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Education

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Original poster

I resent school.

192 replies

spidermama · 21/09/2005 15:51

I have a sneaking feeling I'll be the only one thinking this .... again ... but I'm really wishing I didn't have to send my kids to school five days a week.
It seems school presents something new to irritate me every day. Today brought news that parents who take their children out of school during SATs (don't even get me started on SATs [agnry]) will be fined.
I think this is outrageous interference.

OP posts:
happymerryberries · 21/09/2005 19:05

No i agree, what I was upset about was a posting that said 'Education is realy realy crap every where' Which I did take as a knock....we resolved the issue between us.

I have no probelm with people discussing the system, but honestly have never found five minutes reading homework cut into my home time....and ds is one of the most recalcitrent readers I have ever come across! I like to see how he is doing and also like to think that I can help if I can

Satine · 21/09/2005 19:07

Spidermama - forgive me, I haven't read this whole thread but have you considered an alternative like Steiner education? I just don't believe that 5 and 6 year olds should be sitting in a classroom all day - they should be allowed to explore and develop and discover naturally, not as the national curriculum dictates. There's another mum where I live who feels the same and we're so far from anything like a Steiner school that we're honestly considering setting up our own. I just can't abandon my kids to the nightmare of state education. My niece-in-law is a teacher in a big secondary school and the stories she tells make my blood run cold.

swedishmum · 21/09/2005 19:09

I'm totally with you spidermama - hassles such as my post about breaktime detentions sum it up for me. At primary level the teaching children gets depends so much on the ability and personality of the teacher and there are far btoo many lazy, ill educated ones out there with very little life experience. I know there are some fab ones (all those on here for eg and me of course0 but some just aren't in the right job.

I did home ed while we were abroad and loved it and the only reason I don't do it now for my primary children is because I have a toddler. It's certainly getting far more acceptable now. I want to enjoy my children - too much of the petty stuff at school wears them down and I get them back all grumpy at the end of the day. I also have some educational issues.

Incidentally, many teachers choose to Home Ed.

basketcase · 21/09/2005 19:09

As an ex teacher I was really really worried about my child?s education. Would never choose to home ed as I don?t possess the fully rounded skills/patience and fully believe in the community and social benefits. However, I am very critical and was concerned that my little knowledge would be a dangerous thing IYKWIM.
While I miss my DD1 terribly - much much more than she misses me thankfully - and she isn?t doing much academically yet, I am delighted with her primary school so far. She loves it, the teacher clearly cares for the welfare of her charges and has made such an effort to make the adjustment into school life as painless for us all as possible.
My daughter has brought home a beautiful workbook, carefully labelled up and laminated by the teacher, already has reading books, a weekly library book. Comes home full of stories about dance and music, art projects and learning about explorers. Her vocab is developing day by day and she seems so much older already. It is wonderful to see.

Why am I telling you this? - just to show that while I feel for spidermame a great deal, being unhappy with your child?s provision must be awful, perhaps putting a little perspective on this. I think maybe some of her comments could be seen as a little sweeping. Clearly, not all schools are doing well but plenty out there are full of hard working, caring professionals. I for one am happy to put my own feelings of missing my child to one side as I can see how much benefit and happiness she is gaining from it.
hmb - for what it is worth, I think all you caring and hard working primary school teachers are true heroes

aloha · 21/09/2005 19:09

but ime it doesn't stay 5minutes for long. well before secondary akids get homewwork in multiple subjects. my stepdaughter 9who was, admittedly, at an independent school would have far too much. it would actually prevent us going out to the park, the seaside or museums etc.

fqueenzebra · 21/09/2005 19:11

I know a teacher who home-eds his kids (4 of them age 5-15, they have a toddler, too). He fits this around supply teaching. They home-ed because they feel the national curriculum inhibits original thinking....

bundle · 21/09/2005 19:11

but aloha, I thought you said it was "the system" (ie state education) that was wrong..surely that's the pushiness/hothousing of private education that's at fault there, putting unnecessary pressure on your sd

aloha · 21/09/2005 19:14

well yes, it wouldn't be my choice, but i oppose all homework at primay level, because it does get worse and is a source of stress to the whole family. see this again and again in mn posts.
also with national curriculum etc seems to me that the pressure an inflexibility is increasing all the time even for the very young. tests and tests and tests.

zippitippitoes · 21/09/2005 19:14

If you do home ed though you definitely don't have to be a super brain with lots of in depth knowledge you are an

educator so that is a guide bringing out and enabling the ability to learn in your child and your own enthusiasm can enable you to do well by yourchild/ren

In areas as time goes on where you need help, then there are lots of options ..input from fellow home edders with different skill sets, internet learning course, tutors etc etc

Nevada · 21/09/2005 19:16

If you educate your kids at home, wouldn't you/they find that pretty claustrophobic? To be with them all day, every day, all year?

