Is it just me? I've been in quite a few schools over the past term and it strikes me it's quite a waste of time if you are a Year 11 pupil. I hear comments like, "One or two of them still have work to finish off. The others can just get on with what they want. They have plenty of revision."
The pupils themselves rarely cause problems, possibly because they are not really being challenged to do anything productive. How have we arrived at this situation whereby the last term of a Year 11 pupil's school career involves minimal teaching and learning? The exam course and grades dominate, and getting coursework in and submitted takes over completely. It is as if once the coursework is in we can all sit back.
Further to this, I read an article in an educational paper last week where the head of a secondary school was advocating GCSE courses starting in Year 9. Even more dominance by exams. Surely, education is more than just jumping through hoops, and spending more and more time simply passing exams. I recently watched an online PowerPoint presentation by Sir Ken Robinson advocating a far wider view of education which would promote creativity, independent thinking and rounded individuals. When he builds his school I'm signing up! Afterall, I thought that's what I was going to do anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment