Are schools primarily childminding services?

Superbus wrote: »

Having had nearly a whole school year without homework (Transition Year), I can safely say that homework has to be a key component of an education. Even the times in TY that I've been going to class regularly, rather than doing projects, I haven't learnt anything really, as once I walk out the door of the classroom everything I may have learnt has become essentially redundant.

You're assuming there's a massive difference between doing the work in class and doing it at home. Especially at that age, if you always just copy other people (and a teacher should be able to spot if there's a student who ALWAYS copies), then you've no-one to blame but yourself.

Ollchailin wrote: »

I'd have to say as a teacher that homework is a necessary evil. Unless I give homework to my students, I'd have no way of knowing how they were getting on, because I wouldn't have time in a 40 minute class to go around to them all to check their work. If I take up copies I can go through it in my own time and give them individual feedback. Now having said that, some teachers do give a load of homework, and there are plenty of nights when I don't give written homework, just maybe a bit of vocab to learn.

If I didn't give homework then I'd probably have to give more tests as way of assessment, and I think students would hate that even more!

I'd actually say that most students would pick tests over compulsary written homework. I definitely would have and i don't think anyone could deny that they're fair.

Superbus wrote: »

]Finally, though, I think it's incorrect to see school as a prison, or a system of brainwashing for future workplace experiences. As I mentioned earlier, I still have the Leaving Cert awaiting, but I can honestly say that I have enjoyed the last 12 years, since I started Junior Infants. I can't think of anything else I would have been doing instead, had there been 3 day weeks or something like that.

I don't think it's deliberate brainwashing, but i do think that the amount of work secondary school students are expected to do (particularly in 3rd,5th and 6th year) is grossly unfair. I think like most working adults, once they get home they should be allowed to exit work mode and do their own thing. One possible way of gaining the extra time to do more work in class could be to make 4th year part of the leaving cert course (seems obvious to me). Sure 4th year is great for personal development, but i don't think we'd be getting rid of this aspect of school, we'd just be spreading it out more evenly (which seems more sensible imo).

I think teenagers need this free time even more than adults as they're at the best age imo for really developing their talents (which probably lie outside the school curriculum) and gaining a passionate interest in an area that may even become their future career.... even if these interests ARE covered in school, i still think doing them independantly is much better for those who have the interest.

The personal development and all round appreciation of leading a balanced life this would bring should not be understimated either. Granted not every child would take advantage of this free time as much as the next, but the overall effect on society from those who do would imo make it well worthwhile.

dolliemix wrote: »

That is not true!!! Children actually find studying more difficult than sitting down with access to resources to help them.

who said anything about studying? If it's just stuff from the previous class/previous few classes then merely paying attention should be enough, maybe 5 or 10 minutes casually looking over the material.

You're actually conflicting your point by saying, in that case, we should bring in more tests......so the kids will then just end up learning everything by heart. Or at worse, the child with a learning disability or the child with special learning needs will have a nightmare journey through school by constantly being assessed through tests. Homework actually gives the weaker child a chance to do well.

The whole test route is probably just one possibility, my main argument is to consider a system where most of the work done in class (with the extra hours aquired from making 4th year part of the lc course). Granted, no way of doing things is ever going to suit every student, and those for whom it doesn't i'm sure something could be worked out. I just don't think a minority of students with a disability is enough to justify forcing oppressive working hours upon the entire student population.

Using words like 'prison' and 'brainwashing' to describe the present education system is very extreme!!! Lol! Like teachers are going in with the aim of 'brainwashing' the children into learning some things

good thing i didn't then .

Overheal wrote: »

You should do school in America; where the norm is to wake at 5am, catch a bus at 6, arrive by 7:30 start at 8:00. Im a little more hazy about the afternoon. Its either off at 2 or 3, which means youre either home by 1530 or 1630.

Now considering commutes werent nearly as bad when i went to school in Ireland it WOULD make a lot of sense to start school at 7 or 8 and then still be off in time for a youthful afternoon.

When I was there I was in a class of kids two or three years older than me, My brother was 12 and guys in his class were shaving, better hours s**t education standards. We had social studies classes were they taught us how to wash and brush our teeth... it was like the freebie list every week.. toothbrush..combs.. lotions

moonage wrote: »

I was being a little tongue in cheek, but only a little.

But why can't we make school more humane for children by, say, cutting the hours to 9am to 1pm, Mon-Fri? They can learn all they need to know in this time.

I dunno if the whole 9 to 1 thing could work unless there's a drastic overhaul of the system. (Not bloody likely though )

For most subjects there's a huge amount on the curriculum to get covered for exams. If you cut the length of the day by 3 hours classes would have to be reduced to say, 30 minutes each for example. This would put teachers under enormous pressure to fit everything in. So they'd have to sacrifice a students understanding of the subject just to go over everything in class.

It's not that I don't like the idea, I do think the school day is tiring. My school is 8.55-3.45, 10 minute break for small lunch and 30 for big break. For the unfortunate souls who do supervised study they're there till 6pm with a break in between, and more homework on top of that at possibly.

On a different point I think a lot of the subjects are complete bullshít though. English for example. I remember when it used to be about using your imagination in primary, writing from the heart. Now it's all crap, regurgitating the same answers done for homework in an exam, just worded differently. I get decent grades in HL English and not a word I write is true. It takes the point out of the subject really when they ask in exams how such and such a thing made you feel when I feel nothing for it and still end up with a B.

Meh, I've gone off my original point, rambling over.