Educational reform

[archangel]

When I was a kid I had a school uniform, had to say "please", "thank you" and excuse myself when interrupting another conversation, I had to learn the times tables, say Grace before lunch and learn lots of wonderful subjects.......subjects like biology, physics and chemistry.......all desperate classes and not under the one banner of science.......I cut up frogs and mixed chemicals and launched class made rockets........in math I learnt about algorithms (not that it done me much good lol) and in English I learnt proper grammer and writing skills (some what lacking these days)......not "innit" and "that's dope".....whatever the [PLEASE DON'T TRY TO BYPASS THE SWEAR FILTER] they mean.......

Mrs Archangel is a autistic vision and hearing impaired specialist teacher who left main stream teaching due to the failing of the basic educational system......she used to spend up to 30 hours a week outside teaching time to fill in data sheets and attend meetings about meetings.........

As a teacher she has lost faith in the educational system and the lack of foundational studies which both she and I had as children and teenagers.....

She now teaches in a specialist school where life is so much better.

There seems to be a lot of drum banging about education over the last couple of days, probably because we have an election looming........

What are the thoughts of the TP members?......has the educational system failed, is it only successful for the rich kids or maybe you think that it is fine the way it is........

 

[Steve Smith]

The high school I went to made the national press last year. It has recently become an academy school (something I disagree with) and they had placed the infamous Dr Rory Fox in charge. This is a man (and I use the word loosely) who excluded 150 pupils on his first day as the head of a school in Essex.

With just a few weeks of the school year left, he decided to send home around 30 pupils for very minor uniform discrepancies. e.g. a skirt 1/2" too short or in one case, a pupil's shoes had the wrong colour soles. And many more were given detention or separated from the rest of the class for other uniform 'problems'.

More recently, students have been given detention for the serious crime of not having their rulers out of their bags and on the desk in time!

There is a lot of emphasis on uniform and outward appearance at this school. i.e. there is a lot of effort put in to make it look good, but in my opinion, the education standards are lacking and not enough effort is put into that - which I think is much more important than uniform.

The good news is that he is moving on to cause misery at another school.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/nov/18/rory-fox-headteacher-ryde-academy-pupils


Steve.

EDIT: Numbers changed after reading Guardian article.

 

[archangel]

The high school I went to made the national press last year. It has recently become an academy school (something I disagree with) and they had placed the infamous Dr Rory Fox in charge. This is a man (and I use the word loosely) who excluded 200 pupils on his first day as the head of a school in Essex.

With just a few weeks of the school year left, he decided to send home around 100 pupils for very minor uniform discrepancies. e.g. a skirt 1/2" too short or in one case, a pupil's shoes had the wrong colour soles.

There is a lot of emphasis on uniform and outward appearnce at this school. i.e. there is a lot of effort put in to make it look good, but in my opinion, the education standards are lacking and not enough effort is put into that which I think is much more important than uniform.

The good news is that he is moving on to cause misery at another school.


Steve.

Don't even get Mrs A started about academy schools....... share had taught in at least six and everyone of them are a complete disaster.......one was so bad that they offered her double wages to stay as they couldn't keep teachers.......needless to say she walked

 

[Steve Smith]

I'm sure that eventually the local authorities are going to have take back control as I don't think it's working.

Aside from that, I also think it's ridiculous to have schools which are called academies - and in one case here, a school which is now called a college.

No! They're schools!!!


Steve.

 

[MWHCVT]

I think it's not one core problem but a mixture of several small problems, but there is certainly a need for something to change...personally actually I think there is too much importance put on academia and passing exams to the point where pupils are educated to pass exams and go on to university, I personally think that too many people go to university and that there are too many degrees that don't really have a career path too them, personally I'd like to see and I think it is happening now more than even when I went to school a few years ago more real life skills education, yes we need our traditionally educated people but we all need out skilled people, our trades, production etc at the moment education to my mind mainly focuses on tertiary industry sector and not enough focus on primary and secondary industries

 

[Steve Smith]

I think there is too much importance put on academia and passing exams to the point where pupils are educated to pass exams and go on to university

I agree. When I was at school, thirty years ago, they were only interested in the pupils who could go on to get A levels then go to university and hardly any effort was made to even suggest alternatives for those who obviously wouldn't be university material. I don't think anything has changed today.

One good thing I have noticed (which is nothing to do with schools) is that apprenticeships are becoming popular again. The company I work for has four apprentices and two employees who started as apprentices. With a total workforce of about sixty, that's quite a high proportion.

