The reality of the UK education system

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Is it inconceivable that after rejecting physics, as I did at a fairly young age, I then spent the rest of my career in teaching? Is it also inconceivable that I could have run 2 jobs simultaneously: teaching and life coaching? And I haven’t yet mentioned the writing (published), photography (published), assorted arts and crafts (sold and published), tutoring, computerising a large business, running bed and breakfast and assorted menial jobs. And finally, the biggest job that I have done, and one which was self-financed, was, and is, finding the answers to the Big Questions of life, the universe and everything, and then having done so, going on to follow through all the implications and consequences.

Hehe, what's that what they say? Jack of all trades but master of none ..

Oh, all right then, I admit it. Pantodragon is actually 2 people (panto = pantomime).

Very good panto, the first step is realising your psychological problems.

Silly boy!!! The one’s who are afraid are the ones who conform, the one’s who won’t rock the boat, and the one’s who are most concerned to put on a show of not being afraid --- I’m looking at your writing quite carefully here…….

And it's obvious you're the fearful one here. You might think you're rocking boats, which makes it extra sad since it only confirms that you're removed from reality. Very far away.

Your fear makes you right essays of threads where you repeat the same thing over and over again and see patterns that aren't there. You might check if you suffer from

apophenia. There are others on this forum with the same problem. The big problem with you is you're so resistant to reality that you get extremely upset when a voice of reason appears and confronts you. Many have confronted your preposterous statements and you just say "you dont get me". Either you're a misunderstood teenager experiencing pms for the first time or you should re-evaluate if you're going through a psychotic episode.

[pantodragon]

I am not and never have been a Policeman,but I have studied human behaviour,which you obviously haven't.

OK, so you studied out of the same book as the police use.

[pantodragon]

Unfortunately, (for some) higher tech is the wave of the future and those that can not/ will not adjust to it, will be left behind... Sort of a cultural "survival of the fittest"... sad but true...

Quote from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: These things happen because when these things happen, people like you just say "These things happen" ("....sad but true....") and that's why these things happen! Anyone who tolerates a culture of survival of the fittest deserves everything they get.

[pantodragon]

As with all social problems, the problem no doubt does lie deeper. But please explain where you think the problem lies.

Read all my posts, but particularly those with Power in the title: How Power Corrupts; The Place of Power in Politics.

[pantodragon]

I'm really not sure what you mean. I do remember being scared going to school but that was because of bullies who lingered at the school gates. A big gang of girls and boys used to hang out there smoking with their older biker friends. Bullying wasn't really taken seriosly back then. Now they're having talks about it and doing all they can to stop bullying. I don't think incidents like that are allowed. Bullying towards teachers may be likely in secondary schools, like the city ones. I don't think you can compare spoilt brats and violent kids with spies though.

Everyone's at it! Teachers bully children; children bully teachers; employers bully teachers; teachers bully teachers; education authority bullies children........and that's just the bullying.

[pantodragon]

your job is to teach what the state tells you to teach. otherwise we end up with crackpot teachers teaching the pupils their version of whatever that maybe. after reading your latest posts its clear you needed..............................................go into teaching for the wrong reasons, but instead of leaving they linger on, mainly down to the fact they spent 5+ years training and wont admit they have made a mistake. with their passion diminished they go through the motions and instead of embracing the system they fight it. they are what you call journeymen going from school to school, never staying in one place long enough and no-one wins. the teacher nor the pupil.

You've got that wonderful Hollywood view of schools, with those wonderful teachers who perform miracles with children who have had sad lives. Not real.

[pantodragon]

actually, I'm a classroom teacher who uses IWB everyday.

Yes, I had a colleague/friend who sounded like you, extolling the merits of the latest technology, and claiming they made life easier and better etc, When I persuaded her to curtail her use of advanced technology she was able to come off the heart pills.

[pantodragon]

Very good panto, the first step is realising your psychological problems.

Thanks. You've been a really big help to me here. Where psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists by the boatload have thrown up their hands in despair, you've gone right to the heart of my/our problems. Would it be OK if I laid a few more on you, and you could help me out some more?

[spud the mackem]

OK, so you studied out of the same book as the police use.

