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”.