Hopefully apprenticeships will take off and become as popular as they were 50+ years ago.


Steve.

 

[munch]

My daughter is in her first year as a teacher and I can believe how much "extra" work she has to do. Most of it is to meet some target or another set by the government and implemented by OFSTED.

IMHO the world has become "target" mad.

 

[Steve Smith]

My daughter is in her first year as a teacher and I can believe how much "extra" work she has to do. Most of it is to meet some target or another set by the government and implemented by OFSTED.

IMHO the world has become "target" mad.

I agree with this too.

On a bus going to work a few years ago, I overeheard two teachers talking. Part of the conversation went like this: "If I hear that we're going to have an Ofsted inspection, I'm going to have so much work to do to prepare for it..."

Inspections should be without warning. They should be representative of how a school actually is rather than how they make themselves appear after a lot of preparation.


Steve.

 

[onomatopoeia]

I agree. When I was at school, thirty years ago, they were only interested in the pupils who could go on to get A levels then go to university and hardly any effort was made to even suggest alternatives for those who obviously wouldn't be university material. I don't think anything has changed today.

When I was at school 30 years ago, approximately 95% of pupils stayed on to do A levels, of the remaining 5% most went to other schools or a sixth form college, and one or two left education entirely. From there, about 90% went on to university or polytechnic after A levels. State school. Despite this, I agree with you that there is an over-emphasis on university education though, and that the trade apprenticeship route is equally valid, not everyone is suited to pure academia and many will flourish in an environment where they learn skills in a practical manner where they can apply theory to practical situations.

To pick up on one thing which was in the news a lot yesterday (tables) I do think being able to do basic mental arithmetic is useful, people that can't add up a couple of figures or do a simple multiplication without getting their phone out look like proper wallies. I'd suggest implementing something that I will call the "darts score test", to be able to add up the total of three darts on a standard board and subtract it from 501 (or whatever the current score is), and work out what is required for an "out" from any score of 170 or lower (I know some are impossible). Only because the number of people I used to see, even when I was an undergraduate, that couldn't.

 

[nilagin]

Having served a Ford Apprenticeship (79-83) and still working at Ford today, apprenticeships have always been popular for as long as I can remember, unfortunately not many apprenticeship places are offered now. In my year there was around 40 toolmaker apprentices alone probably a similar number were mechanical apprentices, more so were electrical and then there were Technical apprentices, all to serve Dagenham, Dunton and Aveley plants. Now they advertise for around 15 apprenticeships per year and they get 1,000's of applications each year.
As for apprenticeships in general, the word apprenticeship is being abused. To me an apprenticeship is learning a trade, yet go on the Governments Apprenticeship website and you'll find positions for receptionists, not exactly what I'd call a trade.
My mates son started what he thought was a carpentry and joinery apprenticeship a few years ago. The position was with a firm that built and installed fitted kitchens. In the 3 months he was there he just sanding down wood or if lucky to go out in the van with one of the carpenters, he was just manual labour helping to carry stuff. At no point was he allowed to use tools and the only time he got to go anywhere near any machinery was just to clean them and change extractor filters. Fortunately after leaving he managed to get an apprenticeship with BT.

 

[Cobra]

While watching the news the other day, Nicky Morgan (Education Secretary)
was saying that children should know there 12 x table, by the age of 11.
"We" had all that drummed into "us" by the age of 7 or 8.

But actually, was it worth it?
At the time, I would say most definitely, but with all the calculators on phones etc
do children actually need that information to go out in the big wide world?

Conversely, Algebra was another, (at that time) yet another week-end has passed I never
felt the need to express myself in such a way.

I'll leave you with one final thought

View attachment 29913

 

[MWHCVT]

While watching the news the other day, Nicky Morgan (Education Secretary)
was saying that children should know there 12 x table, by the age of 11.
"We" had all that drummed into "us" by the age of 7 or 8.

But actually, was it worth it?
At the time, I would say most definitely, but with all the calculators on phones etc
do children actually need that information to go out in the big wide world?

Conversely, Algebra was another, (at that time) yet another week-end has passed I never
felt the need to express myself in such a way.

