No more status-quo.

Education. Kids. The future. Change is a scary thing, but the fact is, it happens. In order to keep up with modern life, things need to change & fast. The government, councils and schools themselves have all rejected sensible propositions put forward by students, and if we don’t act soon, the future of education as we know it could plummet into a state of dis-repair. FrustratedStudents outlines this, and gives their own top reasons of WHY education needs to change, HOW we can change it, and MAKING a difference that will impact the generations to come.

1. Focus on tests and grades. Learning happens differently to everyone and the system must be more flexible and stop focusing a whole child’s life on “making the grade”.

2. Bureaucracy. It’s what stops thousands of dollars from actually educating a child, what keeps bad teachers securly in their jobs, and precisely why stopgap solutions such as more funding or bigger schools haven’t worked. Reduce the bureaucratic footprint, and you’ll accomplish much more with even current resources.

3. Living in 2007. Technology has completely changed the lives of people on this world. Unfortunately, schools are the last venue for adoption of these fantastic tools. Students shouldn’t have to fight the system, with only the pencil at school and only the computer at home.

Here’s a great example from what’s going on at my school. The board of govenors/head-teacher has decided that it will be great to push forward with a new method of classroom organization, known as ‘Vertical Tutorial Groups’. So what is VTG? Rather than having a class of 30 pupils, all of the same age (give or take a few months), 5 pupils from each year will be put into a single form, hence creating a ‘Vertical Group’.

Year 7 - 5 pupils
Year 8 - 5 pupils
Year 9 - 5 pupils
Year 10 - 5 pupils
Year 11 - 5 pupils

I’ve already written a double-sided A4 essay during our ‘PSHE’ lessons on my feelings about VTG, and have highlighted 101 reasons exactly WHY the scheme won’t work. The teachers have given several asemblies, in each, claiming that VTG is for the good of the school, and that together we can move forward. Oh yeah? Bullying will increase, as will peer-pressure from older students on younger ones. Foul language and aggressive behaviour and bad influences will be passed on from an earlier age. An increase of form-tutors/teachers will also be needed, as in every class, there will be 25 pupils, as opposed to 30. Change happens… But shouldn’t democracy have a say?

What would I like to see in Education 2.0? Democracy to the pupils. And not some half-hearted attempt to make us feel like we’re having a say, as is the case in our school. Whatever I say, it won’t matter. The descision has already been made, though the school point-blank denies it. The arguments against giving pupils a collective voice? We’re not responsible. Uh-huh? You wanna say that to my face?

Anyhow, if only children/teenagers/kids were treated with the respect they deserve, given appropriate responsibilites, given a voice, then perhaps we wouldn’t be in the educational pickle that we are in at the moment? Who knows.

The fact is, CHANGE HAPPENS. Education needs to change, and fast…

I’m tagging Chris Pirillo, Darren Rowse, John Chow, Ilker Yoldas and Nate Whitehill to carry on the conversation. Who says only kids have to get involved? If some adults voice their opinions on the matter too, then maybe we will get somewhere.