SoupDragon · 21/09/2005 19:16

I don't remembe rgetting any homework at primary level. Looking back, I do remember having projects to work on each term, research to do, facts to find out and spellings to learn though I didn't see it as a chore until I got to secondary school and it was called "homework". Odd.

Majorca · 21/09/2005 19:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
spidermama · 21/09/2005 19:19

Majorca are you still home edding? How many kids do you have? How is it going?

OP posts:
bundle · 21/09/2005 19:19

no junior homework for us either, back in the 70s (when thatcher the snatcher took our milk ) but I really don't think education is that bad atm, honestly

firestorm · 21/09/2005 19:19

i feel exactly the same way as you spidermama but dont consider myself up to the job of home ed so theres no other option than school.

Moomin · 21/09/2005 19:19

I'm a teacher too and FWIW I HATE the SATs and I think, if what spidermams write in the her posting about parents being fined is true then that is nothing short of scandalous. Much of the system is over-prescriptive and is killing creativity and the true joy of education.

Sooo, I teach what I have to but try to make lessons enjoyable for the kids that cross my threshold, and as far as dd's education goes (she's only just 4) I plan to supplement what I feel is missing from the curriculum as much as I can at home. From what I've seen of her prospective school and her current pre-school (which is attached) I'm very impressed with the level of care and dedication shown by the staff. But I know their hands will be tied to a certain extent by the Nat curr and the targets outlined by govt. So I see it as my job to support the good work of the school but also let her learn from experiences outside of the curriculum, including things like music, nature, food, caring and learning how to live life. (I'm sure school will do its best with these things but like I said there are only so many hours in the day and schools are forced to try to meet targets)

Original poster
spidermama · 21/09/2005 19:23

Good post moomin. There are some fascinating points of view on this thread. I look forward to catching up with it. I have to do bedtime now. Chaucer for the toddler, and the Annals onAncient Rome for the 7 year old.
Or maybe Alfie's Feet tonight.

OP posts:
happymerryberries · 21/09/2005 19:25

Re amount of homework in secondary, it will obviously vary from school to school. What I have found is that regardless of how little you set....and some of it can be done in 5-10 minutes maximum, there will be still kids who will tell you that they didn't have the time to do it.

ATM dd who is 8 gets about half an hours worth of homework 4 times a week (and she is in one of those pushy private schools1 ). When I sit her down and make her do it it takes a max of 30 minutes, very often less than that. When I leave her to her own devices, she spins it out, faffs about and it can take an age. What she is learning (I hope) are the skills of self dicipline and some basic time management skills.

Sadly I have to set homework to reinforce what I have taught in class. If I could rely on the kids being self motivated I wouldn't have to, but lets be fair to them, they are just kids.

If you want to argue that the NC is overfull, I'd agree! It needs to be cut back. But atm it is what it is. I know that the parents who are unhappy at HW are also the parents who would be upset if their child couldn't do what they wanted post 16 because they lacked the grades. This is truly one of those 'damned if you do, damed if you don't' things for teachers.

twirlaround · 21/09/2005 19:32

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Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

swedishmum · 21/09/2005 19:33

It was a bit claustrophobic teaching them at home (especially as our rented accommodation wasn't huge) but we got out a lot. I'm sure you have to be much nicer/calmer than me to do it long term or at least have a partner in the same country so you can talk to someone else in the evenings!

happymerryberries · 21/09/2005 19:34

education otherwise

roisin · 21/09/2005 19:41

Well, I had a horrid day in school today. (To make up for a lovely day yesterday I guess). I predict that tomorrow will be worse, but Friday will be better.

So anyway I too wish that my children did not do such long hours at school - although their school is actually fantastic (unlike mine). I would like to spend more time with them during termtime when they are not completely shattered.

happymerryberries · 21/09/2005 19:42

why will tomorrow be worse?

happymerryberries · 21/09/2005 19:43

and why was today horrid?

roisin · 21/09/2005 19:52

Tomorrow will be worse because of the classes I'm covering, the subject, the work which may or may not have been set, and the teachers I'm covering for.

On Friday I've got another full day of cover, but I'm looking forward to it as it's in one of my departments for once, and I've already got class lists and lesson plans, and feel in control.