Opinions on Education policies

duggie-89

ok well i started this thread because there was some talk about education in another thread so what are users opinions on well the different education system in the south and north. what policies do people like and dislike or agree with???

Fratton Fred

Standard of education in the south is very good, which is the main reason I moved here. It was a bit of a shock thogh, when the first question I was asked when enquiring about putting my daughter's name down for a school was "What religion are you?".

Remove the Church and the standard of education may well drop, but Churches and Education should not be linked.

Mr.Micro

I think the standard of education in Ireland is overrated. Primary school education is hit and miss. Many children leave primary school unable to read and write, or read poorly. The Dept. of Education does very little, bar exist. There is virtually no science taught after Junior cert. Irish still compulsory over a science. This needs to be looked at in 21st Century Ireland. We see ourselves as technological but no science.

Fratton Fred

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Standard of education in the south is very good, which is the main reason I moved here. It was a bit of a shock thogh, when the first question I was asked when enquiring about putting my daughter's name down for a school was "What religion are you?".

Remove the Church and the standard of education may well drop, but Schools and Education should not be linked.

I assume that's a typo

djpbarry

Mr.Micro wrote: »

There is virtually no science taught after Junior cert.

Eh? Physics, Biology, Chemistry? All leaving cert subjects.

Mr.Micro wrote: »

Irish still compulsory over a science.

I'd like to see more kids take up science as well, but as soon as you make something compulsory, you turn kids away from it. Look at maths for example; always been compulsory but Irish kids are generally pretty poor at it.

Mr.Micro wrote: »

This needs to be looked at in 21st Century Ireland. We see ourselves as technological but no science.

As far as I can see, there is not much demand for scientists in Ireland at the moment. Difficult to convince kids to study the sciences when there's a pretty good chance they'd have to emigrate to get a job in the area.

Fratton Fred

Myth wrote: »

I assume that's a typo

They obviously weren't when I was at school:o:D

fixed now, thanks

It wasn't me!

djpbarry wrote: »

As far as I can see, there is not much demand for scientists in Ireland at the moment. Difficult to convince kids to study the sciences when there's a pretty good chance they'd have to emigrate to get a job in the area.

You'd be wrong. Science graduates get snapped up so fast there's a major problem with whiplash in that demographic.

djpbarry

It wasn't me! wrote: »

You'd be wrong. Science graduates get snapped up so fast there's a major problem with whiplash in that demographic.

Snapped up by who?

duggie-89

djpbarry wrote: »

I'd like to see more kids take up science as well, but as soon as you make something compulsory, you turn kids away from it. Look at maths for example; always been compulsory but Irish kids are generally pretty poor at it.
As far as I can see, there is not much demand for scientists in Ireland at the moment. Difficult to convince kids to study the sciences when there's a pretty good chance they'd have to emigrate to get a job in the area.

i disagree because i think that if its taught right then there should be no problem with it. i honestly believe that alot more resources should be spent in these key area's ie maths, and sciences.

djpbarry

duggie-89 wrote: »

i disagree because i think that if its taught right then there should be no problem with it.

How it's taught is not the issue - kids just don't want to do it. I remember my leaving cert maths class; we had a good teacher, very enthusiastic. By the time the exam came around, there were six people left in the class (down from the original 30). I also remember there being just 8 people in my leaving cert chemistry class.

I've also been acting as a maths tutor to leaving cert students for about 5 years now. Generally speaking, they are just not interested in putting the work in. I'm not really sure what can be done to change this attitude.

duggie-89 wrote: »

i honestly believe that alot more resources should be spent in these key area's ie maths, and sciences.

How should they be spent?

Riddle101

I hate how colleges have to make things like Lanuages and Maths compulsory)Two subjects that i'm not too good at, well Maths anyway) It kind've ruined our chances at a thrid level education because we can't do the subjects we'd like to sometimes. Like I love History and i'd like to go to Maynooth and study history there and become a History Teacher but unfortunately with out a language i'm screwed

djpbarry

Riddle101 wrote: »

I hate how colleges have to make things like Lanuages and Maths compulsory)Two subjects that i'm not too good at

Really?

The reason colleges have certain course requirements is to ensure that the candidates have a good grounding in the subject. For example, it would be pointless in someone attempting a degree in engineering if they didn't do leaving cert maths.

serfboard

djpbarry wrote: »

I'd like to see more kids take up science as well, but as soon as you make something compulsory, you turn kids away from it.

We should make drink, drugs and Britney Spears compulsory then

Colonel Sanders

the 'should irish be compulsory' debate can wait for another day but surely there is something wrong with the teaching methods if people spend 12-13 years learning a language and can't speak it when they leave. I remember doing my leaving, almost everyone in my french class could speak better french than Irish despite only learning French for 5 years, max. How in god's name is it beneficial to learn old Irish poetry (assuming this is still on the syllabus ) when the teacher has to go through it line by line translating complicated poems (which most students have no interest in). Surely more emphasis should be put on conversing in Irish?

It wasn't me!

And to demonstrate an aptitude to adapt to learning varied subjects. Courses tend to be pretty broad and demanding of a variety of skills. Having the requirements be reasonably broad tends to demonstrate an academic tendency.

STEVO B

The education system in every country is merely an indoctrination. Being taught to odey orders & be a good little producer/consumer.

Mr.Micro

DJPBARRY

As far as I can see, there is not much demand for scientists in Ireland at the moment. Difficult to convince kids to study the sciences when there's a pretty good chance they'd have to emigrate to get a job in the area.

Ireland wants to be a technological country, science is necessary for medicine, all related areas such as nurses, physios, pharmaceutical industry, research and development, IT, fabrication and design etc. If we do not promote science then we will have to import our techno. qualified people in the future. Learning science does not make one a scientist but science is important for the future of Ireland if we want to attract technology to Ireland. As it stands it is the exception that studies physics or chemistry after Junior cert, as there is little provision or impetus to do so.

djpbarry

Mr.Micro wrote: »

Ireland wants to be a technological country, science is necessary for medicine, all related areas such as nurses, physios, pharmaceutical industry, research and development, IT, fabrication and design etc. If we do not promote science then we will have to import our techno. qualified people in the future. Learning science does not make one a scientist but science is important for the future of Ireland if we want to attract technology to Ireland.

I'm not advocating that we do not promote science - precisely the opposite. Based on my experience, the average Irish person has quite a poor grasp of very basic scientific principles. This is going to have an impact on their everyday lives, never mind their job prospects.

The Irish government would indeed like us to be a "knowledge-based economy", but the people do not seem to want it; most people in this country are employed in manufacturing (in the form of multi-national operations) or services and kids are not taking up science subjects and/or maths in school.

There is also virtually no research taking place outside of universities; even within academic institutions, it is limited. Researchers are thus quite likely to emigrate (I know of several who have) to secure a job.

Mr.Micro

DJPBARRY, I agree 100% with your post and its the R&D scientist type will need to go abroad as you say to have a career. Its just that I have two children at secondary school and I was shocked at the poor level of science and the lack of interest in it, or promotion from the Dept of Education.