tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post8676187410802643572..comments2024-02-21T08:52:55.878+00:00Comments on Your Freedom and Ours: Let's finish off what the French Revolution startedHelenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799545178433498944noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-29016916970039747492012-10-21T19:22:59.274+01:002012-10-21T19:22:59.274+01:00And, of course, the equally -- if not more so -- i...And, of course, the equally -- if not more so -- important question concerns the subtance of the very curriculum itself...Stephen MacLeanhttp://www.organic-tory.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-19682784373878967752012-10-18T11:04:11.516+01:002012-10-18T11:04:11.516+01:00Why does he need 60,000 more teachers? Are there t...Why does he need 60,000 more teachers? Are there that many children coming up to school age in France? Not having home work to mark does not seem to result in more teaching. We've been there. Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799545178433498944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-23622528368367793842012-10-17T17:34:46.843+01:002012-10-17T17:34:46.843+01:00My children go to a French elementary school in We...My children go to a French elementary school in West London. It'll be interesting to see what if anything filters down. Currently my 7 year old gets set homework, and being in French my wife helps him do it. FWIW Hollande is right in that children whose parents give them support are already edging ahead, but holding back everyone is not only stupid, it doesn't work as Helen has explained. O/T but perhaps worth mentioning is that parents at the school are largely split into two factions,ex-pats here for a few years, and more long term English residents. The former group want English to be a bigger part of the curriculum, as they feel this is a chance for the kids to become fluent in English, and the latter who want French to be more stressed as the whole point is to give their kids a French education; they'll pick up English automatically simply by being here.<br /><br />We should also note that one of his election promises was to recruit 60,000 more teachers, who will now be even freer to teach not having any homework to mark.Ian Reidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-5309803614128456012012-10-17T15:46:24.378+01:002012-10-17T15:46:24.378+01:00I also recall that in the late eighties a number o...I also recall that in the late eighties a number of secondary school teachers and heads complained about the fact that children were arriving in their schools without basic reading or writing ability, never mind 'rithmetic. My own personal experience of primary school children at the time would confirm that. I recall going with a class of 10 - 11 year olds to the Museum of London and finding that a large proportion of them could not read the labels under the various exhibits. This was a very ordinary school in West London with children from all backgrounds, i.e. not ones with particular learning difficulties. <br />Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799545178433498944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-44590350928863427222012-10-17T13:57:50.276+01:002012-10-17T13:57:50.276+01:00Under so called Local Management of Schools in the...Under so called Local Management of Schools in the late Eighties, the board of governors on which I served accepted this pearl as part of its "curriculum development statement"<br />"It is the policy of the school to make the students responsible for their own learning"<br />It was an infants' school!<br /><br />Whilst the document was something we were supposed to produce for ourselves, this was a draft sent by the County to "help" us. With only half a dozen dissenters, every school in the county of every age group solemnly adopted this nonsense. It was like a North Korean general election - but then, the leader of the council did go to North Korea on jollies!<br /><br />It was an interesting time for secondary head teachers. The reorganisation removed the sixth forms from most schools and the heads then had to re-apply for their own jobs, giving ample scope for selection by political affiliation and correctness.Edward Spaltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04168350315689612490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-3899233561448328642012-10-17T13:44:32.356+01:002012-10-17T13:44:32.356+01:00And not expecting children to do any work as evide...And not expecting children to do any work as evidenced by the homework ban is another contributing factor, I'd say. Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799545178433498944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-53855842861635407642012-10-17T12:27:58.825+01:002012-10-17T12:27:58.825+01:00It's true that large portions of the most rece...It's true that large portions of the most recent generations of British children have grown up functionally illiterate.<br /><br />But I am not sure it's down to a homework ban.<br /><br />It's largely due to two things: the imposition of the absurd "child-centred education" theories of the, well, theorists and the complete breakdown of discipline in British state schools. The refusal of teachers to use phonics in teaching reading is probably a major contributor as well.Weekend Yachtsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04262853091154005651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-84361647766256311692012-10-17T00:53:20.583+01:002012-10-17T00:53:20.583+01:00It varied in my experience. But that is not the re...It varied in my experience. But that is not the reason for the ban, as is clear. Hollande seems to be quite unhinged. Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799545178433498944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-78060815770547822222012-10-16T17:14:07.762+01:002012-10-16T17:14:07.762+01:00Most homework in my experience both at state &...Most homework in my experience both at state & private school was busy-work and of little use. Though banning it as a government edict seems a bit daft. Andrew Ian Dodgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16293965494182995460noreply@blogger.com