I send my child to private school because....?

[jabed]

Well, I don?t actually, I just work in one. But it seems to be a constant source of questioning on MN and given the current news articles (I have been reading the DM and Tory graph online) about how many of our left wing leaders hypocritically claim to be egalitarian and socialist whilst buying education for their children , or have had education paid for by their own parents. I just wondered, what is it we expect from education, and why is it some of us are willing to pay for whatever that is and how they see that as worthy of their money.

There you go. :)

But you think homework is good, because you want to keep tabs on the teacher! That is not a good reason to set homework - homework should be an introduction to researching and feeling excited about finding out new things.

I imagine your ideal kind of homework is the worksheet variety.

More than- I could anecdote about my own children to show the opposite- one did leads of spelling tests and can't spell, one did none and can. But that would be sillynof me, because the plural of anecdote is not data.

It is all a bit useless for people like me who could learn a list of spelling for a test, get full marks- and then forget them. One method doesn't suit all.

Homework should be an extension of work in the classroom and not more of the same.

Can we all be excused to watch the opening ceremony now?

No. It's too totalitarian. All those people all walking in the same direction........

Actually, no. Not worksheet or multiple choice. Some things DC need to learn by heart, like tables. The good homework in math I'd say would be some numeracy practice and a small problem to solve using methods they learning at the moment.

But that of cause applies to younger kids. The most important benefit at that age I think is learning to work on their own.

I really dont know how DC learn to spell. But seemed to have worked well for mine. A quick recap goes a long way.

Morethan I am glad we agree on something. Communication at DS's state school is quite poor and except the state school is conducting some kind of secret experiment on our children I really would like to know what he does there from 9am to 3:15pm. Parents evening only lasts for 10mins and in that time, asking too much questions and yoiu get labelled as 'controlling'.

Jabed is in a cosy position so can afford to say 'I certainly do not give homework every day or every week even....' as he HE. Lucky you.

DS in reception came home with some of his work. and we felt in touch with his education. It changed in Y1. His enthusiasm also waned. I immediately blamed the teacher, thought she was detached and comments from other teachers hinted that she had little patience for boys, however DS's class is girl heavy (70%girls). so it did not make sense. Quizzed DS and rather reluctantly (he is fiercely loyal) he told me teacher is a little scary as she screams when she loses her temper and sometimes slams books down on table when cross. I started criticising her again and DS looked at me and said 'mum you struggle with 2, imagine having 30 children who are sometimes naughty' that comment shamed me. I think teachers do their best but I want to be involved in my childs education without being called controlling.

Definitely learning to work on their own- without mother. I'm off to watch the opening ceremony too.

Even DD's nursery gives me a list of things she's been up to the minute I drop her to when I pick her up. Not a long list just 9am slept, played with mega bloc or something, had 2 sleeps, finished her lunch, played with snack, took 3 steps today, 3 wet nappies and so on.

I don't agree that homework is not important. Admittedly, it is fraught with problems, not least the fact that, it compounds the advantages of kids with educated, supportive parents and can have the opposite effect for kids who don't, but as an English teacher it is simply not possible to do the amount of reading and writing in class time that is possible to give kids a real command of English language and literature. There is no way that you could get through the curriculum without homework. For example, you could end up spending all your class time reading a class text which would then give you no time for anything else or you spend all your class time writing and discussing and have no time for reading. Also, for many children, if you don't set reading homework, they simply would not read.

I also think it encourages discipline and a work ethic. Sometimes kids have to do things because they have to do them. If they get them done quickly then they can get on with stuff they'd rather do. It's an important life skill. I'm really glad my kids have learnt it and have a brilliant understanding of the importance of routine. I teach a lot of kids who are repeating GCSE and they haven't learnt these basic skills by the age of 16 or basic organisation like bringing a pen. I argue that a major reason why they haven't developed these skills is because they have never been insisted on or expected by their teachers.

I also think that the time parents spend discussing homework is incredibly valuable in consolidating the kids' learning and checking understanding. Again, this is riddled with difficulties if the parents' own understanding is limited. But in this scenario more needs to be done to support parents with homework clubs ideally inviting parents in.

Iyatoda, I have been called no end of names because I show an interest in dds education.
Fivecandles I can see where you are coming from. I am a teacher(Post Compulsory) just starting to teach dd. I have given up trying to undertand the nc for English and I am no dudd. What does the average parent do with little or no knowledge of teaching requirements. I have supported Ks2 English in the past with older dcs and worked as TA in primary and am totally lost.

Why aren't you all watching the opening ceremony?

Because I am not in the slightest bit interested. Did enjoy Beethoven works at The Proms though

I have the 9th on iplayer now.
Am very happy. So good to be reminded of true greatness while the country is submerged in a sea of crap.

I just finished watching 7h and 8th. Love Barenboim.

I bet he had lots of homework as a child :)

The 7th is the best IMVHO. I got home from work too late to watch it - nice one, TFL in Olympics mode - and it is not on iplayer yet.

Pianomama, what are the chances he never went to school?

Many hours of practice, I should think.
I'm sure there are plenty here who would try and convince us it was all a waste of time - he'd have been just as good without it

I dont know honestly.I bet he wasnt made to play rugby though.His father taught him piano.

PS 7th is my favourite as well - Karlos, you are up for a treat.Great conductor!

I could be wrong but I always got the impression that great musicians were reclusive even as children. I wonder if their parents were criticised for not providing a good enough education or not socialising them.

They just neve posted in MN

The facilities at the top public schools have been taken to extremes. To be completely honest, even though I want my children to be happy and successful in life and want to do my best for them and keep opportunities open for them and would spend money to avoid my children ending up in a school that was failing to educate them, I would feel tainted to be involved in throwing that much privilege at my own children. I think you can mess things up by trying too hard to create equality and confusing that for sameness and rigid control of peoples' behaviour, but don't think you should wallow in the delight of obscene inequalities, either - it's too African dictator and Russian oligarch-ish in its world view for my liking.... This current form of capitalism and communism in practice become two sides of the same coin - both, when tested out in reality rather than in laboratory conditions, equally unpleasant and controlling of the majority by a ruling elite of one sort or another. Sometimes it's just not worth trying to join the elite, because it makes you into someone you don't particularly like any more.