This is one of my 'identity journals' for my sociology unit, as I'm studying Psychology with a minor in criminology. I love sociology, it is rather interesting. Sort of like economics, but with less numbers :D. This topic was 'education', and how I felt that the education system reflected on me and so on, using sociological theories that I had just read about as part of that weeks lecture.
Also, I HATE spelling 'bourgeoisie' I can never, EVER remember how it's spelt off the top of my head and it is very vexing.
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Education...hmm. This is a bit of a tricky topic. The notes taken for this weeks lecture would have me put squarely in the 'bad guy' category, of the bourgeoisie, as I went to a private school for the majority of my education. I spent hrm, the first 4 years of my educating life in a public school, and that was found to be a little 'lacklusture' by my parents, even if I did adore one of my teachers specifically. My year 2 teacher, Mrs Ketelle. We all called her Mrs Kettle, the poor dear, but she was brilliant.
And then for year three I had a Mrs Finlay or something and I think she was not quite as clever as she thought she was. If you are a teacher and do not know how to spell 'spaghetti' when asked, and another student tells you -how- to spell the word, do not argue with that child until they get the mother loving dictionary and open it to the page and point out the word and how to freaking spell it, as how THEY were SAYING IT. Argh. Yeah. I was that kid.
Year 4 had me going to a private school, which was both better, and worse. See, better education, but slightly worse with the social interaction thing, as the classmates were no longer people from wherever, but the 'upper class' of that particular town, and the majority of them were rather hmm... clique-y. Didn't help that I wasn't part of the fashionable crowd and far too fond of books but... eh. No matter.
I enjoy learning. I am happiest when I am learning something new, -and- when I have something physical to balance it out, however, this isn't always the case and I do end up rather tired at the end of the day without much time for the whole, rest and relaxation thing that isn't sleep. I am also the first and only member of my family (including cousins and extended family) that has gone to university, so there is that. There was a lot of pressure from my parents (particularly my mother) all through my schooling years to get good grades and go to University. I start -going- to university and my mothers pressure turns to 'get a job! Just start working! Get a job and don't worry about the education it's a waste of time what you're doing'. Go figure. So, I drop out (she convinces my dad to stop paying for my tuition, and won't let me get a HECS debt) and then she turns on a dime and pushes for me to go to TAFE instead of uni (It's cheaper and does the same thing!) which... yeah. Bleh. My dad encouraged my learning, my mother forced it down my throat and nothing I did was ever good enough for her. Hrm. But none of this really relates to the specifics of the topic.
I -can- see the difference between the public school systems and the private schools, not so much between suburbs as I was a country kid and it was, you know, two towns. One only had a public school, the other had one of each. Not exactly spoilt for choice. But I attribute the major difference to the fact that public schools have a what, $60 per term tuition fee, while the private schools had around a $2000 per year tuition fee. Sure, it's a little bit more -- plus the cost of the books and uniform -- but it enabled the school to give a better quality of teaching. Class sizes were 15-25 or there about, rather than the 30+ from the public classroom. Less students = greater individual attention from the educator and more emphasis on the parents getting the most out of the school because of how much they are investing in their childrens education. Compared to the public schools, where most parents nowadays are not so interested in their childs welfare, or education especially, because it is 'boring' and 'difficult'.
But, eh, there isn't really all that much, that I can see, that can be done about it. Oh, and the school education trend where kids 'can't fail'? Utter balony. If you give no consequences to not paying attention, and no real reward for them to excell then the point of it is lost to the children and the value of the education reduces. Drastically. In my opinion, at least, as I went through school going from getting letter grades, like B+ and A, to getting 7E and a paragraph to explain what it meant. -_-
In university sure, that sort of thing is helpful, as you can see where you're going wrong and where you need to improve and you still get a 'letter' mark at the end of it, rather than 'halfway between 7M and 7E' what does that meaaaaaane?!!?@!?@ Gyah.
I worry about the education system, when teachers are valued less than a babysitter and they do so much more.
Also, I HATE spelling 'bourgeoisie' I can never, EVER remember how it's spelt off the top of my head and it is very vexing.
~~~~
Education...hmm. This is a bit of a tricky topic. The notes taken for this weeks lecture would have me put squarely in the 'bad guy' category, of the bourgeoisie, as I went to a private school for the majority of my education. I spent hrm, the first 4 years of my educating life in a public school, and that was found to be a little 'lacklusture' by my parents, even if I did adore one of my teachers specifically. My year 2 teacher, Mrs Ketelle. We all called her Mrs Kettle, the poor dear, but she was brilliant.
And then for year three I had a Mrs Finlay or something and I think she was not quite as clever as she thought she was. If you are a teacher and do not know how to spell 'spaghetti' when asked, and another student tells you -how- to spell the word, do not argue with that child until they get the mother loving dictionary and open it to the page and point out the word and how to freaking spell it, as how THEY were SAYING IT. Argh. Yeah. I was that kid.
Year 4 had me going to a private school, which was both better, and worse. See, better education, but slightly worse with the social interaction thing, as the classmates were no longer people from wherever, but the 'upper class' of that particular town, and the majority of them were rather hmm... clique-y. Didn't help that I wasn't part of the fashionable crowd and far too fond of books but... eh. No matter.
I enjoy learning. I am happiest when I am learning something new, -and- when I have something physical to balance it out, however, this isn't always the case and I do end up rather tired at the end of the day without much time for the whole, rest and relaxation thing that isn't sleep. I am also the first and only member of my family (including cousins and extended family) that has gone to university, so there is that. There was a lot of pressure from my parents (particularly my mother) all through my schooling years to get good grades and go to University. I start -going- to university and my mothers pressure turns to 'get a job! Just start working! Get a job and don't worry about the education it's a waste of time what you're doing'. Go figure. So, I drop out (she convinces my dad to stop paying for my tuition, and won't let me get a HECS debt) and then she turns on a dime and pushes for me to go to TAFE instead of uni (It's cheaper and does the same thing!) which... yeah. Bleh. My dad encouraged my learning, my mother forced it down my throat and nothing I did was ever good enough for her. Hrm. But none of this really relates to the specifics of the topic.
I -can- see the difference between the public school systems and the private schools, not so much between suburbs as I was a country kid and it was, you know, two towns. One only had a public school, the other had one of each. Not exactly spoilt for choice. But I attribute the major difference to the fact that public schools have a what, $60 per term tuition fee, while the private schools had around a $2000 per year tuition fee. Sure, it's a little bit more -- plus the cost of the books and uniform -- but it enabled the school to give a better quality of teaching. Class sizes were 15-25 or there about, rather than the 30+ from the public classroom. Less students = greater individual attention from the educator and more emphasis on the parents getting the most out of the school because of how much they are investing in their childrens education. Compared to the public schools, where most parents nowadays are not so interested in their childs welfare, or education especially, because it is 'boring' and 'difficult'.
But, eh, there isn't really all that much, that I can see, that can be done about it. Oh, and the school education trend where kids 'can't fail'? Utter balony. If you give no consequences to not paying attention, and no real reward for them to excell then the point of it is lost to the children and the value of the education reduces. Drastically. In my opinion, at least, as I went through school going from getting letter grades, like B+ and A, to getting 7E and a paragraph to explain what it meant. -_-
In university sure, that sort of thing is helpful, as you can see where you're going wrong and where you need to improve and you still get a 'letter' mark at the end of it, rather than 'halfway between 7M and 7E' what does that meaaaaaane?!!?@!?@ Gyah.
I worry about the education system, when teachers are valued less than a babysitter and they do so much more.
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