My work was confronting people who import /sell/ use / abuse illegall drugs,so we had to know the law,and P.A.C.E (Police and Criminal Evidence Act), The bad guys were real mean characters,very scary,which you couldn't frighten, so you had to use a brain cell or two to get a confession, and usually the first thing they did was shout for their "brief", (lawyer), so you had to combat that as well.Using FEAR was not an option.They would rather face Jail than face / give up, their Top Man,because that would mean their instant Death,even in Jail.

[Mr.United_Nations]

OK, so you studied out of the same book as the police use.

you dont need a book, proof that you cant teach

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Yes, I had a colleague/friend who sounded like you, extolling the merits of the latest technology, and claiming they made life easier and better etc, When I persuaded her to curtail her use of advanced technology she was able to come off the heart pills.

ohh hello there insane comparision.

Well, I once convinced a teacher to use an IWB and thecnext day a pairvo snakes had sex in their classroom! Therefore IWBs lead to snake sex.

[Frank Merton]

And snake sex leads to baby snakes.

[Wyrdlight]

My experiances at school were that fear was a big factor to be honest.

It was more about the way the UK school system is set up. The purpose of secondary school (11-16) is to get you into college. the purpose of college (16-18) is to get you into university, the purpose of university is to get you into a job.

Thats stupid.

It leads to a "do what must be done to tick the box's" culture. And in order to tick box's you have to start comparing children to each other, putting them in "levels" of ever increasing accuracy and complexity. You foster an instant "them and us" idealogy amongst pupils by making it blindingly obvious who is "good" and gonna tick the box's and who is "bad" and is not.

If you dont tick the box's then the world will end, or as good as. At school I was told by practically everyone that if I failed my exams by life was basically over, i would never get a good job, a home or make ebough to raise a family. There were reminders every day, non-stop reminding us that we had to pass exams, hit targets.

The fact is that of what I learned at school aged 11-18 i use barely a fraction in daily and work life, I have never in the 6 years since leaving college had to use ANY of the maths i learned between the ages of 11 and 18 for example. School should in my view teach you about life in general and whould give you the general tools you will need when you are older. Very few know what they wanna do when older when they are 14, I was not told for example when I was 13-14 that the choices i made about myy GCSE (age 16 exams) would directly effect what i could do at University 3-4 years after. The result being i could not do several degrees I think i really would have liked.

I think schools should have classes on things such as "How to hang a sheet of wallpaper, how to re-wire a plug socket, how to bake bread, how to change a car tire, how to roast a chicken, how to fill out a tax return or an application for insurance. How to apply for legal representation, basic British law and its every day applications" there should be far more focus on PROPER work experiance. UK work experiance at the moment is less than pathetic. I was carted off to work in Boots where I was use as unpaid slave labour doing heavy lifting for 6 hours a day in a poorly lit store-room to the terse grunted instructions of a miserable woman who mopped around smoking endless roll-ups. I learnt.... well nothing to be honest, if anything it was so horrible an experiance it put me off work for some time. There should be placements in interesting and unusual fields and for more than a week, 2 at least, preferably two placement of 2 weeks at differing places.

We currantly shoe-horn kids into narrowing down the focus of their education from the age of 11 or so, i think education should be very broad and general until at LEAST 16 then as an older more mature person the student starts to choose.

[Render]

Thanks. You've been a really big help to me here. Where psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists by the boatload have thrown up their hands in despair, you've gone right to the heart of my/our problems. Would it be OK if I laid a few more on you, and you could help me out some more?

Weak.

[pantodragon]

My work was confronting people who import /sell/ use / abuse illegall drugs,so we had to know the law,and P.A.C.E (Police and Criminal Evidence Act), The bad guys were real mean characters,very scary,which you couldn't frighten, so you had to use a brain cell or two to get a confession, and usually the first thing they did was shout for their "brief", (lawyer), so you had to combat that as well.Using FEAR was not an option.They would rather face Jail than face / give up, their Top Man,because that would mean their instant Death,even in Jail.

That's very interesting.

All my "admirers" on this forum might take note of the evidence provided for my insight: I correctly identified you as a policeman, based on a short comment describing your methods of understanding people. Although you denied being a policeman, as this comment shows, that was a mere technicality. You are a policeman by another name. And incidentaly, you wrong footed me with your denial, which just goes to show how you must always rely on your own senses and insights rather than what people tell you.