I'll leave you with one final thought

View attachment 29913

Yep, look how much cleavage that teacher on the right is showing I'd have never got any work done at that school.....erm miss, could you pick my pen up please

 

[nilagin]

A few years ago I went for a promotion at work, apart from interviews, we also had to a have a maths test, calculators were provided. Not having used a calculator in around 20yrs I was initially at a loss not knowing what to do with it. I pushed it aside and did it all in my head. I answered 24 out of 30 questions in the time allowed, my mate (15yrs younger) managed 25 questions with the use of the calculator and the 3rd bloke (about 10 yrs younger than me) managed 28 questions with the calculator. My mate and I got all our answers correct, the third bloke only got about 20 correct. I reckon I would have answered 25 too if I hadn't wasted a little time pondering what to do with the calculator. My mate got the job anyway, but only on the strength of a roll play exercise we had to do.

 

[eeyore]

Having served a Ford Apprenticeship (79-83) and still working at Ford today, apprenticeships have always been popular for as long as I can remember, unfortunately not many apprenticeship places are offered now. In my year there was around 40 toolmaker apprentices alone probably a similar number were mechanical apprentices, more so were electrical and then there were Technical apprentices, all to serve Dagenham, Dunton and Aveley plants. Now they advertise for around 15 apprenticeships per year and they get 1,000's of applications each year.
As for apprenticeships in general, the word apprenticeship is being abused. To me an apprenticeship is learning a trade, yet go on the Governments Apprenticeship website and you'll find positions for receptionists, not exactly what I'd call a trade.
My mates son started what he thought was a carpentry and joinery apprenticeship a few years ago. The position was with a firm that built and installed fitted kitchens. In the 3 months he was there he just sanding down wood or if lucky to go out in the van with one of the carpenters, he was just manual labour helping to carry stuff. At no point was he allowed to use tools and the only time he got to go anywhere near any machinery was just to clean them and change extractor filters. Fortunately after leaving he managed to get an apprenticeship with BT.

totally agree, Aerospace aprentice here... still in the trade

 

[Nod]

While watching the news the other day, Nicky Morgan (Education Secretary)
was saying that children should know there 12 x table, by the age of 11.
"We" had all that drummed into "us" by the age of 7 or 8.
View attachment 29913

Purely because this is an edumicashun thread, I can't let the homophone mistake pass! (Of course, it may well be a C&P from the Guarniad...)

Like Chris, we had the times tables off by rote by age 8 but I still have to recite the 7 and 8 times tables to tell you what 8x7=!

 

[Steve Smith]

I took O levels in 1981. Everyone else in the maths exam had a calculator. I did it with log and antilog tables. I doubt if anyone at school now knows what they are!

Purely because this is an edumicashun thread

Spelling! It's edjumakashun.

Steve.

 

[Nod]

I was wondering if anyone would spot the deliberate mistake.

 

[Cobra]

Purely because this is an edumicashun thread, I can't let the homophone mistake pass! !

Balls !

And there was I thinking that a homophone was someone with a fear of mobiles

 

[Nod]

No, it's a pink iPhone.

 

[nilagin]

To be honest, I just don't get the need for universities to study degrees. Where I work now, just about all the apprentices and those who have not long come out of their time have started studying degrees and all done at a local college. But they all have gained work experience from their apprenticeships, are more knowledgeable and can apply themselves better to the job. Compare those to engineers who have graduated form university and come straight into employment, the majority haven't really got a clue, they walk around in groups all hoping one of them will come up with an idea to solve a problem and in some cases do the daftest things creating more problems. I know we all have to learn sometime, I just feel it's being done in the wrong order.

 

[onomatopoeia]

I took O levels in 1981. Everyone else in the maths exam had a calculator. I did it with log and antilog tables. I doubt if anyone at school now knows what they are!

1984 for my Maths O level as I did it a year early. Two papers, one with a calculator, which was only necessary for the final step in each problem where the numbers are fed in after the equation required had been derived, and one without calculators, but with log / anti log (and I think trig) tables allowed.

 

[onomatopoeia]

Conversely, Algebra was another, (at that time) yet another week-end has passed I never
felt the need to express myself in such a way.

So much mathematics is built on algebra that it is vital to follow any career which requires maths - e.g. sciences, engineering. Even I use it when programming from time to time, being able to re-write a problem into a different form can make implementing a solution much more straightforward and therefore efficient.

 

[Cobra]

So much mathematics is built on algebra that it is vital to follow any career which requires maths - .

I'm certainly not arguing against that point, but I would suggest that a huge percentage
of people never use it once they leave school.

What I was getting at, well musing really was that the times table may well be redundant and
other more relevant "subjects" to this day and age, would be a better target for education reform.
Largely my post was actually a wry observation on today's education "syllabus"

 

[dejongj]

I can't say I've got many issues with the education system to be honest. Guess I'm lucky in our current and direct experiences of two children going through the system.

