irish equivalent to a levels) this year and they and their friends have been posting about the exams, after it happened, on social media.

I was just thinking what they learn and do exams on is such a load of shite. Like how is it relevant or necessary in todays world at all.

They posted about their maths paper, all the quadratic equations, prove that point 5,1 is on the line etc etc, extremely complicated equations, and algebra.

Like what do you need that for in life? Its so totally pointless. And maths is mandatory to do, so they need points from maths to get into University.

Like what is the point of learning these things. Surely they should be learning something useful. My cousins have said to me that they think that a lot of what they learn is totally pointless too

My guessimate was 45 years (they've knocked off approx a third of each year, therefore 30 is 2/3 of their life), using a calculator I make it 42.

I agree my cousin is a trained soldier and he has still really struggled to play call of duty. He wishes he’d not opted for it as one of his GCSE subjects but too late now.

I worked in industry for many 15 years before doing teaching. Many of my colleagues are the same. From my experience fresh from uni teachers tend to do primary teaching and teachers who started later tend to do secondary. Not always the case but often.

I have to agree. I have 12 GCSE’s, 4 a-levels and a very good degree from a very good university! I’m useless at call of duty and fortnight! Will
someone please consider this and change the education system

Honestly what a sad blinkered approach you have.
Algebra is used every day by engineers. Scientists. Actuaries and a host of other well paid professionals.

You can take that approach to every subject, Geography, when are you going to need to know how volcanoes are formed, history, how is it relevant who won the war of the roses. English , who needs to understand the sonnets ?
Education even for education sake is a wonderful thing, it broadens the mind and the soul. I feel sorry that you can’t see that.

Well, I have owned three companies, have worked retail, medicine, account management and psychology. So no, not all teachers have only ever been teachers.

I completely agree with you.

The practical apart of it is fine, easy to get the hours in.

However, who knew the theory was going to contain algebra?

A teacher came on here and said that everyone working in student welfare : are uneducated, have no qualifications, and know nothing about education.

That's not what they said tho @Suflan

They said educational quals were not needed for a student welfare role. Thats certainly true in my area; I know and have known numerous school staff in pastoral and welfare roles who had no specific educational qualifications. That doesn’t mean they were uneducated; but tho if course entitled to their view, they were not the best people to lecture teachers about the education system and how to teach. Not that they did IME.

I’ve not read the full thread but you have made some sweeping statements. As others have said, maths is so useful. I use it every day in my (creative, word-based) working role.

She said educational qualifications were not needed for welfare roles.

That may be true in her school. It is not true in my school.

Literally, when I applied to this role, the job spec said 'you must have a relevant degree'

I also think its extremely rude for that poster to say that I worked in an area, that you don't need any qualifications to work in. Even if that is true in her school , why would you say that to someone.

The only intent of that comment, was to call me stupid.

I could point out to her that many teachers in schools, are teaching subjects that they have asbolutely no qualifications in. This is true.

One English teacher that I know has a Degree in history. He has no qualifications whatsoever in English. He was just asked to step in because they were short staffed.

That kind of maths is very important in a lot of important careers

I agree that teachers across the UK are teaching subjects where they do not have qualifications and that is not a good thing.

I am not sure what "a relevant degree" means in your school, but it doesn't necessarily mean a candidate has any educational quals or knowledge of pedagogy. Does your school employ only people with degrees in education? I doubt that bc that is not a very commonly taken degree, unless planning to teach primary. A degree in history (or maths!) is not as such an educational qualification.

I think you may have misinterpreted what the poster was saying. They were not calling you stupid. They were merely pointing out that typically, a role like yours does not require specific quals in education (whereas a teaching role does). I imagine they were referencing PGCE or masters in education. Those quals are not usually required for pastoral or welfare roles in schools.

deleted double post sorry

Please point out where I called you stupid. I'll wait.

I didn't say you wrote the word 'stupid'. I said you implied it.

What was your purpose of saying 'people don't need qualifications to work in welfare".

What is the purpose of that comment. Because it's rude.

If i went up to a retail worker and said to them "you don't need a qualification to work in retail'.

That is being sneery and rude to them. I know they don't but to actually go up and say it to them, it is looking down on someone and telling them that their job is shit.

The poster said you don’t need educational quals. You have posted a lot of views about education, which you are entitled to hold. You said you work in a school. But if you are not a teacher, then you don’t have a PGCE, so your knowledge of educational pedagogy may be limited.

The poster never said you don’t need qualifications. I don’t think they were rude. I think a lot of your posts show a limited understanding of the topics you are discussing tbh. That’s fine too. But no one has implied you are stupid. As far as I have seen anyway.

No one ever reads the thread, but I have also written on this thread that I have worked as a teacher in the past, as have many of my colleagues, who currently work in welfare.

Teachers often choose to get out of teaching roles after a while, and go and work in other areas of education.

Look OP, I don’t want to add to the pile on, but ESL teaching is not the same as getting a PGCE and teaching the curriculum you’re critiquing here. It’s a bit disingenuous to try and equate the two.

Not every teacher has a PGCE. You can teach without it.

Im not sure why you think the PGCE is the holy grail of qualifications. It's a one year course, and any teacher I know that did it, said it was not great, and that they only learned to teach when they actually started teaching.

Right , even though I advise students every week on their A level and Uni choices, and I speak to them all the time about their curriculum....

"I know nothing at all about the curriculum"

The snobbery!

Although the teaches in Ireland teaching leaving cert now have to have a primary degree and a 2 year m.ed.

The vast majority of teachers in the UK have a PGCE and those that don’t are still qualified teachers (or in training). My point stands that
ESL teaching is very different. Of course teachers continue to develop once they actually start teaching. Training is meant to give them a strong foundation to begin that journey from, which is the same as general mandatory education really.

I never said you didn’t know anything about the curriculum.

When I did my PGCE, after my first class degree in Education, and before my Master's and Doctorate in Education, I had to do extensive, Level 6 research into multiple topics, write four dissertation length essays, two group presentations on research findings, two individual presentations, one final submission, a publishable article, and my PDP, as well as participate in full time lectures and teaching practice.

Are you saying that throughout your degree and work experience, you've done academic research and in depth analysis of curricula, pedagogy, theory, development, international pedagogy, metacognition, teaching and learning, and much more?

If not, why are you attempting to critique the English curriculum, in such a way that the things you're suggesting are really bizarre? It's just a strange thing to do. I wouldn't work as a nurse and start to critique a brain surgeon in the operating theatre and the biology of the brain.

Which they did on the PGCE! Of course you only learn to teach when you start teaching which is at the start of your PGCE and throughout.