Primary education uk

russell

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I am trying to find out whether with all the changes and changes and changes the government have made to primary education, it has significantly improved the outcomes for children since the 70s- when it was a lot simpler and we wrote poems about Autumn etc!! I can't find anything documented from our government. Any ideas where I could look? Thanks guys
 

DaGaffer

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I am trying to find out whether with all the changes and changes and changes the government have made to primary education, it has significantly improved the outcomes for children since the 70s- when it was a lot simpler and we wrote poems about Autumn etc!! I can't find anything documented from our government. Any ideas where I could look? Thanks guys

Since things weren't measured the same way back then (or in fact, at all) then I'd guess it would be quite tricky to compare. Of course I went to primary skool bak then and I is am jeenius, which iis all u kneed to now.
 

russell

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There must be some comparison in terms of literacy and numeracy. How many children left primary school able to read and write fluently to an agreed standard? It's somewhere out there!
 

Ormorof

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Found one that claims its been imprpvong steadily for eleven year olds since 99 BUT in the small print it states "percentage of eleven year olds meeting expected level of reading/writing"

No word on what the expected level is and if it has changed :p
 

DaGaffer

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OECD would be the place to look, but I think you may have to pay for the reports. There's an article here that says the UK has dropped back over the last half century and refers to the OECD but I can't find the primary source.
 

Trem

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This may not be connected to your thread Russ but......my wife works at a school, and the school where she is now is so corrupt it is scary. I mean mainly the head teacher, the money he uses hidden as school stuff makes my stomach turn and I won't even go into the sixth form girls and the presents they get.

How can the system ever run right for the kids when we have people like this only in it for themselves and what they can fleece, he has been reported many times but friends in high places and all that.
 

Edmond

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I mean mainly the head teacher, the money he uses hidden as school stuff makes my stomach turn and I won't even go into the sixth form girls and the presents they get.

Are you saying he is buying their affections, grooming them if you will?

Surely that needs to be reported
 

Gwadien

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This may not be connected to your thread Russ but......my wife works at a school, and the school where she is now is so corrupt it is scary. I mean mainly the head teacher, the money he uses hidden as school stuff makes my stomach turn and I won't even go into the sixth form girls and the presents they get.

How can the system ever run right for the kids when we have people like this only in it for themselves and what they can fleece, he has been reported many times but friends in high places and all that.
Is it an academy?
 

Talivar

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Sometimes best way is to go to any local Surestart Children Centre and Primary School and ask them. They have annual reports and other reports which collect all the info you need and show what is getting better/worse. Finding a centre/school which is willing to share might not be easy tho in certain areas of the country :)
Also some might only have records going back a few years so maybe not that useful :)
 

Chilly

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The detailed stats for outcomes for all children are available per school and go back a few years. The level of detail available today is very good, but it's relatively modern. The problem is changing standards and moving targets so x% achievement in 1970's framing is not directly comparable to x% in a 2014 context. People do whole PhDs trying to answer this question. In certain areas, attainment is lower but in others it's higher. The curriculum has changed (computing, more socially oriented courses, etc) a fair bit, too, as well as teaching methods (phonics for first time reading learners).

Who the fuck knows, really.
 

Chilly

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This may not be connected to your thread Russ but......my wife works at a school, and the school where she is now is so corrupt it is scary. I mean mainly the head teacher, the money he uses hidden as school stuff makes my stomach turn and I won't even go into the sixth form girls and the presents they get.

How can the system ever run right for the kids when we have people like this only in it for themselves and what they can fleece, he has been reported many times but friends in high places and all that.
Write to the private eye. They'll do it justice.
 

Gwadien

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Aye, I think measuring a schools success over time is very difficult, I think the 'top' of our state education hasn't changed, and if anything, has gone down, but if anything, we've improved pastoral care, and putting more effort in 'little shits' because 'we care about people and stuff.'

But at the end of the day, there's still Education and Elite Education, and that gap is getting wider and wider, so is there much point pushing the 'little shits' if they have a glass ceiling anyway?

Teachers can do all they can to get the kids their GCSEs & A-Levels, but is that it, do they wash their hands say their job is done, or do they feel disheartened knowing that x from East London most likely won't become a Lawyer, because he's from the wrong social circles?
 

Gumbo

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Yes it is still grooming, position of trust and all that. Teachers are not allowed to dip in the scholastic ink so to speak.

The primary school which I attended from 1979 to 1985 was considered excellent with the highest standards achieved. However, the only way they were measured was in performances in Essay competitions, art competitions, music festivals etc. There was no objective assessment.

Because of this our head simply had those who were good at art draw all day, those who were good at music, play music all day, and those who were good at writing, or maths, well you get the idea.

The rest of us were just left to do what we wanted.

I got to secondary school and didn't know that there was such a thing as a decimal point or a fraction. I didn't know that there was anything other than a whole number. I knew how to add and subtract, but I had no idea that you could multiply and divide.

Things are a hell of a lot better now that schools are tested and monitored.

My 6 year old came home from the same primary school as I attended the other day and told me all about her work that day learning about homophones. When I stopped chuckling (I'm still a child) I had to ask her wtf they were. That impressed me.
 

Edmond

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@Edmond it has been many times mate, but is it grooming if they are 16?

I would say yes, as they are still under the supervision of the school, many stories in the news of teachers taking advantage of boys & girls of that age and said teachers being sent down for it


Yes it is still grooming, position of trust and all that. Teachers are not allowed to dip in the scholastic ink so to speak.

^ This
 

Gwadien

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I would say yes, as they are still under the supervision of the school, many stories in the news of teachers taking advantage of boys & girls of that age and said teachers being sent down for it




^ This

Isn't it the whole 'Position of Trust' thing? - Doesn't it go all the way up to University where Tutors/Lecturers aren't allowed to get with students, or they'll face charges?
 

Edmond

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If you get with any student you will probably end up with some kind of discharge ;)
 

DaGaffer

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Isn't it the whole 'Position of Trust' thing? - Doesn't it go all the way up to University where Tutors/Lecturers aren't allowed to get with students, or they'll face charges?

I'm pretty sure there's no legal prohibition for lecturers/student liaisons, but I would imagine its against their contract of employment, although that's probably more difficult to enforce.
 

Gwadien

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I'm pretty sure there's no legal prohibition for lecturers/student liaisons, but I would imagine its against their contract of employment, although that's probably more difficult to enforce.
Is this a confession?
 

Yoni

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I think that it is highly dependent on the school, so very difficult to prove. Also statistics can and are manipulated to suit the arguments ( I'm sure you all know this already). My gut tells me that in terms of reading, writing and arithmetic (mental), standards have declined. However, in terms of technical knowledge and the use of tools associated with this knowledge (computers, calculators and spell checks) standards have naturally improved. None of this can be proved of course so maybe this should be in the OMG <insert statement which can not be substantiated> thread.
 

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