Angela Harlem
Jesus Online
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national...primary-schools/2007/08/01/1185647979212.html
Just how much can teachers teach in the 6-odd hours of school per day? How much do we all expect them to do, anyway? Such limited time to get through a now, surely, record number of things each day. Literacy and numeracy have to be treated as essential learning areas, that has surely never been questioned. However, the recent shift toward the massive number of other areas are becoming necessary and in a way as important, surely? So how does this problem be fixed? Already there are numerous problems in primary education with excess homework and the lack of external support to supplement the learning of school time. We've got over 50% from broken homes, an increase in violence and lower social class reaping its effects, and teachers who are stretched as far as they can go to cram in reading, writing, maths, history, science, safety, drama, arts, sport, personal development... Where does this exactly end? It would be nice and ideal if the responsibility weren't left to teachers solely, but unfortunately in many cases it is because it has to be. Many parents both work, half of them are on their own, some are battling with domestic problems that are at crisis point like violence and substance use and abuse. Children are now relying on primary schools more than ever. But we come back to the precious few hours per day. Kids are encouraged to pursue extra-curricula activities like sport or dancing classes, and if parents work, there's only a couple of hours left at the end of the day to get dinner and unwind - but that doesn't allow for the hour or more of homework which is another area of growing concern - and this exists because of the above mentioned. Teachers just cannot fit all this in anymore.
I've developed a fairly painful person interest in this very topic over the last year as we are getting ready to send our Child of the Corn #1 off to 'Big School' and have spent the last 8 months battling with private schools only to eventually decide that a public will be the best for now as private schools still cannot convince you that they can actually do any better.
Never mind your manners, they're history in primary schools
Email Print Normal font Large font Harriet Alexander
August 2, 2007
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AdvertisementPRIMARY school principals want to ditch programs such as manners and animal care because they are detracting from English, maths, science and history.
In a draft charter to define the role of primary schools, the Primary Principals' Association has called for those four traditional subjects to be embraced as the most important, with sport, music, technology and languages to be given secondary status.
The curriculum is cluttered with up to 50 minor subjects that need to be squeezed into the 50 per cent of class time that is not already devoted to numeracy and literacy. Subjects include nutrition, drug education, wellbeing and financial literacy, said the association's national president, Leonie Trimper.
"They're fairly time consuming if you do them properly," she said. "The charter would give schools permission to say 'no'."
The charter names reading and writing, problem solving, mathematical skills and Australian history among the activities primary schools should emphasise.
"Schools have voluntarily
taken on much wider responsibilities because they are directly faced with the consequences of social disadvantage, including poverty and domestic violence," the charter says.
"It is the responsibility of schools to ensure that they only adopt programs and interventions of this kind if they can also protect their capacity to deliver on their core business, student learning."
Geoff Scott, the principal of Blacktown South Primary School, said teachers at his school were burdened by extra programs.
"We're spending less and less [time] doing the core stuff that parents are expecting us to do," said Mr Scott, who is also the association's NSW president.
"We can't just go down this track every time a politician thinks it's a good idea."
The draft charter, devised in consultation with 35 academics, principals, teachers, parents and public servants, was sent out to schools for comments yesterday.
The main parents' body said schools had a responsibility to teach children how to behave.
"They're very much part of what should be taught in schools," said Dianne Giblin, the president of the Parents and Citizens Association.
Just how much can teachers teach in the 6-odd hours of school per day? How much do we all expect them to do, anyway? Such limited time to get through a now, surely, record number of things each day. Literacy and numeracy have to be treated as essential learning areas, that has surely never been questioned. However, the recent shift toward the massive number of other areas are becoming necessary and in a way as important, surely? So how does this problem be fixed? Already there are numerous problems in primary education with excess homework and the lack of external support to supplement the learning of school time. We've got over 50% from broken homes, an increase in violence and lower social class reaping its effects, and teachers who are stretched as far as they can go to cram in reading, writing, maths, history, science, safety, drama, arts, sport, personal development... Where does this exactly end? It would be nice and ideal if the responsibility weren't left to teachers solely, but unfortunately in many cases it is because it has to be. Many parents both work, half of them are on their own, some are battling with domestic problems that are at crisis point like violence and substance use and abuse. Children are now relying on primary schools more than ever. But we come back to the precious few hours per day. Kids are encouraged to pursue extra-curricula activities like sport or dancing classes, and if parents work, there's only a couple of hours left at the end of the day to get dinner and unwind - but that doesn't allow for the hour or more of homework which is another area of growing concern - and this exists because of the above mentioned. Teachers just cannot fit all this in anymore.
I've developed a fairly painful person interest in this very topic over the last year as we are getting ready to send our Child of the Corn #1 off to 'Big School' and have spent the last 8 months battling with private schools only to eventually decide that a public will be the best for now as private schools still cannot convince you that they can actually do any better.