Literacy Crisis In Tasmania

[icyfroth]

At least half of Tasmania's population can't read or write properly and test results are showing a growing gap between Tasmanian teenagers and those on the mainland.

The latest global report card on 15-year-olds found that 47 per cent of Tasmanian teenagers failed the minimum standard of English, compared to 36 per cent nationally.

Tasmania's disturbing figures are not dissimilar to other parts of rural and regional Australia, but there is growing concern that the spending of more than a billion dollars a year is doing little to tackle the problem.

As Suzanne Smith reports, some experts say there will be no improvement without deep cultural change.

Entire Article Here

I was listening to the discussion about this on Hack the other night.

Apparently the schooling system has a lot to do with it. School finishes for most in year 10. To go on to year 12, students have to move to the city to complete their education at one of only 2 colleges.

[icyfroth]

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@gleee58 wrote:

You know what Icy, I thought this was going to be a discussion  with a different topic but no, it's been tainted by hideous childish swipes at others.

Nice try though.

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Now now glee, don't be so precious just because you're on the receiving end for once.

I value your contribution on this thread as in your above comment re the colleges.

[vicr3000]

Well, I cant help it if you have no sense of humour and cant engage in a bit of banter.
Suggest you get out in the real world where people have a laugh, joke.
Not everyone in this world is taken over by the PC Crowd.

That is what the definition of comedy is, someone's comedy is a result of someone else's tragedy.

If you reckon that is hate, you haven't seen anything.

[lloydslights]

With respect Vic,  time to stand back, take a deep breath and think about the education of the young in Tasmania and anywhere else for that matter.  

What we do and say is watched by the young,  and they copy and absorb our words and actions.

DEB

[icyfroth]

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@gleee58 wrote:

Apparently the schooling system has a lot to do with it. School finishes for most in year 10. To go on to year 12, students have to move to the city to complete their education at one of only 2 colleges.

No, that is false.   The system is the same as the ACT, where most high schools end at year 10 and years 11/12 are at the colleges.

There are more than 2 colleges in the state. In fact, there are more than 2 uni campuses and more than 2 TAFEs as well.

Those stats don't indicate that half the population are completely illiterate, but that a large percentage of people are bad spellers and even worse at using grammar.

It's an attitudinal problem because often not enough value is placed on education.  Some parents encourage learning and encourage their kids to explore the world but there is a whole other range of parents that teach their kids to stay close and that they don't need to waste their time with education.  Some people have an irrational fear of their children moving away from them.  Some parents fight for their children to work in the logging, wood chipping industry when said child is only an infant and is way to young to think about their future.

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It's right though that students wishing to complete higher education need to find board in the cities?

A lot would not be interested, and those that are would have to find the means for their accommodation.

[gleee58]

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@vicr3000 wrote:
Well, I cant help it if you have no sense of humour and cant engage in a bit of banter.
Suggest you get out in the real world where people have a laugh, joke.
Not everyone in this world is taken over by the PC Crowd.

That is what the definition of comedy is, someone's comedy is a result of someone else's tragedy.

If you reckon that is hate, you haven't seen anything.

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You don't do comedy. You do who can we attack today.

Comedy is not about putting others down.

[simone4010]

I agree it must have something to do with schooling system but I don't think it's because they don't complete Senior.  Children should have well and truly learnt to read and write when they finish Primary school. 

[lloydslights]

I read the article and some of the comments.

It appears to me that some wonderful enthusiastic teachers/schools are required to give the children an education far above that of their parents. 

I am trying to understand the loss of "community" for those that would become "isolated" but the town must be shrinking anyway for the Education Dept to consider amalgamating. 

Will think on it further......

DEB

[gleee58]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@gleee58 wrote:

Apparently the schooling system has a lot to do with it. School finishes for most in year 10. To go on to year 12, students have to move to the city to complete their education at one of only 2 colleges.

No, that is false.   The system is the same as the ACT, where most high schools end at year 10 and years 11/12 are at the colleges.

There are more than 2 colleges in the state. In fact, there are more than 2 uni campuses and more than 2 TAFEs as well.

Those stats don't indicate that half the population are completely illiterate, but that a large percentage of people are bad spellers and even worse at using grammar.

It's an attitudinal problem because often not enough value is placed on education.  Some parents encourage learning and encourage their kids to explore the world but there is a whole other range of parents that teach their kids to stay close and that they don't need to waste their time with education.  Some people have an irrational fear of their children moving away from them.  Some parents fight for their children to work in the logging, wood chipping industry when said child is only an infant and is way to young to think about their future.

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It's right though that students wishing to complete higher education need to find board in the cities?

A lot would not be interested, and those that are would have to find the means for their accommodation.

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No, it's not right that children have to find board in the cities.  That is an option but not the only one.

The problem is caused by people not understanding the importance of having good literacy standards and by some people actively discouraging an adequate education.  In regional areas throughout Australia you hear a lot of "we left school at 15", or "I can't spell too well either". followed by the "it didn't hurt me" or "I did alright fer meself".  

These areas also have the highest suicide rate.

[vicr3000]

Like a lot of things, it is not just an education problem,
Whole of life and lifestyle needs to be looked at to solve it.

Like the issue of school attendance in NT, white school rules and term dates didnt work
So they changed it. The improvement was dramatic.

[the_great_she_elephant]

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@vicr3000 wrote:

So what you are saying is that even with two heads, they still can't keep up with normal standards ?

So incest doesn't work LOL

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Has it occurred to you that, under the newly beefed up anti hate speech laws which some here have embraced so eagerly, saying that might be considered an indictable offence?