savarin:
well presented comments. I do not come from the education sector, but I think the same is happening here (US)
My question, while may be a bit simplistic, who are the folks making these decisions?
Ignorant politicians who just look at the savings in govt funding whilst ignoring the future problems of an uneducated workforce or passing any doubts off with their usual spin.
recent MBA (the bean counters) grads with accounting ((no real life experience) degree?
I'm convinced they are a large part of the problem, remember when they tried to apply time and motion rules into all businesses? What a total cockup that was, unfortunately they are still trying to justify their assumptions. They are awarded a degree in a general course with some obscure dissertation built from highly dubious data then try to inflict their often optimistic claims onto everyone else as a gospel truth.
We seem to live in a world where those in positions of power/authority believe in a "One size fits all" If it works in or for "A" then it obviously must work in or for "B"
The huge push for computer based training is coming from these people because all they can see is a couple of computers teaching an unending line of students and no wages required.
I was one of these in the early days and thought this was the way to go. I wrote a couple of packages and thought they were the best thing since sliced bread.
Then I woke up and realised I was only obsessed with my own cleverness so stopped there and then.
Mind you, there are a couple of areas where they can be useful but generally they are just electronic page turning with a few bells and whistles.
Forget what you read on line about how they are preferred by students because in all the classes I asked the majority of students wanted a real live person they could ask questions from.
administrators promoted to the positions because of years of service?
I could never understand why you had to go into administration to get a wage increase.
Do a superb job, win awards for it, go for promotion and win it, end up doing something totally different and often not very well from what you were promoted for, doesn't make sense.
The Peter principle in full Technicolor and 3D. And virtually every business follows this route, you would think we would have learnt not to by now.
Mind you the opposite is also true, if a teacher was hopeless at teaching they were often shifted into "projects" that were neither use nor ornament and we all suffered.
Teachers who dislike the classroom settings?
I dont think this was ever a problem, I had cart-blanche to teach how I wanted although most practical work did require a workshop (kitchen and laboratory for me)
Looks like the programs presently in place are not working
How to fix it?
I would like to see the whole system turned upon its head starting at the primary schools. These teachers should be the best paid, the most qualified and with the most help.
Classes should be 12 students and no more, this will allow individual work as well as 2's, 3's, 4's, and 6's sized groups. Every teacher should have a teachers aid which will allow individual attention to every child so we stop getting high school students who cannot read or write.
If we loose a child here where they are desperate to learn and love it they are lost for the remainder of their lives.
Every child should be allowed to progress at their own rate, with the smaller class sizes this is possible (assuming the teacher is sufficiently qualified to let this continue.)
Any child who does not reach the level to progress is held back till they do. Again, with the smaller class sizes its possible.
Start with the primary sector then continue it through the high school sector. In twelve years you would end up with the best educated population on the planet.
Universities are a different story as they are often self managed/funded and students by that time usually only require guidance. (a huge simplification but you get my drift)
sometimes, I m glad I m old
You and me three brother.
Sorry for the bandwidth and I promise not to write any more on the subject.
