Fodder for the exam machine
Education is the future of the planet.
Education should be inspiring, expanding and illuminating. It is a joyous thing.
Education should never produce failures with no hope; youngsters disenfranchised from society; winners or losers. It should be inclusive of all abilities and disabilities, all cultures, colours and creeds. It should be unifying and a celebration of success.
Briefly it was. Until Gove took over and we had a dive back to the glorious fifties – the days of bullying in the classroom, caning, violence and disparaging put-downs – the days of regimentation, learning by rote; where knowledge and facts were god.
But this is the 21st Century when facts are not so important. We need skills now. We have computers for facts. We need problem solving and creativity.
But this is the brave new world of the tick-box culture, the exam tables, inspections and rigid enforcement – where failure results in redundancy and fear rules. Cash plays the tune. Where teaching is controlled and the profession divided, castigated and cowed.
This is the time for education, for the masses, on the cheap; where we open the gates to the Creationists, Muslims, Jews and Big Business who will pay to get their hands on our kids.
But that’s OK. It’s cheaper.
The ones that matter go to the private schools and the ones who really matter sit on the benches at Eton and Harrow and wait to take their place at the trough.
We do not want the masses educated. We do not want them thinking. They are merely units in the economy. They should know their place and pull their weight. They are earning money for those who deserve.
Fodder for the exam machine
Cloistered in rows for the injection
Of narcotising facts.
Memorising and regurgitating
No time to relax.
Tests to be taken.
Exams to be passed.
Tables to move up.
We must not come last.
No room for creativity
In the bright new world
Of numeracy and literacy;
There’s money to be hurled.
Fodder for the exam machine
Fodder for the job market
Fodder for the attainment tables
Chant it, test it, mark it!
Teaching by numbers
In the tick box culture
Where children are sacrificed
To the cash soaring vulture.
No time for fun!
No time for play!
No humanisation;
It gets in the way!
What use is art, music or drama?
Lateral thinking or creativity?
They won’t get you a career
If you can’t recite your ABC.
Back to basics!
In a flight to the days of 1950
When the Empire ruled
And people were nifty.
When discipline ruled
With the cane and the shout
And schools churned out rejects
No one cared about.
So open the gates –
Let the creationists in!
Welcome Big Business
To bring back discipline!
We’ll soon sort the wheat from the chaff
And blame all the failures for having a laugh!
But down a dark alley
Or in the dead of the night
I hope you don’t encounter
A mind filled with hate;
A drop out, a failure
With no hope in their life,
Labelled, excluded
Not caring their fate.
Fodder for the exam machine
Fodder for the job market
Fodder for the attainment tables
Chant it, test it, mark it!
Numbers to crunch!
Heads to fill!
Machines to service!
Young minds to kill!
Opher 6.6.2016
I’m not familiar with the Scottish system – though what I’ve heard is quite good. I’m also not sure they can just go dropping pass levels. How accurate is that? That would be worrying.
I’m not in favour of ‘Pass-rates’ at all. I like the GCSE in many respects – one being that it enables everybody who makes any effort to pass, yet it enables differentiation. By looking at the grades and particularly the raw scores, one is able to satisfy criteria for entry into different careers or further ed. I don’t like failures. I don’t like weaker students being turned off. I want a system that enables and encourages children of all abilities to progress to the limits of their potential.
I am not in favour of dumbing down or reducing standards. I am in favour of an education that inspires and expands, has breadth and achieves at high levels. I think if you teach in the right way you can get standards going through the roof.
The Scottish system is almost the same, except the names, ie. O level = O grade, A level = Higher grade. And Scottish 6th year studies = 1st year in English University.
But you can either do Maths or you can’t! You can’t just pretend. Where does this lead to, do we end up with – although Johnny only scored 18% in his arithmetic and is a complete dunderhead at it, we’ve going to pretend he’s doing well because at least he got 18%! Who’s kidding who here? Surely his potential future employer is going to find out the hard way by employing some kid whom supposedly had reached some kind of acceptable level of attainment when in fact he can’t even work out what 18% of 100 is? Etc.
I agree with you Andrew. It is up to the school to provide support to enable students to reach their potential. Employers and universities need access to the raw scores which will tell them the ability of the students without the demotivation of failing. This is why my school focussed on effort and not attainment and that resulted in exceptionally high levels of attainment across the board.
the present system is much improved on what you experienced. we take a base-line ability set of tests on entering the school. it gives us a very good idea of ability and potential of each and every student. if a student is under-attaining from monitoring that we carry out then support would be available to assist them to reach the required level. Progress is closely monitored and weaknesses assessed. It’s a system that is motivating and encouraging and quite sophisticated.
Well said, Opher. Spoken like a truly devoted teacher.
I believe in education Cheryl. It should be expanding and joyous but also equip students with the knowledge and skills they require.
The only right step I’ve seen the schools take in a while here is to offer the kids in high school a personal finance class. I tell you what, Opher, I worry about whether my grandkids will even be able to spell or add!
It seemed to me when I taught there in 1979/80 that there was no overarching coordination. Schools were following any curriculum they wanted and there was great diversity.
Well Andrew – you’re going back further than that to dig up Enoch and try to make him relevant to today.
Of course it is a completely different entity.
He’s a relevant today as he was then.
He told us what would happen and he was absolutely right.
Bolton, Bradford and Burnley are not far from you. It’s all there and no secret.
no – there are problems but not like Enoch was prophesising. I remember having big arguments with my Dad back then. He was a racist and loved Enoch. My black and Asian friends were testament to how wrong he was.
Reblogged this on Opher's World and commented:
I wrote this a while ago.
So sad, what has become of education. Nice work, Opher
Thank you Mary.