My Manifesto

[IfIRuledTheWorld]

Children start 'community schooling' at an early age. There is little formal education at this stage: the important thing is to learn social skills i.e. train them to be decent human beings.

They go to junior school at approx age 7, where they start traditional education. They cannot leave junior school until they have mastered basic literacy and numeracy.

The school leaving age is approx 14. At this stage they either
a) go on to high school BUT this is a privilege not a right
b) go to work
c) stay in junior until they have gained basic literacy & numeracy

They cannot leave junior school and do nothing. If they cannot find a job themselves then a job will be imposed upon them (probably a job that does not require academic prowess but is socially useful like litter-picking or hospital-visiting). No-one is allowed to be a NEET until they are 18.

Everyone is given an 'allocation' of a number of years' teaching. This enables people who opted out at age 14 to come back into the education system at a later age, if they so wish.

After age 14, students are only in the system because they want to be there and teachers are willing for them to be there. There will be no more low-level disruption and everyone can get on with the job!

So no-one disagrees with me?
The motion is passed unanimously!

You must be a teacher IIRTW

What if they haven't gained basic literacy and numeracy by 14? Have I misunderstood something?

Not a teacher, Cammelia.

They stay in Junior school, Tinker. Moving on is dependent on passing the test of ability, not merely on clocking up another birthday. It would be cruel to 'promote' them up to the next level if they are not capable of coping with High school work.

So they can stay in junior school until they are 18?

Sounds good to me. Can I add one extra - that no-one is allowed to go to university/college until they have had a paid job for at least 3 years. (So that they have had the time & money to go out clubbing, sleep around etc etc and can actually learn something useful.)

Yes, Tinker, as part of some sort of remedial group until they attain minimally acceptable levels of literacy and numeracy.

Nice one, Kategarden. I haven't quite sorted my ideas on tertiary education yet!

Junior school staff will be specialists in teaching the basics. There will be even more specialised staff who teach the very slow learners who have to stay on.

I think you must have been listening in on my friend and i the other day (she is a teacher, i ama SAHM), our kids are half way through primary and we are already worrying about high school. We were discussing how we would reorganise education (if we were in charge of the Scottish parliament!)and the idea of not leaving school until a basic level was reached was approved by us. I got quite radical, pointing out that schools in country areas achieved good results with a mixed intake because there is no where else to go and so middle class kids do not get creamed off into 'middle class ghetto" schools, ergo, school intakes should be averaged out over the whole country by abolishing private schools and spreading the bright kids around. Maybe a bit extreme, but something's got to be done and quickly please.

Wouldn't there be lots of classes in Junior school? Can't have 17 year olds with 7 year olds.

I'd like to add a lot more skills based, apprenticed education at 14.

What's your idea of basic literacy and numeracy Tinker. There shouldn't be thousands of teenagers left in Junior school, only a few who need some intensive help.

Agreed, Heated. Academia for those that want it and apprenticeships for those that want that. Both strands to be properly funded.

Yes - agree totally. And can I add that Steve Biddulph's "Raising Boys" should be compulsory reading for anyone who has anything to do with education.

Could we have a sensible approach to mixing/ separating boys and girls, and doing everything possible to balance the gender bias towards girls in education? More male role models in nursery and primary schools would be a start.

We need a more intelligent assessment system. The results will not just show the Grade of result but how the child got there. So the result would be broken down into exam, coursework, practical, etc.
Thus if someone was bright but lazy although he could perform when necessary then this would show up as a good exam result but rubbish coursework. Shows an employer that he would probably be a good salesman.
Conversely, someone who had a middling exam result but excellent coursework would be good for an administration post.
This would be much more useful for prospective employers and lets the children shine in whatever is their strength.