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.

[mtnlane]

You could not be more incorrect 

[tasfleur]

I'm going to have to say good afternoon for now, we have a concert tonight.

This is a great thread, some great ideas and experiences to learn from, thank you all xxx

Hope you all have a good weekend.

[creative*crisis]

I get that, it could become a generational problem possibly is to some extent already but "hard" is not a good enough excuse not to try and change.

"Too Hard" is becoming a too frequent excuse for doing nothing.

[the_great_she_elephant]

---

@tasfleur wrote:

As a musician (classical and jazz), I feel compelled to say that learning an instrument by ear before learning to read music or play scales is something to be applauded and encouraged from my experience as a performer and music teacher (as well as in other disciplines).

When the ear is 'tuned' naturally, and children particularly thrive on doing that as well as adults, the practical side tends to 'kick in' extremely quickly without the theory and paper getting in the way to start with, then they catch up with the rest speedily.

It's interesting to watch this happen both academically and theoretically in terms of music education.

Reading and writing, expression and comprehension is something quite different, albeit music education has shown to really help student numeracy in particular as after all, music is essentially grounded in maths.

---

I'm not a musician, but I'm sure you are right. I was scribbling little stories long before I knew anything about "GRAMMAR" When I was formaly introduced to it I grasped it very quickly, because it explained what I already knew instinctively - that's probably why I became bored and hated the lessons so much. I imagine maths would be much the same. Some people have an instinctive aptitude for it, but for an adult it would be a real PITA to have to resort to a calculator every time you needed make a simple multipliction,simply because no-one had made you learn your tables when you were a child.

[lloydslights]

Hope all goes well.

DEB

[mtnlane]

TGSE 

We are on the same page there.  I experience similar frustration when I am editing undergraduate essays .... some fantastic ideas and theories which would otherwise be let down by their appalling lack of English grammar and vocabulary 

[gleee58]

---

@tasfleur wrote:

It is possible that older teachers have become "stale", whatever that may mean in reality.

By the same token, it's difficult to answer such a question without the proper research conducted, and even then, it would be hard to get the correct data;   it would result in subjective rather than objective conclusions I suspect.

I can't concur that teachers teach on the 'familial' platform these days no matter what their age group is now.  It might happen in the mind of the 'old' methods, but doubtful they would succeed in this century, try as they might, the young people are too savvy for that, as are their parents.

I'm on the side of the college system.  I'm a firm believer of teaching a child to think for themselves and teaching them a critical thinking process but based on what I read, hear and see I'm sure many prefer the indoctrination principle.

Indoctrination can only work if it's not bound by the tiresome back-traditional thinking where teaching is concerned.  It also depends on what kind of school is included in the discussion, but I won't go there, it's too sensitive and aggressive an issue for some people.

I agree with you entirely the children must learn a critical thinking process as long as it is tempered with rational and logical thought with good values all around.

---

My understanding of critical thinking is that by definition it is tempered with rational and logical thought.

At the moment I just wish people would teach their children that violence is not the answer to every irritant.

[tasfleur]

The maths issue is very complex and the levels of it demand different brain function, each person being different.

If I take myself as an example (and only myself), I find certain types of math easy, including integral calculus and I don't know why or how that happened as a child,  it just did.   No times tables came first.

Having said that, they are crucial (times tables) from the very beginning of education for everyone as they lead to the easiest or most difficult math solutions, but will only take a student so far of course.  I wish all schools would exercise those critical basic training principles.

Thanks Lloyds xxxx

[gleee58]

---

@lloydslights wrote:

Glee, my niece who graduated as a teacher about 10 years ago, felt the "staleness" when first assigned to schools. 

The areas she went early in her career, were more book-reading-in-the-home domestic situations.  So not a lot of challenges were particularly noticed by parents in the schooling.

The long term 'mature" heads of individual primary school departments and their methods had been set years before and couldn't be deviated.  It appears the mature didn't participate in "refresher" courses to engage different students and their unknown abilities.

And yet, I recall a teacher/family friend about 30 years ago attending courses at UNE during school holidays to further her knowledge on teaching infants.  In fact, it was her enthusiasm that brought about 4 of my family members entering the profession. 

DEB

---

Thank goodness for those like your friend, who do see the value in refresher courses and keeping up to date. 

It's those who are set in their ways and that are antagonistic towards change that are a real problem.   One example that comes to mind is a cooking teacher who told me she operates under the principle that all the kids hate cooking therefore she will treat them all accordingly.   She had been teaching for 30+ years, and allowing that attitude to dictate how she engaged with students.

Some of these old school adherents have no idea of the damage they cause to students.

[tasfleur]

Yes, I get that situation too, it's staggering how clever tertiary students are, but can't express it.

Last year was the worst I had ever seen when assessing final year student papers.

I must go, bye everyone xx