If you could change one thing in the education system, what would it be?
E.g. replacing one subject with another, delaying the school starting age, etc.
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Increase competition and school choice by addressing the issue of monopolistic state control.
introduce a proper tripartite system for 14 -19 .
Original post by Malooka
E.g. replacing one subject with another, delaying the school starting age, etc.
Sorry, but there are too many to list just one:
Widespread reintroduction of grammar schools.
Increase competition among students in schools.
Make all A-levels linear and 100% terminal exam-based and increase the depth of the specification content.
Abolish waste-of-space A-levels which do not have a place in our education system, such as anything with 'Studies' on the end of it, for example. People who wish to do 'Studies' subjects shouldn't even bother doing A-levels.
Decrease tuition fees for STEM subjects ONLY to between £4500 and £6000 to encourage more people into the field.
Develop GCSE sciences and mathematics with more interesting/useful and engaging content. I.e. cut the EU-spurred global warming, recycling and renewable energy crap and introduce concepts such as very basic organic mechanisms, photoelectricity and full cell ultrastructure, to name but a few. Also, add basic calculus and into the GCSE maths course.
Fund more apprenticeships for those who are not so academically-minded, which could be coupled with the reintroduction of pre-GCSE technical colleges.
Re-name 'GCSE' to 'O-level' - the former just gives the impression of 'dumbing down' and we should want to retain some prestige within our education system.
Stop any partial state funding for degrees which shouldn't even exist that they're so useless.
I could go on and on, but this is a short list of the changes I would make if I could.
More focus on vocational training. If a pupils wants to make a choice at 14 to go down a vocational route we should support that, and give them the option to study it alongside core GCSE subjects, and have work experience for one day week in that field. It would prepare young people for the labour market, and increase our pool of skilled labour.
I'd also introduce 'top up' school sessions during the summer holidays. Every other week you go in for two days. Have an hour each day set aside from Maths, English and Sport. But allow the pupils to chose what subject they want to study for the other two hours. Don't teach the curriculum and get pupils to explore stuff and do fun things instead so they can have another side to education instead of being force fed for exams. It will also go a way to stopping the academic slump that pupils experience during summer holidays.
I'd also introduce 'top up' school sessions during the summer holidays. Every other week you go in for two days. Have an hour each day set aside from Maths, English and Sport. But allow the pupils to chose what subject they want to study for the other two hours. Don't teach the curriculum and get pupils to explore stuff and do fun things instead so they can have another side to education instead of being force fed for exams. It will also go a way to stopping the academic slump that pupils experience during summer holidays.
Original post by Swanbow
More focus on vocational training. If a pupils wants to make a choice at 14 to go down a vocational route we should support that, and give them the option to study it alongside core GCSE subjects, and have work experience for one day week in that field. It would prepare young people for the labour market, and increase our pool of skilled labour.
I'd also introduce 'top up' school sessions during the summer holidays. Every other week you go in for two days. Have an hour each day set aside from Maths, English and Sport. But allow the pupils to chose what subject they want to study for the other two hours. Don't teach the curriculum and get pupils to explore stuff and do fun things instead so they can have another side to education instead of being force fed for exams. It will also go a way to stopping the academic slump that pupils experience during summer holidays.
I'd also introduce 'top up' school sessions during the summer holidays. Every other week you go in for two days. Have an hour each day set aside from Maths, English and Sport. But allow the pupils to chose what subject they want to study for the other two hours. Don't teach the curriculum and get pupils to explore stuff and do fun things instead so they can have another side to education instead of being force fed for exams. It will also go a way to stopping the academic slump that pupils experience during summer holidays.
I completely agree with this, I just wasted away my summers as a kid. And whilst I hated school (because I was bullied) I would have gone in during the summer had I had option to choose subject and only be around people who genuinely wanted to be there and learn (so not your typical bully).
The exam board monopoly and the ridiculous costs related to exams.
I'd allow pupils to start specialising and drop subjects that they don't want to study or aren't likely to be useful to them slightly earlier on. In my case, I think the two hour Art lesson and two hour Design and Technology lesson I had to be in every week, not to mention the homework they gave, was quite a waste of time. I could have used that time to advance myself in Maths or Science or something that had the potential to be relevant to my future aspirations.
I think the education system also needs to be updated so as to provide pupils with skills that are useful in the modern world. For example, in our IT lessons I think we could have been taught things like programming, web design, how to create a mobile app etc. a little more seriously. In our Music lessons, we could have learned about more of the popular, modern genres that lots of people actually listen to. It would have been nice if, in our English lessons, we could have analysed what made Harry Potter and Twilight so successful, rather than just Shakespeare. It seems to me that school education tends to lag quite a bit behind real life, and that there are so many modern career paths and aspirations people might have that school gives them absolutely no preparation for.
I'd also put a greater emphasis on learning foreign languages much earlier on, because that's when they are most easily learnt (speaking and listening at least). Just as is the case in non-English speaking countries where it is compulsory to learn English, here I think we could quite easily make most children grow up to be bilingual.
I think the education system also needs to be updated so as to provide pupils with skills that are useful in the modern world. For example, in our IT lessons I think we could have been taught things like programming, web design, how to create a mobile app etc. a little more seriously. In our Music lessons, we could have learned about more of the popular, modern genres that lots of people actually listen to. It would have been nice if, in our English lessons, we could have analysed what made Harry Potter and Twilight so successful, rather than just Shakespeare. It seems to me that school education tends to lag quite a bit behind real life, and that there are so many modern career paths and aspirations people might have that school gives them absolutely no preparation for.