 

[viv1969]

Seems the kids are taught to use tech for everything these days, instead of their brains
In addition, there's no discipline, and nothing "bad" carries consequences anymore.

 

[dejongj]

Hmm not sure about that, definitely doesn't match with my experience of both primary and secondary education. Both of mine still have mental arithmetic tests, both based around accuracy and speed.

Discipline is most definitely there as well, and bad behaviour can get you expelled and depending how bad the authorities involved as well.

Very little home work can be submitted electronically. Most has to be handwritten. Really not much difference from when I was going to school.

 

[Steve Smith]

To be honest, I just don't get the need for universities to study degrees. Where I work now, just about all the apprentices and those who have not long come out of their time have started studying degrees and all done at a local college. But they all have gained work experience from their apprenticeships, are more knowledgeable and can apply themselves better to the job. Compare those to engineers who have graduated form university and come straight into employment, the majority haven't really got a clue, they walk around in groups all hoping one of them will come up with an idea to solve a problem and in some cases do the daftest things creating more problems. I know we all have to learn sometime, I just feel it's being done in the wrong order.

I think degrees are over rated too - although I am propbably biased as I don't have one! However, that has not stopped me working as an electronic and mechanical engineer (I didn't do an apprenticeship either).

Unfortunately, most employers use a degree as a requirement as a way to reduce the number of applicants for a job. However, doing that filters out the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Edwin Land (he invented Polaroid photography). All three of those dropped out of university to concentrate on their own projects. All three would be rejected by most employers.


Steve.

 

[nilagin]

On the reverse side my eldest son didn't really show interest at school and came away with D's in maths English and science. He went on to college and did Btecs in motorsport engineering which he passed with merits and distinctions. All way above A level grade but every employer is only really interested in his school results. Other than a few months working for a garage/motorsport team he has struggled for work and has now been working for Autoglass for a year where work contracts leave a lot to be desired and he is struggling to find an alternative.

 

[jakeblu]

We were rote taught the times tables at school and I still have a good grasp of them now over 45 years later. Somebody asks a multiplication problem and the answer just pops up its pretty handy some times and quite impressive Never helped with the girls though

Having had 4 children go through the education system, last one only a couple of years ago, I personally have no complaints, they all did well 3 with degrees, well two still studying, and one in the army.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I was considering joining the debate developing within this thread then though "sod it".

After spending 7 years as a school governor (5 of them as a Chair of Governors at a secondary school and 3 years as lead on school improvement for a primary school), I say sod it on the amount of political interference from Downing Street, The Department for Education, OFSTED and all the way down to even local Town and Parish Councils. Whilst education has it's adopted role as a whipping point for every 'know all and done nothing' politico of every flavour, the world has moved on and the fall out is nearly 2 or possibly 3 generations of children leaving school with "qualifications" of little value and poorly prepared for the 'real' world.

So "sod it"..... I see 18-25 year olds who know little of grannatical construction, Arithnatic Sequence, and in many cases, unable to speak.

This includes writing letters without context, spelling errors and incorrect use of spelling and contraction/ownership. Example There used insteas of Their, and They're used in place of Their..... etc. Can be sedn on this forum regularly. The classic here is often found in the classified threads where the use of 'BROUGHT" often replaces the word "BOUGHT" as in "I brought a tripod from...." or "I brought this lens off this forum...".

I left school after my 'A' levels in 1973 and went to University to 'read' Metallurgy which 3 years latee saw me working on the MRCA/ADV later Tornado F2/F3. I learned loads from the engineers who served apprenticeships to become draughtsmen and engineers. The one thing we all had in common? We coul write clearly, succinctly and correctly in our native language.

I interview many who are born and bred here, for all sorts of jobs. Sadly a large bundle of exan certificates does not overcome the misuse of language and many times I have to draw out what candidates are actually saying!

So back to my "sod it". Whatever way things are dressed the education system has been wrecked and burnt on the altar of political doctrine by the elected politicians of everh ilk. So much so that there are differing generations of parents whose own education has been 'modernised' during their years iin school, to the point that they cannot follow the 'reinvigoration and ultra inspection' their childrens' education is going through.

Meanwhile education in China and India is valued, promoted and desired.

So "sod it", I just cannot be arsed with it anymore.

One sideline and suggestion.

