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VK6BE > FUEL 17.02.11 01:27l 49 Lines 2727 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : ED0076VK6BE
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: G0TEZ > SATs
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0SIF<DB0MRW<DK0WUE<DB0RES<ON0BEL<ZL2BAU<VK2TGB<VK6ZRT
Sent: 110216/2314Z @:VK6ZRT.#BUN.#WA.AUS.OC #:64287 [Boyanup] $:ED0076VK6BE
From: VK6BE@VK6ZRT.#BUN.#WA.AUS.OC
To : FUEL@WW
"No left behind nonsense?" Tell me about it.
I was a teacher for 47 years and was Deputy Principal and Acting
Principal of schools for about 30 of that period. For the first part of my
career there was no automatic promotion and kids stayed down in a class
until they passed the exams. It didn't work. I recall one class I had of
63 mostly 9 year olds which had some aboriginal boys in it who could
never pass exams. One was 15 and the other was 12; their fellow students
were 9 year olds. What on earth was the use of keeping these kids back
until by virtue of their age they were marked by their fellow students as
absolute duds.
These were nice lads and well behaved but their home back ground - parents
with minimal education and living in poverty, nothing at home likely to
assist them with their learning,was against them. It was long before TV
came on the scene and if it had been there they would not have been
watching anything of educational value. The emphasis was all on the three
Rs at school..
Nowadays there are other programmes for such as those lads; we have
progressed. There is also equipment which was lacking before. However the
fact remains that there is no point in denying them promotion. They are
never going to be rocket scientists, or doctors or lawyers, but they can
learn a trade. However they would never have learned a trade in those
schools where they had no chance of promotion with their peers.
Now you might argue about this but I have been there, done that and I do
know what I am talking about!!
There are also Education Support Classes in every school and most high
schools which pick up the kids who have disabilities or who have been left
out.
Go on, yes, tell me I am Mr Knowitall the chief means of defence when
defeated!!!! Or what about throwing a chimpanzee instead of a croc or a
frog. No, come to think of it the greens would not allow that!
No child left behind nonsense? Rubbish! Grandpa never got out of 1st
grade? Good for grandpa! Now uncle Joe was pushed up. He is not a doctor
or a scientist but he is a mighty good welder.
However I am talking about West Australia and it may be that some other
countries have not caught up yet. I wouldn't know about that.
I await the response,
Cheers,
Bob VK6BE.
>Just to get it out of the way, unless I'm mistaken the SAT has gone the
>way of the Dodo having been replaced with this "no child left behind"
nonsense. It used to be when one received failing grades he/she was left
back to repeat the year or given the option to attend summer school if
available. Now they get shoved ahead and even graduate ignorant so tell
me, better left behind or left out of an education?
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