I'd also put a greater emphasis on learning foreign languages much earlier on, because that's when they are most easily learnt (speaking and listening at least). Just as is the case in non-English speaking countries where it is compulsory to learn English, here I think we could quite easily make most children grow up to be bilingual.
(edited 9 years ago)
I'd change the entire emphasis of what education is.
Whereas now education is based on filling children full of enough bits of information to be able.to be considered employable I would.like to see a system based on imparting analytical skills, encouraging self-determination and creativity.
Whereas now education is based on filling children full of enough bits of information to be able.to be considered employable I would.like to see a system based on imparting analytical skills, encouraging self-determination and creativity.
Original post by mojojojo101
I'd change the entire emphasis of what education is.
Whereas now education is based on filling children full of enough bits of information to be able.to be considered employable I would.like to see a system based on imparting analytical skills, encouraging self-determination and creativity.
Whereas now education is based on filling children full of enough bits of information to be able.to be considered employable I would.like to see a system based on imparting analytical skills, encouraging self-determination and creativity.
Completely agree with your opinion.
Original post by billyfisher100
Sorry, but there are too many to list just one:
Widespread reintroduction of grammar schools.
Increase competition among students in schools.
Make all A-levels linear and 100% terminal exam-based and increase the depth of the specification content.
Abolish waste-of-space A-levels which do not have a place in our education system, such as anything with 'Studies' on the end of it, for example. People who wish to do 'Studies' subjects shouldn't even bother doing A-levels.
Decrease tuition fees for STEM subjects ONLY to between £4500 and £6000 to encourage more people into the field.
Develop GCSE sciences and mathematics with more interesting/useful and engaging content. I.e. cut the EU-spurred global warming, recycling and renewable energy crap and introduce concepts such as very basic organic mechanisms, photoelectricity and full cell ultrastructure, to name but a few. Also, add basic calculus and into the GCSE maths course.
Fund more apprenticeships for those who are not so academically-minded, which could be coupled with the reintroduction of pre-GCSE technical colleges.
Re-name 'GCSE' to 'O-level' - the former just gives the impression of 'dumbing down' and we should want to retain some prestige within our education system.
Stop any partial state funding for degrees which shouldn't even exist that they're so useless.
I could go on and on, but this is a short list of the changes I would make if I could.
Widespread reintroduction of grammar schools.
Increase competition among students in schools.
Make all A-levels linear and 100% terminal exam-based and increase the depth of the specification content.
Abolish waste-of-space A-levels which do not have a place in our education system, such as anything with 'Studies' on the end of it, for example. People who wish to do 'Studies' subjects shouldn't even bother doing A-levels.
Decrease tuition fees for STEM subjects ONLY to between £4500 and £6000 to encourage more people into the field.
Develop GCSE sciences and mathematics with more interesting/useful and engaging content. I.e. cut the EU-spurred global warming, recycling and renewable energy crap and introduce concepts such as very basic organic mechanisms, photoelectricity and full cell ultrastructure, to name but a few. Also, add basic calculus and into the GCSE maths course.
Fund more apprenticeships for those who are not so academically-minded, which could be coupled with the reintroduction of pre-GCSE technical colleges.
Re-name 'GCSE' to 'O-level' - the former just gives the impression of 'dumbing down' and we should want to retain some prestige within our education system.
Stop any partial state funding for degrees which shouldn't even exist that they're so useless.
I could go on and on, but this is a short list of the changes I would make if I could.
Yea, absolutely spot on, I agree with you!!
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Original post by mojojojo101
I'd change the entire emphasis of what education is.
Whereas now education is based on filling children full of enough bits of information to be able.to be considered employable I would.like to see a system based on imparting analytical skills, encouraging self-determination and creativity.
Whereas now education is based on filling children full of enough bits of information to be able.to be considered employable I would.like to see a system based on imparting analytical skills, encouraging self-determination and creativity.
Wish i could rate you, it says to rate some other member because i must have rated you again recently
I would put more emphasis on entrepreneurial mindsets rather than workforce mindsets when discussing careers, and also have classes with NLP and Life Coaching as an option for all students in secondary school to help with studying effectively, not just adequately. I would cap classes at 28 for PE, 20 for Core Subjects and 10 for artistic subjects, where more individual guidance is needed, not just answers in a book. This would include English Language, Art, Music, Photography, Media etc.
I would also restructure the current A level syllabus into a more modular form - similar to the credits-based system of universities where students can choose their specialities in the subject based on what they want to achieve later on in life.
For example, if someone wants to become a surgeon, then there's no need to go messing about with irrelevant biome case studies in biology.
I would also restructure the current A level syllabus into a more modular form - similar to the credits-based system of universities where students can choose their specialities in the subject based on what they want to achieve later on in life.
For example, if someone wants to become a surgeon, then there's no need to go messing about with irrelevant biome case studies in biology.
Original post by anastas
Wish i could rate you, it says to rate some other member because i must have rated you again recently
But if you don't have a good degree of knowledge and understanding, then analytical skills and creativity are as good as useless.
I would make sure that every child began learning a second language by Year 2. 
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Original post by karmacrunch
I would make sure that every child began learning a second language by Year 2.
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what if they didn't want to?
Original post by karmacrunch
I would make sure that every child began learning a second language by Year 2.
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I would get reject Krunchy's proposal to the cheers of millions of children everywhere.
For some reason I knew it would you two who quoted me. 
Tough nuts.
Why? (:
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Original post by ChickenMadness
what if they didn't want to?
Tough nuts.
Spoiler
Original post by ChaoticButterfly
I would get reject Krunchy's proposal to the cheers of millions of children everywhere.
Why? (:
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