From the BBC:
"Nearly a quarter of England's state secondary schools let down their pupils, an education minister has said".
When you consider that Treasury statistics reveal that more than 1 in 6 children leave school each year unable to read, write and add up, an estimated 1 million children truant every year and at least 16 children commit suicide each year as a result of school bullying, it is hard not to agree.
The education minister here was Lord Adonis. Perhaps he should have a word with his department whose spokesmen have claimed that
"Standards (in schools) have never been higher and with record funding in our schools we believe the best place to educate a child is actually in school."
Wonder where they were educated!
I don't see the contradiction between the two statements - they can be failing miserably and still have "higher standards than ever before".
ReplyDeleteThe (doubtless unintentional!) implication there is: If schools are this bad *now*, don't even ask what they *used to be* like...
I hope you don't mind me popping this here. i hope you'll feedback what you think .
ReplyDeleteBecause we have an adult blogring - I've just made Young Peoples Home Ed Blogring
if you visit http://youngpeopleshomeedblogring.blogspot.com/ you will find the links box for our younger ones to join in with a ring for them :)
The blogring can also be found on www.ourlearningtogether.com
dawniy xx
Thanks, Dawniy. Sounds like an excellent idea. Am off to check it out!
ReplyDeleteI agree 33,452...there isn't a contradiction. Rather the problem was that in choosing to believe that school is the best place to receive an education when so many children are being failed by it, the gov't spokesmen do seem to display an inability to look for the facts of the matter, a rigidity of thinking and an astonishing lack of creativity in problem solving.
ReplyDeleteI don't really believe kids leave school at 16 not knowing how to read. It's physically impossible.
ReplyDeletePhysically impossible? I can vouch for the fact that near total illiteracy (eg: only just being able to write one's name, without the presence of an obvious learning difficulty)from our local school is a fact.
ReplyDelete