Inadequate Reception Classes

[willvo]

Inadequate Reception Classes for many decades
have created Underclasses by diverting
teachers attention to children who should
not be in mainstream classes, thus less
attention for kids who come from unsupportive
home backgrounds.
See Ed Balls reply.............

Ed Balls Ref 2010/0013747POSoS 12 Mar 2010
Andrew Smith MP Ref VS/NICHO1014/01100596 18 Mar 2010
Dear Sirs,
See my specific replies to your letter refs at the end.
Here is some more info about why white working class are
performing worst at school, and why no one has ever
understood how 'underclasses' are created.
I COULD SO EASILY HAVE ENDED UP LIKE THAT.
What RECEPTION CLASSES in schools would provide is an
UNDISTURBED EDUCATION FOR THOSE ALREADY IN THE CLASS.
THATS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.
The National Core Curriculum was provided for those kids
whose family move house, to ensure educational 'continuation'
and prevent those moving house from having a damaged education.

However, I believe the TRUE RECIPIENTS of the Core
Curriculum was to those already in school who never moved
house whom required constant attention from teachers.
This constant support is lost with newcomers in the class.
These would be kids from educationally unsupported backgrounds
that the State System once served well, like myself.
A comprehensive Reception Class System early on, post war,
would have pre-empted the later need for a National Core
Curriculum, which came too late.

I will now list the "Educational Red Herrings", that over
the decades have made the government indulge in knee jerk
reactions to failing education.

1. 1960's 'Permissiveness' and lack of respect were identified

as causes of education failure. This is nonsense. Reception Classes or Core Curriculum are required, due to post war internal population movements and immigration.

1. Banning Corporal Punishment were identified as causing schools

to fail. Nonsense again. Reception Classes or Core Curriculum are required, due to internal population movements and immigration.

1. Loss of heavy industry, mining, shipbuilding etc. were said to

be the reason people became unemployable, as their low level education only made them suitable for now non existant industrial work. Nonsense. Their low level education was because they lived in industrial areas that attracted many internal and external immigrants whose children did not get Reception Classes, thus creating a low level educational culture that was masked by the previous availability of industrial type jobs.

1. Government Initiatives over decades using "Education Experts"

who never correctly identified that all kids need is an UNDISTURBED EDUCATION, via Reception Classes and/or a National Core Curriculum. So that kids are undisturbed whether they move house or the kid next to them in class has just arrived and is taking up the teachers time. Too many initiatives that simply dont address the real problems, a lack of reception classes and core curriculum.

1. Family Breakdown has been used as a reason for failed education.

Nonsense. My family never helped me, nor was my mum and anyone else in our family helped at home, too poor, but the system was set up in 1870 with millions of illiterate parents sending their kids to school. It worked for about a hundred years, then started going wrong post 1945 ish. Since when have parents been essential for this ? What about the orphans I met in the Navy ? did they rely on parents ? no the system was once very good, not now though.

1. Supply Teachers are a great idea for use in Reception Classes

only. Using Supply Teachers in mainstream classes is reinforcing all the previous failures, by not providing as far as possible an undisturbed education.

1. Mass immigration, if properly provided for with Reception Classes,

would not have disturbed the education of those kids who rely entirely on the state system. Therefore its not mass immigration thats the problem but the lack of planning and resources allocated, thus making all the above problems that much worse. By 1988 we get a core curriculum, but of course it doesnt work if you come in from abroad.

1. Blaming the parents is a bit ridiculous if they are themselves

victims of any of the above when they were at school. And if many governments and Education Experts haven't got a grip on these problems why expect poorly educated parents to get it ?

Ref Ed Balls letter 2010/0013747POSoS 12 Mar 2010.
"there is evidence that children from traditional working class areas are still failing..."
LOOK AT MY POINTS 1 TO 8 ABOVE. Newcomers to the UK almost always
end up living in "traditional working class areas", thats one reason for the effect.
I myself am one of those kids, educated 1958 to 1968 and left at 15 with no
qualifications, but very literate. We have LOST WHAT WE ONCE HAD.
My education was UNDISTURBED with government initiatives and subsequent
lack of teacher focus on working class kids.

Ref Ed Balls letter 2010/0013747POSoS 12 Mar 2010.
"social class has also been shown to be the most important factor affecting a
childs achievement..."
BO++++KS, they are not getting the undivided attention of teachers, which is
what proper Reception Classes would do to help immigrants and stop working
class education being disturbed.