2014 was the 100th anniversary of the First World War. Seek out and read the letters the soldiers wrote 'home'. They are written with clarity and skill I barely sed today. Witty, sad, full of passion and spelt properly with 'proper' grammar. It may surprise the sceptical who believe exam results are all that are needed.

Calculators??? I still use my slide rule... I won it when I finished top of my second year mathematics class at school.....

Steve

 

[dejongj]

I was considering joining the debate developing within this thread then though "sod it".

After spending 7 years as a school governor (5 of them as a Chair of Governors at a secondary school and 3 years as lead on school improvement for a primary school), I say sod it on the amount of political interference from Downing Street, The Department for Education, OFSTED and all the way down to even local Town and Parish Councils. Whilst education has it's adopted role as a whipping point for every 'know all and done nothing' politico of every flavour, the world has moved on and the fall out is nearly 2 or possibly 3 generations of children leaving school with "qualifications" of little value and poorly prepared for the 'real' world.

So "sod it"..... I see 18-25 year olds who know little of grannatical construction, Arithnatic Sequence, and in many cases, unable to speak.

This includes writing letters without context, spelling errors and incorrect use of spelling and contraction/ownership. Example There used insteas of Their, and They're used in place of Their..... etc. Can be sedn on this forum regularly. The classic here is often found in the classified threads where the use of 'BROUGHT" often replaces the word "BOUGHT" as in "I brought a tripod from...." or "I brought this lens off this forum...".

I left school after my 'A' levels in 1973 and went to University to 'read' Metallurgy which 3 years latee saw me working on the MRCA/ADV later Tornado F2/F3. I learned loads from the engineers who served apprenticeships to become draughtsmen and engineers. The one thing we all had in common? We coul write clearly, succinctly and correctly in our native language.

I interview many who are born and bred here, for all sorts of jobs. Sadly a large bundle of exan certificates does not overcome the misuse of language and many times I have to draw out what candidates are actually saying!

So back to my "sod it". Whatever way things are dressed the education system has been wrecked and burnt on the altar of political doctrine by the elected politicians of everh ilk. So much so that there are differing generations of parents whose own education has been 'modernised' during their years iin school, to the point that they cannot follow the 'reinvigoration and ultra inspection' their childrens' education is going through.

Meanwhile education in China and India is valued, promoted and desired.

So "sod it", I just cannot be arsed with it anymore.

One sideline and suggestion.

2014 was the 100th anniversary of the First World War. Seek out and read the letters the soldiers wrote 'home'. They are written with clarity and skill I barely sed today. Witty, sad, full of passion and spelt properly with 'proper' grammar. It may surprise the sceptical who believe exam results are all that are needed.

Calculators??? I still use my slide rule... I won it when I finished top of my second year mathematics class at school.....

Steve

Perhaps the way they come across is down to the technology used. Let me elaborate, just take a look at your own post. That post exhibit so many spelling and grammatical errors that, if I was as condemning as you come across, it is rather ironic.

I'm not that bothered by those kind of things, and I wish that people would allow a bit more freedom in today's multicultural society where for many English isn't their first language. I see it many a time where people don't comment on the content, yet manage to find a spelling mistake on page 973 in the seventh paragraph, third sentence. Great, thank you. And what about the content?

I really think quite a few are remembering the past with rose tinted glasses. I find myself questioning whether I had certain topics as such a young age. For example I do not recall being taught about hexadecimal systems at the age of six. Or calculations with fractions in year 3. Then again my personal experience was around the Montessori principles, many of its methods and approaches I recognise as being utilised in mainstream education these days.

 

[Nod]

I was hoping that the "typos" were deliberate...

I do allow for English not being everyone's first language - hell, I wish my (?)Dutch was as good as your English! (And even more that my Greek was as good as my Greek friends' English is!)

It was more than a few years ago that I was in education but I don't remember hexadecimal before "O" level, although binary was taught (IIRC) before I went on to secondary school (and of course base 12, 14, 16 and 20 (plus others) were in daily use!)

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Perhaps the way they come across is down to the technology used. Let me elaborate, just take a look at your own post. That post exhibit so many spelling and grammatical errors that, if I was as condemning as you come across, it is rather ironic.

I'm not that bothered by those kind of things, and I wish that people would allow a bit more freedom in today's multicultural society where for many English isn't their first language. I see it many a time where people don't comment on the content, yet manage to find a spelling mistake on page 973 in the seventh paragraph, third sentence. Great, thank you. And what about the content?

