Although I usually focus on education in an early learning context, I feel I must mention a study carried out by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) recently which caught my eye. Government-backed research has revealed that one in three bosses is forced to send staff for remedial training in literacy and numeracy, costing the economy £10 billion a year. Figures for last year show that just 46 per cent of school leavers managed good passes in both English and maths GCSE. Yikes. The sheer scale of substandard English and maths is incredibly worrying in a society where the government’s stated priorities are “Education, Education, Education”.
It’s no wonder the media features so many articles about how we are failing our children. But what’s encouraging is the continuing level of interest and commitment by parents and even those inside the system to improve matters. Looking on the internet at various education talkboards, I came across so many intelligently argued, thoughtful comments about education, I wanted to share them:
“I'm the head teacher of a large London Primary school and we've all jumped onto this ridiculous educational treadmill of targets and tests. But our children are worth so much more: the task of educating them is not about’ can they reach level 4, but can we make them into the responsible, caring, adaptable emotionally literate people of the future who will change the world? Why are we not standing up against the current tide of endless assessment and pressure? Learning should be fun, relevant, inspiring, and equipping children with the life skills they need. Childhood and young adulthood should be the best times of their lives when children flourish and grow, and are not made to feel inadequate because they don't fit the prescribed model. Let's break out of the current educational shackles and enable our children to love learning!”
Hurrah! The next woman took steps to change what was happening:
“I became so concerned at how I see the way the education system manipulates and fails our children that I decided to train to be a practitioner within an educational system that celebrates individuality and helps each child to develop confidence in their own unique talents. (Steiner education) A system that only values the passing of exams and tries to herd all children towards a dubious degree qualification, leaving the ones who cannot make it to flounder and feel failures, is I feel, ignoring the potentiality of a society rich with talented, competent and confident citizens.” And lastly,
“Yes, we are failing our children. The present system could not really be described as 'Education' and it does not prepare them for life. It should be realistic, relevant, enjoyable and at times challenging. But the last should not be the relentless pressure of statistically based targets but worthwhile tasks that give students the chance to experience the elation felt when achieving something that took time and effort. Life is not a series of bite- sized tasks guaranteeing immediate gratification and the opportunity to opt out when the going gets tough. We must help our youngsters to cope with boredom and difficulties both in and out of school. Life isn't always fun, but in a caring and encouraging environment we can nurture individuals to become confident about the future.” Amen to that. With people like this standing up and being counted, I feel confident that things will change for the better, that the government will eventually see that the one size fits all notion of education is something from the past. Roll on the future!