Monday, April 02, 2007

Should kids be tested at school?

Of course they should be bloody tested!

Link:

Life has winners and losers. Better friggin' get used to it!

In the real world you won't get much mileage out of 'making a bit of an effort'

Hell, we could grade them:

Extremely clever
Bright
Above average
Average
Destined to retail fast food/work at the Warehouse
Trolley Boy
Public Service/Local Council

This crap that nobody is a winnwer or loser is exactly that- crap!

Let's see a system that rewards excellence and tries to rehabilitate those at the other end.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Equality is the destruction of excellence.", or so a wiser man than I has said. Life is not fair, there is only one winner, and second place is the first looser. These facts I shall drum into young Pleistarchus when he comes of age.

brett_mcs said...

One engineering lecturer we thought particularly harsh: All the others would give eight or nine out of ten for an answer that was correct - using the right theory and formulae - for all but a simple arithmetic error. But not this guy. Zero.

Of course unlike the others, he had actually spent time in the world outside academia. I learned to appreciate his point of view the first time I had to do an engineering calculation in a real job.

llew said...

I only scanned the link - but when did they stop academinc testing at primary schools?

My daughter was tested quarterly in all subjects right up to two years ago(when she finished primary & now in the 4th form & still being tested regularly), results gauged against her class, her year, and nationally.

We got the results sent home & also her name was feted in the school newsletter.

BTW - have to giggle slightly, when people who can't spell rail against falling academinc standards & practises. (and if I used the wrong "practise" there, feel free to point out the irony.)

Trying to decide where "blogger" comes in that list too :)

llew said...

academinc. Heh heh.

Unknown said...

Yes I noticed the lack of blogger on the list too.

Oswald Bastable said...

Bloggers cover the whole of the spectrum!

Unknown said...

Not today, I think Jordan hit rock bottom and started blasting.

Check out his nappy splitting rant.

Anonymous said...

I got 3 letters for you.
P.A.T.
All primary schools are able to test there students at the beginning of every year using these nationwide tests and many do.
My kids did a week of tests earlier this term.
The system is already there. National either wants to revamp it or put a new spin on it that is all.

Anonymous said...

Of course all kids should be tested! And so too should the teachers! The problem is, the Teachers Union closes ranks to protect any of its members who are useless. Parents have a right to know how competent a teacher is, and if the Teachers Union will not allow a teacher to be assessed, then parents have a right to demand another teacher who has proved their worth.

Anonymous said...

What is wrong with competition? Life is all about competing. There are those that suceed, and those that fail. Nature does not have equality, because competition is needed for survival. Equality equals sameness, which equals blandness, which equals stagnation, which equals failure.