Now that I am having to home school my kids for the interim I am discovering where my kids are with their education. The report cards I receive tell me absolutely nothing, so much so I scan them, sign them and throw it away. I can't tell where they are at, if there are where they should be, is there anything I need to do to help them progress. I remember taking in a workbook that pre-schools have to put together during the child's time, it is something
Ofsted require. I showed it to my youngest's Kindergarten teacher and she told me this is the sort of thing we do in Grade K. What joy to know my child has to step back a year, not! But because we have moved and disrupted my kids education yet again, I respect that this is the way but I can't help but rant.
To start, the school that my kids go to do not have tests of any kind, not even weekly spelling tests, there is no homework other than reading daily and perhaps once a month a book is taken home and my eldest has to write about something she did. In England in Grade 2 my daughter was bringing home on a weekly basis maths, reading, spelling and projects to work on. My eldest daughter would be going into Grade 4 this year in the UK but in Canada she has to go into Grade 3 (they start later in Canada). I would like to say this has been of benefit to step back and redo a year but she found lessons boring and not challenged at all. By now she should know her 2, 5 and 10 times table plus more but she has forgotten some of what she learnt because she was not been taught this in her new school. The reading is coming along fine for both my kids, I love how they emphasize the importance of reading here, they read in the morning with parents and read at the end of the day and are expected to read more at home. The maths seems to be lacking which worries me so how they dare to say that BC has one of the
best public education systems in the world, well, it beats me! I had never heard that before Christy Clark mentioned it on TV and if it is the best why has she put her kid into private school? I have a theory why they think this because a lot of parents in BC invest in after school programs that help their children progress.
I have a Grade 2 maths book for my eldest, I wanted to see where she is at before pushing her on to a Grade 3 level. She is not even half way through the book and she needs a lot of guidance from me. For example, it talks about hundreds, tens and ones and how to look at the larger numbers. Not done this in class, she told me. Then added numbers together with a number underneath the other and add them. Not done this either. As it happens she is finding it easier once I show her a few times. I don't understand why she has not been taught these very basic equations at her age because kids are able to absorb information at a young age easily. How is she ready for Grade 3 if she can't do Grade 2 equations? To me the education she received last year is below par.
We had extra tutors when we first moved out here but it looks like we will have them again particularly in the maths area. Hopefully when they are at middle school age we can afford to place them in an independent school because unions are nothing but a pain in the arse particularly when it hurts the kids.
As my neighbour said and he is not the first to say it to me, (his kids bar one go to an independent school and so does the one next-door-but-one for that matter), the schools here are over qualified babysitters. I purse my lips at this, I can understand why he says this but I am not sure I would go that far with the teachers here. I think they have a tough gig, and with language barriers, special needs, blended classes how do they manage and successfully teach kids at varying levels with various ways of learning? I guess that is why they are paid quite well from what I hear and with excellent benefits, who else gets a 8 weeks holiday in the summer, 2 weeks at Christmas, plus pensions, signing bonus, excellent starting salary straight out of university? No one I know, I can tell you. As one teacher recently said, those with extra learning needs get lots of attention, those who are very bright get extra attention those in the middle are self-sufficient and they are left to get on with it. How are they to become exceptional if the support for the middle group is not there? That is the problem with public schools infact that is the problem with anyone in the middle, middle class always get hit the hardest.
We are into the
second week of the strike and the one thing that is annoying me with the teachers strike in BC is, it started out as being about class sizes, extra assistants to help with the kids but as it turns out it is all about the money. I have spoken to many people on this topic and they support the teachers but if it is about the money then this is no longer about the needs of the children. After watching many news reports, reading newspapers both sides are to blame. The unions are now focused more on the money and
Christy Clark is twisting the truth about what the teachers demands are. I have no sympathy with the teachers if it is about the money, I think, however, for most it is really about providing the kids with a better school system. Besides, the union is willing to bring in a
third party but the stubborn Ms Clark and Education Minister Peter Fassbender who clearly wants education privatised is not willing to do anything, at all, except wait it out. Ms Clark's child is in a expensive independent school has no need to worry. She, like the rest of them have no clue what it is like to try and work and keep kids occupied and educated so that the kids are well balanced individuals ready to help boost the economy when it is their turn. It is short sighted of her to think that this will go away. In fact, long term it could have a devastating effect. I am not annoyed at the teachers because they are trying but the government are not doing anything, they are not willing to negotiate by any means.
With all that is going on has anyone listened to what the
parents want? All we ask is our children be back in school, educated, learning and developing, being with their friends, having a routine in place. They need the support to mature.
I have a good routine with my kids, a lesson plan in place, places to visit, after-school activities, extra tuition planned, the one thing they do miss is their friends. I think this strike will make parents re-think their child's learning needs. I got to say, this whole thing is frustrating and could end up a big mess and the kids might not be back in school this side of Christmas. Bloody mess.
