Wednesday - July 22, 2009

THE HIPPIES RUN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND THE NANNY-STATERS ALL HAVE DEGREES

In a private e-mail to me yesterday, Drew wrote the following:

Now the hippies run the school system, and the nanny-staters all have degrees in journalism. They are ALL out to remold the world in their image, not to merely teach or report.

While the subject matter discussed was not England’s schools or its teachers, what he said with reference to things across the water has much relevance to this article which appeared today. 

Damn shame if it’s all true, because once upon a time this country took second place to nobody.  To be a Brit was to be proud, even if you were poor.  You belonged to a country that brooked no nonsense, and had a grasp of traditions and culture.  Not to say it was perfect.  But pretty damn close to a great place to be.  Brits didn’t leave their country because they were oppressed. Not at all. 
The Brits simply HATE their weather. Just ask em.  But they still loved their country, and there’s a generation lost to us now that would riot in the streets if they could see how things are today. 

So this doesn’t help matters much I wouldn’t think.

Teachers in England ‘poorly trained’

Teachers in England are among the least-qualified in the developed world, according to research.

By Graeme Paton, Education Editor
Published: 7:00AM BST 22 Jul 2009

Qualifications needed to work in schools are lower than other nations such as France, Germany and the United States, it was claimed.

The study also said more teachers quit the classroom in England after just a few years and pay fails to keep up with international standards.

Politeia, the think-tank, insisted the system of training in England was in “crisis” and called for urgent reform.

The findings were criticised by the Government which claimed teachers were now better trained than ever.

Separate figures published on Wednesday showed trainees graduating last year were more likely to have at least a lower-second class degree than when Labour came to power.

But Chris Woodhead, the former chief inspector of schools, said the Politeia report reflected growing anxiety over teaching standards.

Writing in the same study, he said teachers were now expected to be more focused on “the challenges of social diversity than the excitement of teaching an academic subject”.

“These days student teachers and aspirant headteachers are lobotomised into an unthinking acceptance of the Government’s plans,” he said. “Who would want to be a member of this non-profession?

“We remain committed to the comprehensive ideal and continue to believe that a teacher should want to teach and be able to teach children of all abilities. This is nonsense. Some teachers are gifted in the teaching of academic children; others are brilliant with, for example, the emotionally and behaviourally disturbed.”

In today’s study, Politeia compared teaching standards in England with those in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the US and New Zealand.

At the moment, students attempting to work in primary schools need at least a C grade GCSE in English and mathematics, on top of a degree, before being allowed onto postgraduate training courses.

But the report said other countries demanded “the full range of subjects” to the equivalent of A-level standard before students were given more intensive training places.

Politeia said the bar had to be raised “to attract into teaching the most academically and professionally able from each generation”.

Researchers also claimed that between 30 and 50 per cent of trainees in England quit the classroom within three years of training, the highest in the countries involved.

In a further development, the study said England had the “most controlled and centrally managed profession”.

“In no other country is a teacher’s day to day work circumscribed by government or bureaucrats”, it said.

It came as separate figures from the Government’s Training and Development Agency for Schools, which runs teacher training, found 95 per cent of primary school trainee teachers and 89 per cent of those training to work in secondaries had a 2:2 or better.

Graham Holley, chief executive, said: “The large volume and high quality of candidates with good degrees entering the teaching profession continues to grow every year, which can only be good for pupils.”

TEACHERS

Posted by peiper     on 07/22/2009 at 05:42 AM   
Filed Under: • Education • UK •  
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