on 22-03-2014 05:27 PM
Parents now days expect teachers to teach their kids what they as parents should. The kids are not learning the there R's any more, no time with all the social engineering rubbish the teachers have to teach
Literacy and numeracy programs threatened by “social engineering”
SCHOOLS have become so overburdened with requests to teach life skill subjects that many are struggling to deliver critical literacy and numeracy programs.
The growing list includes learn to drive workshops, hygiene, finances, substance abuse, multiculturalism, child protection, values, civic pride and community projects.
The latest impost on school time is a call to educate children in primary classrooms about domestic violence and sexism.
Children and their teachers have returned to school with a year of feverish work ahead of them — but finding enough time for the core subjects such as English and maths is difficult.
The school week of 1425 minutes has not changed for decades, but the added list of teaching matter is placing extra burden on students and teachers.
The Australian Primary Principals Association has complained the new national curriculum is too crowded and has called for a reduction in the content.
In a submission to the Abbott government’s review of the curriculum the association says it includes too many extra subjects and reduces the focus on literacy and numeracy
The Australian Parents Council also claims too much is expected of teachers and there should be a national focus on how parents can help with lessons at home.
Executive director Ian Dalton wants parental engagement written into education policy to take the pressure off teachers.
He suggests regular parent nights where teachers outline the curriculum and talk about how parents can reinforce the lessons in everyday life.
NSW Parents and Citizens spokeswoman Sharryn Brownlee said changes were needed to ease pressures on schools.
“We do need to stop putting more and more community and parent responsibilities on to teachers and schools — it is not their role to raise children,” Ms Brownlee said.
“Schools need to be allowed to get back to their core business of teaching and learning.”
One primary principal in Sydney’s west was barely joking when she claimed her school would need to stay open until 6pm just to get through the workload.
Chairwoman of the Public Schools Principals’ Forum Cheryl McBride said: “All of society’s woes have impacted on what is added to the curriculum.
“In secondary schools kids are even learning to drive and we are teaching obesity through PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education). It just goes on and on.
“Whatever is happening out there in society schools have to teach the kids how to do it or not to do it. Even the banks are contacting us about units of work they have developed for kids’ numeracy and financial literacy. ”
Many programs offer value for students and are not mandatory but they can be demanding of teachers’ time. Some have been criticised as amounting to little more than “social engineering”.
on 22-03-2014 05:32 PM
the real threat to our education system is the so called education minister. he's witty and gay and smart as a whip but a hopeless bigot who has destroyed any chance of our education system getting up to scratch for years to come. he;s a hopeless minister and a barefaced serial liar. i have met him more than once.
on 22-03-2014 05:37 PM
So lakeland you have met Christopher Pyne many times have you?
on 22-03-2014 05:38 PM
on 22-03-2014 05:41 PM
So whats the lefts opinion on getting back to proper education Lakeland27 and teaching your kids how to read and write and add up etc, you know a proper education like you got at school. You did get an education didnt you?
Do you really think its the job of teachers to do a parents job as is now expected in todays schools? Kids are failing maths and reading etc because of this social engineering.
on 22-03-2014 05:44 PM
Some of those 'extras' classwise you've highlighted in your opening post Nero have been part of school curriculum since I was in school so they're hardly new and I'd more suggest if they're struggling to deliver on key area's such as literacy and numercy it may have more to do with teaching standards rather than as I said additional subjects to teach. Often some Teachers lack competency in the key area's themselves and struggle with the workload of what is required yet other Teachers have no such problems with it.
Times do change also giving rise to additional subjects to educate on.
We had learn to drive in year 10 and three secondary schools in my region shared a car we'd take to the local showgrounds for lessons.
I think it's a balance between home and school, with both Teachers and parents reinforcing what has been taught but I do beg to differ that it's parents that have requested these be taught in many instances it's been preferable that Teachers stick with the three RRR's and have imposed other subject matter.
on 22-03-2014 05:44 PM
@nero_wulf wrote:Parents now days expect teachers to teach their kids what they as parents should. The kids are not learning the there R's any more, no time with all the social engineering rubbish the teachers have to teach
Literacy and numeracy programs threatened by “social engineering”
SCHOOLS have become so overburdened with requests to teach life skill subjects that many are struggling to deliver critical literacy and numeracy programs.
The growing list includes learn to drive workshops, hygiene, finances, substance abuse, multiculturalism, child protection, values, civic pride and community projects.
The latest impost on school time is a call to educate children in primary classrooms about domestic violence and sexism.
Children and their teachers have returned to school with a year of feverish work ahead of them — but finding enough time for the core subjects such as English and maths is difficult.
The school week of 1425 minutes has not changed for decades, but the added list of teaching matter is placing extra burden on students and teachers.
The Australian Primary Principals Association has complained the new national curriculum is too crowded and has called for a reduction in the content.
In a submission to the Abbott government’s review of the curriculum the association says it includes too many extra subjects and reduces the focus on literacy and numeracy
The Australian Parents Council also claims too much is expected of teachers and there should be a national focus on how parents can help with lessons at home.
Executive director Ian Dalton wants parental engagement written into education policy to take the pressure off teachers.
He suggests regular parent nights where teachers outline the curriculum and talk about how parents can reinforce the lessons in everyday life.
NSW Parents and Citizens spokeswoman Sharryn Brownlee said changes were needed to ease pressures on schools.
“We do need to stop putting more and more community and parent responsibilities on to teachers and schools — it is not their role to raise children,” Ms Brownlee said.
“Schools need to be allowed to get back to their core business of teaching and learning.”
One primary principal in Sydney’s west was barely joking when she claimed her school would need to stay open until 6pm just to get through the workload.
Chairwoman of the Public Schools Principals’ Forum Cheryl McBride said: “All of society’s woes have impacted on what is added to the curriculum.
“In secondary schools kids are even learning to drive and we are teaching obesity through PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education). It just goes on and on.
“Whatever is happening out there in society schools have to teach the kids how to do it or not to do it. Even the banks are contacting us about units of work they have developed for kids’ numeracy and financial literacy. ”
Many programs offer value for students and are not mandatory but they can be demanding of teachers’ time. Some have been criticised as amounting to little more than “social engineering”.
totally agree, nero.
on 22-03-2014 05:45 PM
on 22-03-2014 06:03 PM
The social engineering that has been happening for the last couple of decades is now evident not only in the inability of students to do basic skills, but the indoctrination of leftist "values" being so obvious as to be undeniable. It is clever to get to the minds of children when they are young because then they will think the way they are designed to think for the rest of their lives.
A post From a teacher
As a teacher, even rote learning of times tables is considered "outdated" now. It's something most would consider to be a basic maths skill, but instead now everything is about ridiculous fluff.
Does the five want to be multiplied with the seven? Why do we need to? How does the number feel? Ugh.
Can we please get back to basics?
on 22-03-2014 06:12 PM