Why are education standards in this country so low?

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To be fair, that is a highly debatable point. Are the standards higher now or do we artificially make them higher? I personally don't believe people are any more or less intelligent than they have been at any other point in living memory.

You are right in saying that innate IQ hasn't changed drastically over the last few decades. However, phenotypic IQ's have increased dramatically and this is mainly due to the rising education standards. The wealth of knowledge and skills that the education system provides has never been so accessible. Methods of teaching have improved and this has resulted in students leaving school with increasingly better grades.

Reply 21

dj1015

Original post by Iron Lady

Title should read: why are attitudes towards education in this country so low?

* One girl said she only needs "five GCSE grades A*-C" to do hairdressing
* Another said she is truanting tomorrow
* Then the third girl said she "loves winding teachers" up and teaching other students a lesson - (whatever that means)

I am sure many of you have opinions and acknowledge such incidents, so discuss your thoughts.

I think this is fairly typical. I spent all my time at school doing anything but learn, and what a great time I had!!!!.

When I was at school truanting was more serious than it is now, and I did it constantly. Couple of times I just took the day off and went to London for a gig, just because I felt like it.

10 years on, I consider my self to be a well rounded person with no real problems in life. I currently attend a redbrick uni and study engineering, so despite my lack of effort during school, everything worked out okay.

What I am trying to say is that, just because kids say these things doesn't mean that they will. They are children after all, and more often than not they don't know what is best for them.

Reply 22

Horsedobbin

Original post by Iron Lady

* One girl said she only needs "five GCSE grades A*-C" to do hairdressing
*.

Hairdressing must be quite a tiring job as exponents of it have to stand all day while sticking their fingers into other people's hair, which must grow unpleasant after the first few years.There is also the danger of cutting yourself on sharp scissors or even of sticking a dirty comb in your eye, so if they want to do it I would let them get on with it.

Reply 23

Piprod01

Original post by Iron Lady

I think you're forgetting that these are 13/14 year old kids. Most people are silly and stupid around that age - I know I was.

Usually, people grow out of that phase within a few years. But if you put too much emphasis on achievements when people are so young, it's likely to set their course for the future, even if they've grown up.

Bad GCSEs preventing you from attempting A-levels, and without those you can't go to University.

Reply 24

youngtory

Original post by Iron Lady

Title should read: why are attitudes towards education in this country so low?

The other day I was on the train and I overheard a conversation between a couple of students, I presumed they were studying for the GCSE examinations. Quite frankly I was appalled at what I was hearing:

* One girl said she only needs "five GCSE grades A*-C" to do hairdressing
* Another said she is truanting tomorrow
* Then the third girl said she "loves winding teachers" up and teaching other students a lesson - (whatever that means)

Note: all at different times during their journey. If I had known what school they attend I would have reported them.

On the BBC website I came across an article regarding students missing school, one quote I found particularly frightening, "Children who attend school regularly are four times more likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs, including English and maths, than those who are persistently absent" from the Schools Minister (Link to article here. Implying that 4-5 GCSE grades is an achievement.

I am sure many of you have opinions and acknowledge such incidents, so discuss your thoughts.

You answered your own question with that conversation. Pupils have no ambition or drive to do well, which is often down to poor parenting or the poor school system. We need a return to a grammar school structure. Surely there is no point in a girl who wants to do hairdressing, and has no ability to do any better, sitting 5 GCSEs potentially alongside another pupil who wants to sit as many GCSEs as possible in order to achieve As and A*s with an aim of going to a Russell Group university.

In addition discipline, or lack thereof, is a major problem. There is a lack of respect for teachers and for other pupils. The girl who is truanting is going to waste the time and resources of teachers and administrative staff, which could be better spent on the pupils who want to do well. You only have to see how some pupils wear their school uniform - ties practically round their waist and so on - to extrapolate their attitude towards their whole school career.

How would you look to solve these problems?

Reply 25

ColouredTights

Have you seen the American education system? :eek:

But yes, it does seem we are slipping sometimes...

Reply 26

Annie72

When I was at school ( an eon ago now) we were expected to achieve GCSE grades from A-C in order to pass.These days it seems that any grade up to an E is a pass!!.Frankly I'm shocked as back in my day that was seen as a fail.I keep telling my kids that they need to work hard at school in order to get anywhere in life.So far they are heeding my advice and are doing very well, both of them are in the top sets for most subjects and my youngest has been chosen to study triple award science.

Reply 27

youngtory

Original post by Annie72

Another problem is the banding for grades. Obviously it's wonderful if everyone can pass, but what's the point in diluting the pool of excellence at the top of the grade scale by having lower thresholds for A, B and C. A* goes some way to correcting this but there should be more emphasis on individual determination and competition between pupils to be best in the class.

Reply 28

Classical Liberal

Original post by Drewski

Don't know how you made that jump. But of course, you're just being reactionary deliberately to try to make a point. Badly.

If schools are given a target of 5 C-A* then they are going to design a system to achieve said goal at the expense of trying to get as many A's as possible.

It is not the schools fault. It is the governments fault for setting an arbitrary straight jacket on the schools.

Reply 29

Classical Liberal

The problem with education is that it is a massive socialist enterprise.

Reply 30

AwsomePossum

I think conscription should me mandatory dont see me making rage threads...

Reply 31

Maddog Jones

Original post by Temmychan

To refute your shameful argument, I would just like to ask you to take a look at some of the thousands of posts on this website. Go and take a look at some students responding to pre-1914 literature, or preparing for a mathematics entrance examination, and you will see that, contrary to the biased opinion of yourself, the vile Prime Minister from whom you take your username, and many of the older generation, the education standards in this country have never been higher. As for your derisory statement about hairdressing-- yes, there are many people who merely choose hairdressing as a soft option, and there is a saturation of vocational candidates for such qualifications. But that doesn't mean to say that pursuing a vocational course is wrong or less meritable than someone who goes and does a Maths degree. Who are you to define what constitutes 'success'?

BOOM

+rep

Reply 32

Iron Lady

Original post by youngtory

1. Reintroduce corporal punishment.
2. Either lower the school leaving age to 14, or abolish it altogether. If people don't want to be there, we don't have to make them.
3. The role of parents: this may sound extreme, however if they're unintelligent they should not be having children as it's likely to breed a negative cycle. Alternatively, they should encourage a positive attitude.
4. Grammar schools or streaming in every school.