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.

[lloydslights]

I think it is the Selective Schools (in NSW) that generally have better HSC results.  Not many private school pupils attain similar results.

Unfortunately, it is so cut-throat that mental illness may invade their education.  A fine line.....

DEB

[poddster]

Are those schools for high achievers?

Some of the pupils are sent there by parents with a desire to force even higher achievement, I would suggest that the pressures at home are, in most part, are responsible for stress related ailments.

[poddster]

In my rural community we are fortunate to have several retired teachers who offer their services and knowledge to the community.

One of them passsed away recently and the entire community of around 3,000 attended Nanna's farewell. The businesses closed their doors to attend.

She was a true teacher to the very end

[gleee58]

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@poddster wrote:

In my rural community we are fortunate to have several retired teachers who offer their services and knowledge to the community.

One of them passsed away recently and the entire community of around 3,000 attended Nanna's farewell. The businesses closed their doors to attend.

She was a true teacher to the very end

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How very fortunate for your community. One person can make the world of difference to a person's educational experience.  

It sounds like she made a difference to many people's learnings.

[poddster]

That she did, right across the spectrum , from primary school to university. Nanna was a replacement for the things that are sorely lacking in the education system.

Fortunately there are several who may be able to fill Nanna's role due to her example and dedication.

[tasfleur]

"An "ear" for music and grammar (and behaviour), I believe, matches our surroundings from infancy (and before?).  An early introduction to the marvel of beautiful sounds and correct speech"

Good morning.

Lloydslight, I agree with that to a great degree.

What I was getting at re "ear" was about absolute music in terms of natural intonation (pitch) and tone colour that someone may (or may not) have from the very beginning and before the music teacher comes onto the scene, who sometimes, can get in the way if they cannot or do not recognise that in their students.

I didn't mean it to include all the human senses, so I apologise for not being more specific  xx

[the_great_she_elephant]

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@lind9650 wrote:

She-ele, that explains so much. Children and young adults are not encouraged to think anymore.

Every answer they can find on the internet. Cyber-speak eliminates good spelling and mathematics are done on computers.

Nothing is real anymore. Smart phones, tablets and computers make real thinking obsolete.

I am glad my children grew up at a time where they were taught how to read, write and spell and are insisting that their children use their heads instead of electronic gadgets.

Erica

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Throughout  the 1950s and into  early sixties my dad earned his living by writing for those boys comics (no political correctness in those days) published in the UK by D.C. Thomsons. The comics were aimed directly at boys aged 9+ from working class families (the middle class kinds had "Eagle.")

When he started writing nearly all the material in the comics was in the form of short stories. (around 2000 words) The heroes  these stories were all working class characters, football (soccer) players, fish out of water scholarship kids in snooty private schools, or soldiers  - never above the rank of sergeant.  The kids must have been reading and enjoying these stories or thomsons wouldnot have been publishing them. Then, towards the end of the 50s it all changed, quite suddenly, and the all the comics swung over onto the picture strip format? what happened? My guess would be television.

[***super_nova***]

I do not think this is new.  Back in the late 1960s we employed number of young girls, they all finished year 10, one  of them finished year 12, and none of them could spell properly. 

When my daughter went through schools, all the teachers were lovely and dedicated; some were more capable than others.  One poor person had a very hard time trying to control class of 40+ in a very disadvantaged area, where we stayed the first few months after we came to Melbourne from interstate.  But all genuinely cared about the kids and tried their best.  I also have friends who teach and I know they spend lot of time, including working late at night preparing for their classes. 

Teacher can do only so much, if the kids are not interested they will not learn.  If the kids cannot see a future for themselves, if they think it is not possible to get a good job, if they see people not having jobs being maligned in the media, they do not have anything to strive for.

Parents, of-course, also play role, but as nowadays it takes 2 incomes to provide for family, the parents do not have as much input into kids lives. 

[curmu-curmu]

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@gleee58 wrote:

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@vicr3000 wrote:

A bit of banter about two heads and incest.

Don't be so precious. Taking the p is part of Australian humour, it is only the PCists who want to change it.

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No, it was just a general hateful comment as was the one that followed.  

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I continue to find leftie hypocrisy so amazing...their continued Abbott-bashing, and LNP-slurring is deemed quite acceptable, even de rigeur - but...should someone dare to cast aspersions on their political party of choice, the hackles arise, the indignation is palpable, and the sheer, (dare I say it?), offense taken is staggering!

[gleee58]

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@curmu-curmu wrote:

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@gleee58 wrote:

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@vicr3000 wrote:

A bit of banter about two heads and incest.

Don't be so precious. Taking the p is part of Australian humour, it is only the PCists who want to change it.

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No, it was just a general hateful comment as was the one that followed.  

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I continue to find leftie hypocrisy so amazing...their continued Abbott-bashing, and LNP-slurring is deemed quite acceptable, even de rigeur - but...should someone dare to cast aspersions on their political party of choice, the hackles arise, the indignation is palpable, and the sheer, (dare I say it?), offense taken is staggering!

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When did two headed incestuous Tasmanians become a political party?