Our kids are in REAL trouble with education!

[garthu]

I really am dreading the future of our kids. I recently watched a really stupid movie on how this guy had gone forward in time by several hundred years and everyone around him acted like 5 year olds. The systems had let them down, lack of learning and quite simply he was the smartest guy on the planet BY FAR! Stupid movie but what's scary is there could be reality in it.

My Grade 1 son yesterday started his homework. 3 hours later and a LOT of help from Dad, we finished. Him extremely tired and grumpy, and me with the worst temper in a long time. It involved maths, making up groups of numbers.

Question would be IE Complete the number set: 2, 4, 6, _ _ _ _ _ The answers being 8 10 12 etc
The next question 46, 44, 42, 40, _ _ _ _ OK so backwards in 2's
Another question counting forwards in 5's

This is the same work my daughter was doing I think in G4 or G3, don’t remember.

So can it make it the child smarter to be such advanced work at such an early stage. NOT!!! How can the child even define or READ the question for that matter when in Grade 1. How is he supposed to complete the sentences required in the same homework like : "I counted FORWARDS in 2's to get the answers" (he had to actually write these answers) The child's reading ability, just by the shear nature he is only starting school is no where capable of reading or defining the questions without an adult.

Bottom line is the homework is not for the child, its for the adults. Where does the education system get off saying that the reason children are becoming the way they are is because we don’t spend enough time with them. Where do they get off believing that we can afford to spend 3 hours on Homework. (1 child only) Children DO NOT want to spend time with there family doing homework. This is not bonding time, most children consider homework a punishment of sorts (I certainly did)

I chatted to another teacher who has refused to accept the new curriculum. She clearly states that in 5 years time, our G1 children are not going to be able to read the way we know reading by G5. Why, they are been taught to recognise site words, not sound words. A simple word "general" will be easily read as they learnt it as a site word but what about "generally", same word more or less but cant read it because its not a word they learnt. According to her this is happening ALREADY. Children are flunking as the parrot fashion type education is failing them.

A mathematician told me the times table and english are the basis for maths, get those 2, you fly. So start teaching them ENGLISH first, and the times table, then let do number sets, grouping all the rest of the crap! The child cant read the questions. IS THIS NOT AS CLEAR AS DAYLIGHT!

Very cross today…. Very very cross...

[tec0]

I understand you anger in this situation. When I started school all those many years ago I remember being hit by the teacher a lot. We had to be able to count to a hundred in Grade 1. Our writing had to be perfect or we got hit by the teacher. Anything you did wrong result in being disciplined that didn’t resolve the problem and that was the teacher didn’t address the child’s needs only their own.

Today not much has changed, dyslexic children are still measured to normal children and the teachers are quick to say it is the child. BS you don’t get such a thing as a bad child only bad teachers or parents. A child is conditioned by influence such as his friends, parents and the teacher. If one of the 3 is not working then the child will have behavioural problems and this will lead to other bad things.

You do get good books and I found that slide shows on the TV are very effective with reading and counting. Also mix in a few surprises like make the last word on the slideshow cupcake and give him / her a cupcake for being successful.

In the end it is all about confidence. Still our education system is a joke and useless at best.

[adrianh]

Bottom line is the homework is not for the child, its for the adults. Where does the education system get off saying that the reason children are becoming the way they are is because we don’t spend enough time with them. Where do they get off believing that we can afford to spend 3 hours on Homework. (1 child only) Children DO NOT want to spend time with there family doing homework. This is not bonding time, most children consider homework a punishment of sorts (I certainly did)

The education system is perfectly right - parents do not spend enough time with their kids. It is your responsibility as a parent to see to the education of your child. I have 2 daughters 9 & 11. We spend many more than 3 hours a day with them helping them with homework. The time we spend with them is quality time because we teach them to think and interact with them intelligently, not just to complete the homework. You must remember that the education system is aimed at the masses - if you want a better education for your kids then you must take responsibility for it. What is bonding time? I don't need to have this with my kids - we partake in their lives and they in ours; there is no need for "bonding time"

Today not much has changed, dyslexic children are still measured to normal children and the teachers are quick to say it is the child.

Ag k_k man. My daughter has an 11 year old girl friend who is a bit slow. The PARENTS recognized this and she is now in a suitable school. Don't blame the teacher for the fact that you couldn't figure out that your kid has problems. My youngest daughter is mildly ADD. I can see it from her character traits - We compensate for her problem and show her how to compensate for her own limitations.

BS you don’t get such a thing as a bad child only bad teachers or parents.

You'll be very surprised to find out that you get terrible children - its never clever to make sweeping statements. Some people (children) are bipolar, schizophrenic, manic depressive and suffer from all sorts of problems. Some kids are simply little $h1ts and that is they way they are. Then of course there kids who do not have parents - do you blame the teacher that the kid is off his head.

A child is conditioned by influence such as his friends, parents and the teacher. If one of the 3 is not working then the child will have behavioural problems and this will lead to other bad things.

Let me rephrase what I said earlier "Ag k_k man" it is your responsibilty as a parent to ensure that other influences are handled appropriately. We talk to the girls all the time and ask them about their friends, their day, their thoughts and experiences; that is how you as a parent find out that the nice little 11 year old boy that likes to play with your daughter also likes to talk to her about her bra size.

