schools

Of course, this is for the United Kingdom though I believe it is the same if not worse in America (across the nation). I get the feeling your school is quite good, in some parts of America these new ideas are being tested. Because the US has de-centralized political power it has a wide range of schooling methodologies, some good, some awful. Did you know there are many states that have not prohibited corporal punishment and some even still use it? Granted only on the permission of the parents, but just the fact that this kind of lesson is still being given would be funny if it wasn't so worrying. Though it must be said many schools in the US have got the right idea, that's the thing with the US, got the worst and the best. It seems Wyoming, or at least your district, is good. Better than the UK anyway, but my school is (was) like all others in the UK, as we have a single, standard curriculum. So my experiences are very similar to everybody else in my country. 2) The reason I believe they intend to do it is a whole other matter that goes deeper than this debate will take us. But it has relevance of course, so I will just point out that one of the co-founders of the General Education Board, John. D. Rockefeller said 'I don't want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers.' This is why I made the comment, but I didn't intend it to be a point, for that is a whole other matter. I see your point about convenience, but we have to think outside the box. People want to get the job done early, but why does it have to last 7 hours? Also, why do they even need to go to a building to be taught? At the end of the day, those lessons are less productive and are quite feeble (early morning) and so why continue to do it? The education system is not the only thing at fault, and its because of other bad factors that cause children to need to come to school at this time (parents have long 5 day weeks, children not trusted alone, criminals) you cannot fix one problem fully without the others around it being fixed. Yes, tests are for feedback. But to the pupils they indicate their intelligence. When you get a D on a test you don't initially go, 'okay what's to be improved, I wonder where I when wrong.' You go '$h!t, I am no good.' Now I m not for soft love or against truthfulness, but there is only one way people officially actually rate themselves, and that is in school. Now I know jobs can do this same sort of thing, but not in the way schools do. And schools inevitably make many people feel stupid and like failures, because they have only one standard of which they rate people. Tests are not only for feedback and even in feedback they can be upsetting as I have said. They are not just for testing because you leave school with a set of marks, the last thing you do is get your exam results, so there is no improvement possible there. They are the grand finally of the school years. You say students want high marks because of: a) Want to beat there peers. Well there are many things wrong with this. 1) competition like this is great for some, for the vast majority-not so great. (they feel capable, but average) like they nothing special to give to the world, so they may as well just focus on getting money too enjoy their free time. Also, for the majority of pupils who are average to below average, a rational tendency to not bother kicks in. I mean, social acceptance is more important to an average human than grades, and also its not nice to fail at something your trying at, so you may as well not try and so feel better about failing. These children are not smart enough or educated enough, to know that these grades don't represent your qualities. Therefore they sink even further into a feeling of self doubt. b) Yes, but this argument is for the graduating to universities that is not something that I would agree is done right anyways. Though the point is valid. I think testing is good and essential, but not the way it is today. Yes I get your point, for job interviews then yes, the best man gets the job. But throughout your childhood, having to do these each year and being scrutinized for them is a more complex matter. Your point about my examples I accept, they are not in the modern context. But I would argue schools fundamentally are the same and, actually, there are examples today. Ben Howard, musician in the UK today. But I just see it all the time. I have a friend who is an amazing artist (he travels round the world now and beat 3 university graduates in the 6 month trial period to get the job) He failed art at lower collage after a few months (age17). He had no training at all until he was in competition with the graduates, he won hands down. So even now school weeds out so many brilliant people because they cannot adhere to their types of learning. My friend struggled with writing up on age old famous artists, and that's why he failed art! this was only 10 years ago. I also feel let down by the school system, I love history and science and yet hated lessons. And so much more. Despite all that about Einstein, he still failed school and ended up a clerk. And here is the problem with your point. The teachers are the education system! they don't hire themselves, nor write their own job description or salary. This couldn't be more wrong, teachers are hired by a high up groups set of qualifications that they deem is necessary for the job. The teachers are the education system. We should put more credibility into teachers and pay them more. Make it more desirable for the young ambitious graduates to apply for. I do n Okay for your next points. I do not argue that all students learn the same way at all. I believe, for knowledge, videos should be the learning and school should be time to learn how to do things you cannot on the computer. Small class sizes, not many hours of the day, matched for personality. Video's would be on the website (free). And video's you can pause and rewind as much as you like. Also children are no more likely to listen, at 9am to a boring teacher, than at 5 pm to an animated and well written video. Whatever their motivation, boring teachers in lessons that are compulsory and an hour long, are not the best choice for young people learning. Students not motivated to watch animated, good video at home will not be motivated in class either. Watch 'CrashCourse' on youtube to get an idea of how these lessons might look (world history, biology, ecology, its all there on crash course). I get the problems with individualised learning. Expense, practicality, staff, facilities, different grades at the end. No, individualized learning should be a huge 'cloud' website. All subjects and sub subjects we know about available to watch, you can get a harvord education if your homeless (excluding the feedback). all done from the comfort of your home and no lectures anymore! so so much easier for teachers and students alike. That is great that them subjects are taught at your school it really is, but they are not taught in ANY UK school. History is extremely focused on the tiny details of a very specific event, psychology is not an option. There is no lesson that teaches you about what health is at all, and our food class's are a confused string of making foods and knowing about packaging etc. Not focused on how to cook food and the basic bread and butter so to speak. Thank you, my point is that school needs to be reformed massively, as it is no longer fit for the age we live in. And also that the way we have it now is damaging to many pupils and has negative effects on most pupils amid positive effects.