Teachers -AIBU?

[Minx179]

In expecting DS's teachers not to cheat help him in his GCSE's coursework/exams?

Is unreasonable 'help' ever justified and is it fair on him and the other children who don't get this level of 'help'

Coursework is going. It is going to be replaced by controlled assessment. Sadly, I don't think this is going to resolve all the problems and will certainly create new ones.

The only solution I can see is go to 100% exam or exam with a mixture of continuous assessment (much more accurate anyway) BUT as long as teachers and schools are judged on their results there will be pressure on them to find any ways they can of boosting their results.

VJudge have you observed a primary class lesson> because we certainly don't do the work for them...

mrz - unfortunately some schools do - at end of KS1 DS couldn't do number bonds to ten, even on fingers, couldn't count in two's, five's, or ten's. He couldn't use a ruler, knew 2D shapes but not all 3D, + and x were the same as were - /. Didn't understand the concept of 'more than', 'less than', didn't recognise coins, yet he obtained a Level 2 for Maths.

English - DS only learnt to read in the December prior to KS1 tests, but his comprehension lagged way behind, he couldn't write independently. He obtained a Level 2.

This was back when tests were externally marked.

His experience of KS2 tests was similar to that of MK1993.

Start of KS3 DS was put into a class of 10 children that the school had to put in place quickly at start of term for children who had arrived unable to meet their NC levels - apparently 1 or 2 had L4's in English, but couldn't read!

How far below their levels they were, as parent's we weren't told.

Yes, mrz's school doesn't make extensive use of TAs but most other schools/ counties seem to use them far more.

And I certainly know that TAs can end up doing the work for the kids.

However I am absolutely breathtakingly gobsmacked by vjudge who is blaming primary school teachers for her cheating.

And five candles who doesn't think it matters if a student gets a mark higher than their ability.

Minx i teach Y2 and don't have a TA as Indigo says and I certainly don't have time to do 30 children's work for them

mrz - The school DS's attended for Yr2 didn't have TA's either, but neither did the school wish to acknowledge his SEN. I can only guess how he achieved level 2's, but it certainly wasn't under his own steam. That he had 'help' doesn't mean that every child in the class would have had/needed their work doing.

This kind of practice may not be standard in all schools, or even by all teachers, but it does happen.

vjudge - I can understand why you say you cheat because of primary teachers, but I also feel that is too simplistic an argument, as it ignores the wider pressures placed on all teachers primary and secondary which
a - cause cheating to occur in the first place and
b - that once cheating starts it appears that nobody can/is willing to call a halt to it.

OK Minx I don't even have time to do the work for the 16 members of my class on the SEN register or the 1 with EAL...