[Mr.United_Nations]

That's very interesting.

All my "admirers" on this forum might take note of the evidence provided for my insight: I correctly identified you as a policeman, based on a short comment describing your methods of understanding people. Although you denied being a policeman, as this comment shows, that was a mere technicality. You are a policeman by another name. And incidentaly, you wrong footed me with your denial, which just goes to show how you must always rely on your own senses and insights rather than what people tell you.

When will you admit you were a poor teacher?

[pantodragon]

ohh hello there insane comparision.

Well, I once convinced a teacher to use an IWB and thecnext day a pairvo snakes had sex in their classroom! Therefore IWBs lead to snake sex.

As usual, in your haste to shoot me down, you have jumped to conclusions and made a fool of yourself. If you had bothered to ask, I could have told you that the advice I gave was in the context of life coach and client.

[pantodragon]

Weak.

Weaker and weakest. Nya, nya, nya nya, nya!

[pantodragon]

When will you admit you were a poor teacher?

I take it you're not interested in the evidence, just in the admission? So, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary: ......wait for it.......here's a wee present for you.... .... I ADMIT I WAS A BAD TEACHER.

Now, who's good to you?

[spud the mackem]

That's very interesting.

All my "admirers" on this forum might take note of the evidence provided for my insight: I correctly identified you as a policeman, based on a short comment describing your methods of understanding people. Although you denied being a policeman, as this comment shows, that was a mere technicality. You are a policeman by another name. And incidentaly, you wrong footed me with your denial, which just goes to show how you must always rely on your own senses and insights rather than what people tell you.

Fubar, I was a Commissioned Customs Officer, how wrong can you get,and my son is a Head Master at a High School. I shall not bother with your pathetic comments again. Bye forever.

[ciriuslea]

I was a career teacher (in the classroom and in management) as well as a supply (relief) teacher for over 30 years. I taught in a huge variety of schools: big and small, “good” and “bad”, inner-city, urban and rural. Fear is endemic to them all, and I can identify some of its sources.

If you had such bad feelings about education and being in a position to at least influence the students you came in contact with...it would be interesting to know if you then went on to provide this fear based education ?

I actually think you probably did more harm than good having that perspective,

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

As usual, in your haste to shoot me down, you have jumped to conclusions and made a fool of yourself. If you had bothered to ask, I could have told you that the advice I gave was in the context of life coach and client.

Really?

Ohh well that's entirely different.

So it has nothing to do with the use of technology in the classroom then, and more "change this and this, eat more apples and smile more".

Gotcha. So using it in a rant against entirely useful technology in the classroom is like me saying "because one child I was teaching hockey to fell and dislocated their knee, we should ban sports halls in schools".

[calaf]

Perhaps being a bit off-topic coming from the other side of the pond, as a teacher in inner cities schools for 35 years I can only summarize as follows. Teaching is both an extremely difficult yet vastly rewarding profession which has no place for the unprepared or timid. It is true that a teacher can be under attack from numerous fronts but those attacks can be deflected by skill, experience and patience. All of the distractions of modern education cannot touch the infectious excitement of learning.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Perhaps being a bit off-topic coming from the other side of the pond, as a teacher in inner cities schools for 35 years I can only summarize as follows. Teaching is both an extremely difficult yet vastly rewarding profession which has no place for the unprepared or timid. It is true that a teacher can be under attack from numerous fronts but those attacks can be deflected by skill, experience and patience. All of the distractions of modern education cannot touch the infectious excitement of learning.

Hear Hear!

I work in a Independent School here in Australia, one of the truly independent schools - not bound by government mandate, not by religious edict.

It's truly liberating. Education is not a career, it's a calling, actually it's not a calling it's more of a demanding. Even now, here on holidays we're fielding calls and e-mails from colleagues, we're plotting and planning lessons, we're marking work.

[pantodragon]

If you had such bad feelings about education and being in a position to at least influence the students you came in contact with...it would be interesting to know if you then went on to provide this fear based education ?

I actually think you probably did more harm than good having that perspective,

To quote marcus Aurelius: “........................... I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone: the harm is to persist in one's own self-deception and ignorance.” If pupils are wakened to the truth of what is going on, they can deal with it. I can tell them how. If they persist in their delusions, then they are beyond help and will suffer.