The only thing that has come from this thread is simply that you cannot abdicate your responsibility as a parent to the teacher or the TV.

[Peter Princeton]

[B]Bottom line is the homework is not for the child, its for the adults. .....

The education system is perfectly right - parents do not spend enough time with their kids.......


The only thing that has come from this thread is simply that you cannot abdicate your responsibility as a parent to the teacher or the TV.

ok...lemme get this right....

a poor family lives in a shack in the township.

mom and dad gets up at five to make it to work by eight...

and they get home at eight at night, dead tired....

an hour before their children are supposed to be in bed.

when are they supposed to spend time with their kids ?

when i was young, my mom used to work in the post office call centre.

at one time she did a lot of overtime...and my dad was working shifts - heaven helped me if i disturbed his sleep when he did night shift...

and there were NO television teachers back then...

i made it through...

with NO help from my parents...

in today's world, that kind of commitment is simply not possible for most people.

wonder if the person who made that statement sticks to it...

just my 0.02c.

[adrianh]

This is all very interesting but it does not change the fact that the parents are responsible for the education of their children.

So tell me, the guy that lives in the shack; what does his child do from 14H00 till he gets home? I suppose it is the teachers fault that the child runs around getting stoned and mugging old ladies.

When are they supposed to spend time with their kids? Well this raises an interesting point - Kids do not miraculously come into the family, they are produced by the parents. If the parents are unwilling to spend time with the kids then they shouldn't have the kids now should they.


in today's world, that kind of commitment is simply not possible for most people.

wonder if the person who made that statement sticks to it...

Let me repeat what I said earlier: Kids do not miraculously come into the family, they are produced by the parents. If the parents are unwilling to spend time with the kids then they shouldn't have the kids now should they.

And about sticking to it - raising kids is in your lifestyle. Doing homework, projects and spending time with the girls is not a burden therefore there is no "sticking to it" - we do it as a matter of course.

I do not talk about these things from a position of inexperience. My daughter are very bright and very well balanced. My eldest daughter is way ahead of her peers academically and she does extremely well in sport. My youngest daughter struggles with things academic due to her mild ADD but she excels at sport. There are kids in the group who do very well, some are average and some are falling behind. The performance of the children can generally be correlated with the involvement of the parents.

You, nor anybody else will convince me that the parents are responsible for all aspects of the child's life. If you are unwilling to take the responsibility then don't have children - it is not a right to have children - it is a privilege

[tec0]

adrianh >> I am so very happy for you. Your child will never face drugs without telling her mother or father. She will never keep secrets from you and will always be the perfect little student. Things change and as for special schools, have you been in one? Do you know what happens behind those walls?

I don’t think you do so don’t start with something you don’t know anything about. Maybe the school you have selected have a very good reputation but some people don’t have that option. Also if you study my posts in general you will find that I have stated before that schools are useless and that home schooling is probably the only real solution.

You'll be very surprised to find out that you get terrible children - its never clever to make sweeping statements. Some people (children) are bipolar, schizophrenic, manic depressive and suffer from all sorts of problems. Some kids are simply little $h1ts and that is they way they are. Then of course there kids who do not have parents - do you blame the teacher that the kid is off his head.

How many of the above mentioned is due to an actual disorder in the brain? It is not the kids fault mom decided to empty a bottle of scotch wile pregnant now is it? I honestly don’t think children are born bad I think there are a lot of factors and influence.

I think you are blessed with your children but I don’t think it registered yet.

[Dave A]

I remember a quote I read ages ago - "Fortunately kids grow up despite their parents."

I've always hoped there's some measure of truth in that.

[tec0]

Children will grow up and will pursue whatever they believe to be right for them. I also hope that this is true.

adrianh>>

Ai tog...
My God, don't you ever give up?
This is my last post to you.
I will not engage you in further discussion.

Nope. I am funny like that... Pity you do not want to continue.

Peace

[adrianh]

I remember a quote I read ages ago - "Fortunately kids grow up despite their parents."

I've always hoped there's some measure of truth in that.

Yes this is true. I think at the end of the day we can only hope that parents do right by their kids to the best of their abilities given their circumstance, and in turn kids do right by themselves. We all lead different lives and have different perspectives and I am sure that almost all parents want the best for their kids.

[daveob]

I firmly believe that our kids are a by-product of the personalities around them - parents, teachers, class mates. The more each of these people spend time with the child, the greater the influence.

Young children learn by watching and copying. Try using foul language around the house and see how long before your child uses it in public. In my case, it was muttering that another driver is too slow and should get out the bloody way.

A few days later I had my 4 year old in a trolly in PnP, with an old lady taking her time blocking the isle.

Needless to say, I was horrified to hear the same phrase from my son, loud enough for all to hear. I look shocked and just had to comment that I don't know where he could have learnt such rudeness from. Am sure that my burning bright red ears and face would have told the truth. That sure bit me in the butt.

But on the other side of the coin, other (good) things we practice have become the norm with our kids. In the car, seatbelt on. Say please and thank you. don't bite your sister. put your plates on the kitchen table. All these have become second nature and never get forgotten or questioned.

If you don't spend enough time with your kids, you can't complain if they turn out like someone else.