I really think quite a few are remembering the past with rose tinted glasses. I find myself questioning whether I had certain topics as such a young age. For example I do not recall being taught about hexadecimal systems at the age of six. Or calculations with fractions in year 3. Then again my personal experience was around the Montessori principles, many of its methods and approaches I recognise as being utilised in mainstream education these days.

No rose tinted glasses here.

I don't care at all about what students do or don't do any more. I do mentor a couple and meet them regularly. Great to work with them but I support THEIR choices first.

My main point is that education is now firmly a political football and it is impacting badly on business.

As for ths main competition in world markets being India and China, they are driving their schools forward on a baseline of traditional educational principles. Indian graduates are cherry picked by 'Western Companies' for their trained minds, determination and work ethic.

My experiences in business recruitment include parents demanding to sit in on their graduate offsprings' job interviews........ killer strategy.

For me personally my 'traditional' education has led me to work across the world and am semi retired early. My skills are transferable and still relevant.

That said, the workforce needs people capable across the whole range of sectors and arts/media etc.

The multi-cultural element is also very relevant too - which I faced when a consultant governor at a Bristol school dealing with an influx of Somalian children whose parents requested extra spoken English lessons for their children. Fantastic challenge for the school and something that the Government baulked at funding.

So yes you are right and you seem passionate about your feelings. You should take that passion into your local schools to balance the Governing and Directing bodies if you are not already doing so. School management is the largest volunteering group in the UK.

What I will stick to my guns on is the need for the basics of the '3 R's to be driven back into schools. I say that from a left of centre point of view too.

Steve

 

[dejongj]

Oh absolutely. My wife is on the governors on one school and I'm at the other school. it amazes me how few parents want to get involved.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Oh absolutely. My wife is on the governors on one school and I'm at the other school. it amazes me how few parents want to get involved.

Sad but true.

The secondary school I was CoG at was forced by the local authority into a budget issue which meant a bit of a crisis whilst we completed changing the school into a Foundation and Trust School after which we then federated the school with the nearest secondary school to create a single head and single Board of Directors (GB by any other name). It saved both schools and we dismissed all the LA appointed governors.... no more politics and doctrine at board meetings.

Still going strong and I stepped down to create the student mentoting group.

 

[onomatopoeia]

My experiences in business recruitment include parents demanding to sit in on their graduate offsprings' job interviews........ killer strategy.

That reflects badly on the parents, but shouldn't reflect on the applicant, except perhaps to engender a little sympathy for the environment they must have been raised in. I think I'd have died if my parents had pulled a stunt like that.

I talked to someone at the university about the interview days they have for A level students that want to apply. She told me that they get hordes of parents turning up and expecting to be involved in the tour and the interview. It got so bad that they had staff organise separate activities to get the parents out of the way!

What I will stick to my guns on is the need for the basics of the '3 R's to be driven back into schools. I say that from a left of centre point of view too.

The fundamentals are crucial. Accuracy in communication is crucial. If something becomes an effort to read because of continual errors in spelling and grammar, the reader is likely to abandon the effort. If the purpose of the communication is to apply for a job, or to tender for a contract, or to make a possible client aware of one's products or services, then this is clearly a very bad thing. Our office administrator sent back an email from a recruitment agency that were punting a CV at us with all of the many mistakes highlighted and corrected, telling them that she was sorry for their clients if this was representative of their general standard of communication!

 

[onomatopoeia]

I'm not that bothered by those kind of things, and I wish that people would allow a bit more freedom in today's multicultural society where for many English isn't their first language.

My experience is that people communicating in a language other than their native language are happy to acknowledge mistakes and be corrected. I'm certainly happy to have my mistakes pointed out when I'm using Italian, because how am I going to improve if no-one tells me when I make a mistake?

 

[RedRobin]

Well, as someone who went first to Preparatory School and then Public School, I think that regardless of how a school is named (academy or otherwise), educating the pupil as WHOLE and also teaching with stricter discipline (sadly missing nowadays in state schools) is fundamentally important.

 

[dejongj]

My experience is that people communicating in a language other than their native language are happy to acknowledge mistakes and be corrected. I'm certainly happy to have my mistakes pointed out when I'm using Italian, because how am I going to improve if no-one tells me when I make a mistake?

There is pointing out constructively and there is finding fault. The difference is clear. Then again I take it as a compliment when I write a ministerial submission that the only point of contention is a spelling mistake on page 973

 

[big soft moose]

Mrs Archangel is a autistic vision and hearing impaired specialist teacher

you have to respect her for managing to be a teacher with all those disabilities