Ref Ed Balls letter 2010/0013747POSoS 12 Mar 2010.
"...we are not looking to denigrate or criticise working class culture and, in fact, the
schools chosen for the project are at the heart of the communities...."
So, there we have it, the seed of criticism. MY point is that I AM WORKING CLASS
and once upon a time our culture did not get in the way of a decent education.
I HAD NO HELP AT HOME, nor did my parents get any educational support,
my entire point here is that we once had a state school system THAT WORKED
IRRESPECTIVE OF WORKING CLASS CULTURE.
People in government, with a priveleged background just dont 'get it' about what has
been lost. How can any kid leave school semi literate ? Answer, disturb their
education by not providing adequately for newcomers, then hint at their 'culture'.
".....at the heart of the communities....." Why not put all newcomers in middle
class areas and see the working class improve back to when I was at school!!!!

Ref Ed Balls letter 2010/0013747POSoS 12 Mar 2010.
"....the Extra Mile Project will be about extra things schools can do to overcome
barriers to achievement....."
I'VE GOT A GOOD IDEA, KEEP NEWCOMERS OUT OF MAINSTREAM CLASSES
until they are not a distraction to mainstream teachers and working class kids.
You are simply piling initiative on initiative on initiative, when the problems are
all caused by a lack of Reception Classes for Language and Curriculum.

Ref Ed Balls letter 2010/0013747POSoS 12 Mar 2010.
You mention (EAL) English as an Additional Language initiative and also (NAEP)
New Arrivals Excellence Programme initiative, I looked these up on the National
Strategies and QCDA.gov.uk websites with 'case studies', as you now no doubt
suspect, if you've been paying attention, these initiatives take place in the classroom
and with bi-lingual teaching assistants. I NEVER HAD THOSE DISTRACTIONS
WHEN I WAS AT SCHOOL, hence I can read, write, learn as an adult, enjoy a
book, worked in I.T., AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY QUALIFICATIONS, because
I missed my last term.

There is only one worthwhile initiative, keep seperate Reception Classes, and
do not disturb kids learning.

Ref Ed Balls letter 2010/0013747POSoS 12 Mar 2010.
"....the government is committed to raising the achievement of minority ethnic pupils
and those for whom English is an additional language...."
Yes why not. But do it seperately from the rest. My education, and the education
of millions was done well enough prior to post 1945 , but post 1945 with internal
people movements we needed either core curriculum or reception classes just
for British kids, but by the time we get core curriculum we now need reception
classes for newcomers from abroad so as not to disturb those already in the system.

Ed Balls and Andrew Smith, you were educated at Nottingham High School and
Reading Grammar School respectively, if you look at those schools admissions
policies you will notice that most of the foreign intake into our State School System
would not have been allowed into your own old schools, if they had been allowed
into your old schools using the type of initiatives you have piled onto the working
class you would probably now be subject to a government initiative trying to get
you into some kind of work because your 'culture' would be deemed to have
prevented you getting a decent education.
ED BALLS YOU HAD AN UNDISTURBED EDUCATION
LIKE ALL PRIVILEGED PEOPLE, you just
dont understand what has been lost.

eh?

Here is a list of kids,who had a chance 40 years ago but are today worse off in state education, because of no parental help,
but 40 years ago got same education as the majority, because parental help was not 'built in' like it is now.
Kids from single parent families.
Kids in care, orphans etc.
Kids from families with no education to draw upon.
Kids from problem families, eg. drink, drugs.
Kids from dysfunctional families.
Kids from families who trust the system (I lost my trust in 1978 ten years after leaving school)
Kids from traditional working class families.(my background, no help at home 1958-1968) in other words
the system did work for most, now it works for half.
THE KIDS ABOVE DO WORSE NOW - the resultant damage radiates throughout society.

Here is a list of kids who do well in the state system and many (half) go into higher education.
Kids whose families have lost trust in the system, and help them (this is me).
Kids from families with middle class ethos.
THESE KIDS HAVE ALWAYS DONE WELL - the resultant attitude is that those who fail are at fault, which is nasty.

Bet they know how to cut and paste though.

erm

I don't understand what you are trying to say

Is the point of this to campaign to keep foreign kids educated separately from mainstream classes? If so, this has also been proposed in Italy and there has been an outcry - people don't want it and don't agree with it. I don't agree with it either. I don't think minorities are a problem, personally, there are v successful private schools who select and include children who's english is their second language and excel.

You said you had learnt to write, OP?

I have seen a few of these posts with political tones recently...they all follow the same layout on the screen. I.e.: not filling the whole screen when you look at them so that they look different.

Coincidence? I could be being suspicious unnecessarily.