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Passing clouds of inconsequential observations

Tag: Schools

  • Why home education sucks (Part 735/B)

    Apparently it is Open season on home education (whatever that is) which tells us something of the bizarre parallel universe in which home educators (whoever they are) seem to live – ever the hapless victims of oppression and discrimination. In their topsy turvy universe everything is painted in the darkest colours possible. Children do not just go to school they are “sacrificed… to daily incarceration” Home educators constantly decry the use of propaganda by the state whilst creating their own version of the [W:Black Legend] and the Big Lie; of course their version is not propaganda, their version is the truth for they have a secret gift that will lead them to a promised land.

    Not satisfied with turning education into a quasi-religous cult the home educators are now conspiring with the state to turn the current freedom of parents to choose how they wish to educate their children (as enshrined in Section 7 of the Education Act) into a dichotomy between School or Home Education. This is their most sinister and pernicious act.

    While presenting themselves as victims of the heavy handed state they seem to have missed the irony that they can cite the Human Rights Act to defend themselves and use the Freedom Of Information Act to gather information from officialdom. I wouldn’t be surprised if the evil/nazi/pinko/leftist/commie/fascist (delete as appropriate) government starts forcing them and their children to roam the countryside – freely.

    How many people are put off educating their children otherwise than at school by all this home education nonsense? Someone should set up a database to monitor the situation.

  • The damned and the dumb.

    According to this BBC News story nobody never learns nothing after they leave school. But judging by the quality of the BBC report…

    it is already known that dementia is less likely in people who been (sic) educated for longer.
    Previous research has shown that education is beneficial because it increases the number of neural connections in the brain.

    …the original Cambridge report probably does not say any such thing. On the other hand it may, possibly. As Dr David Llewellyn himself says:

    exposure to secondhand smoke may be associated with increased odds of cognitive impairment.

    I suppose it may; or it may not. Tricky stuff this scientific research. Could we at least conclude with some certainty that someone’s research funding is due for renewal?

  • Parents face prosecution

    A story that will not make it into the press:

    After [W:OFSTED] inspectors found that the Richard Rose Central Academy in [W:Carlisle] was failing to give pupils “an acceptable standard of education” and that those leading it were not “demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement” parents are to be prosecuted for failing to ensure their children receive a suitable education as required by the Education Act 1996.

    But we live in hope 🙂

  • Buddy can you spare a calculator?

    In the bizarre times in which we live some bankers and accountants (No! Don’t laugh!) are spouting some nonsense claiming that a lack of maths skills cost us £2.4bn each year. Think of a number any number! Of course by maths they mean “core numeracy skills” (whatever they are!) so we are talking arithmetic rather than mathematics. Have they never heard of the numerous maths failures like Richard Branson? Of course non of this is new it has all been tried before with (surprise surprise!) the inevitable failure. Are you bored yet?

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