Scholasticism
The Boy has gone off to Reading Festival, so I went in to school today to help fill his place, setting up one of the computer rooms. More than once, members of staff came in to say, "I thought you were going to.... ah, you're the other one" and suchlike.
There's precious little evidence left now of anyone I remember; hardly surprising after four years. The noticeboards did reveal that one kid I remember as a Y7 (but is now Y13) is now Victrex Ludorum*, and another was joint winner of last term's Harry Potter quiz. Both impressive, but I think you can guess which has the edge in my view.
Only about 5 miles cycled today, but arguably the toughest outing yet... the combination, I suppose, of high winds, suboptimal clothing, and an urban environment so full of potholes and cracks that I feared for my bike. Oh and I've learned that if you don't have a chainguard you must have trouser clips, or at least tuck them into your socks...!
I was disturbed to hear on the radio that modern languages are being made optional at GCSE, and thus most children are electing not to bother with them. This seems rather short-sighted, although if there's to be a shortage of people qualified in languages maybe my GCSE French and A-level German will stand me in good stead. Or not. Apparently kids consider languages harder than other subjects... not something I could agree with personally, but perhaps it's one of those things that some people find really easy and others find totally opaque. Anyway it's not all bad news, apparently there are plans for more 'vocational' language teaching (hmmm), and introducing foreign languages in primary school, which I'm all in favour of - the earlier the better and all that. A teacher once described the GCSE syllabus to me as 'pedestrian'; I wonder if changing that would help attract more students, or make it too hard for them? Now I think of it, I remember at school our set being sent to give a presentation in German to Set 2 - still the top half of the ability groups - who didn't seem to understand a word we were saying...
Anyway, must be off, etc.
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*That is, top sporting dudette, though I confess I've never seen the feminine form before. Don't know enough (i.e. any) Latin to know whether it's correct though.
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Of course, a lot of British teenagers can't even speak English these days, or at least choose not to... ho ho ho, etc.
But I don't want to come over all Daily Mail... not like the Radio 2 listener whose letter was read out when I was listening - briefly, before regaining my senses and Radio 4 - earlier... "I'm 60, I'm British born and bred, and now I'm told I live in a multicultural society! Well nobody asked me if I wanted to live in a multicultural society, and actually, I don't."
Moving swiftly on, then... I suspect we need to learn Spanish and Chinese at school as well as French and German... maybe even instead, though that would be a shame. Not sure how we'd be able to fit it all in though - or indeed how private schools manage to let their students take soooo many subjects (taking them years early is probably one answer, but when do they do all the work?) - I don't think I was exactly a slacker but I only have 10 GCSEs and 5 A-levels (one of which, as anyone who hasn't done it will tell you, doesn't count) - and that was the maximum it was possible to fit into the school timetable, because with community service, games, and sessions with the language assistant I only had one or two study periods a week...
[/rant]
There's precious little evidence left now of anyone I remember; hardly surprising after four years. The noticeboards did reveal that one kid I remember as a Y7 (but is now Y13) is now Victrex Ludorum*, and another was joint winner of last term's Harry Potter quiz. Both impressive, but I think you can guess which has the edge in my view.
Only about 5 miles cycled today, but arguably the toughest outing yet... the combination, I suppose, of high winds, suboptimal clothing, and an urban environment so full of potholes and cracks that I feared for my bike. Oh and I've learned that if you don't have a chainguard you must have trouser clips, or at least tuck them into your socks...!
I was disturbed to hear on the radio that modern languages are being made optional at GCSE, and thus most children are electing not to bother with them. This seems rather short-sighted, although if there's to be a shortage of people qualified in languages maybe my GCSE French and A-level German will stand me in good stead. Or not. Apparently kids consider languages harder than other subjects... not something I could agree with personally, but perhaps it's one of those things that some people find really easy and others find totally opaque. Anyway it's not all bad news, apparently there are plans for more 'vocational' language teaching (hmmm), and introducing foreign languages in primary school, which I'm all in favour of - the earlier the better and all that. A teacher once described the GCSE syllabus to me as 'pedestrian'; I wonder if changing that would help attract more students, or make it too hard for them? Now I think of it, I remember at school our set being sent to give a presentation in German to Set 2 - still the top half of the ability groups - who didn't seem to understand a word we were saying...
Anyway, must be off, etc.
---
*That is, top sporting dudette, though I confess I've never seen the feminine form before. Don't know enough (i.e. any) Latin to know whether it's correct though.
---
Of course, a lot of British teenagers can't even speak English these days, or at least choose not to... ho ho ho, etc.
But I don't want to come over all Daily Mail... not like the Radio 2 listener whose letter was read out when I was listening - briefly, before regaining my senses and Radio 4 - earlier... "I'm 60, I'm British born and bred, and now I'm told I live in a multicultural society! Well nobody asked me if I wanted to live in a multicultural society, and actually, I don't."
Moving swiftly on, then... I suspect we need to learn Spanish and Chinese at school as well as French and German... maybe even instead, though that would be a shame. Not sure how we'd be able to fit it all in though - or indeed how private schools manage to let their students take soooo many subjects (taking them years early is probably one answer, but when do they do all the work?) - I don't think I was exactly a slacker but I only have 10 GCSEs and 5 A-levels (one of which, as anyone who hasn't done it will tell you, doesn't count) - and that was the maximum it was possible to fit into the school timetable, because with community service, games, and sessions with the language assistant I only had one or two study periods a week...
[/rant]
posted by Z31 at 4:41 pm
5 Comments:
I wouldn't want to have to learn another language and do exams, that's for sure. But I still rather want to learn Arabic.
Victrix ludorum
Thanks, scary anonymous person, that sounds more plausible. Mind you I'm not convinced that that's what it actually said... state schools, eh?
Ah, Birmingham City Council, I see.
You're right, I am indeed the Mayor of Birmingham. I wasn't really meaning to be anonymous, I was just in a huge rush on my way to (a curtailed day of) work. The rush turned out to be unnecessary since I turned up five minutes early and noone was there yet. I mustn't keep assuming everyone is deadly punctual.
And yeah, I didn't mean to suggest you'd misquoted it, I was just giving the answer for comparison.
TCH
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