State schools admit they do not push gifted pupils because they don't want to promote 'elitism'

[The_Dude 1,142]

You've got to give Danno some credit here, despite the Daily Mail's reputation, it is still leaps and bounds better than WorldNetDaily or American Renaissance. This is a positive step for Danno.

[HAL 9000 96]

I think tracking used to be done from an early age, i.e. subdividing schoolchildren into groups according to their academic achievements. I remember reading and math groups when I was a kid. As far as I'm aware, that's not done as much anymore - too damaging to the self-esteem of those in the "remedial" groups, I imagine.

Meh, our plan is for private school when the time comes.

Still done over here as of 2004, at least in South Florida.

In Chicago there are magnet programs in whole schools. The tracking has been spread out into entire systems so that entire schools are mostly single-level schools of choice. Of course this leaves many children behind at unfunded schools only made worse by unfunded mandates.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You've got to give Danno some credit here, despite the Daily Mail's reputation, it is still leaps and bounds better than WorldNetDaily or American Renaissance. This is a positive step for Danno.

Always look on the bright side of life...

[HAL 9000 96]

Its also interesting that the article mentions sports and the arts. We do have scholarships for arts and sports students but there isn't as big an emphasis on those things as there is in this country.

AFAIK there is a bigger emphasis on English, Mathematics and the Sciences. Both sports and the arts are optional at the GCSE level.

WORD. I have a lot of respect for the UK and the French's K-12 systems. Academic tracking is not seen as a sin like it is here - and school is about knowledge, not freaking hoop-shooting or cheer-screaming.

Tell me you don't get jumpy when they pump up Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams at a school assembly...

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I puffy heart academic tracking. Why? Because it does not sell false ideas to children. --- I see so many students on campus that just cannot get through a simple survey course. They get sad, depressed, and it is not their fault - they should have been tracked to technical or other schools in the first place. This whole bullsh1t theory about promoting self-esteem before academic achievement screws students royally.

Not everyone can and should make it to university, and that is perfectly fine. Yeah yeah, sounds evil - sue me. People's intelligences are suited for different types of learning and certainly different professions and activities. Selling k-12'ers the YOU CAN ALL BE WHATEVER YOU WANT serves only to make the school boards feel better, and ends up hurting kids more than helping them.

/off soapbox.

[Danno 1,228]

You've got to give Danno some credit here, despite the Daily Mail's reputation, it is still leaps and bounds better than WorldNetDaily or American Renaissance. This is a positive step for Danno.

I guess I'll take what credit I can get.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Its also interesting that the article mentions sports and the arts. We do have scholarships for arts and sports students but there isn't as big an emphasis on those things as there is in this country.

AFAIK there is a bigger emphasis on English, Mathematics and the Sciences. Both sports and the arts are optional at the GCSE level.

WORD. I have a lot of respect for the UK and the French's K-12 systems. Academic tracking is not seen as a sin like it is here - and school is about knowledge, not freaking hoop-shooting or cheer-screaming.

Tell me you don't get jumpy when they pump up Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams at a school assembly...

Dahling.... I went to school in Academic Tracking Land... so no such bullsh12t at my school

[alienlovechild 75]

I puffy heart academic tracking. Why? Because it does not sell false ideas to children. --- I see so many students on campus that just cannot get through a simple survey course. They get sad, depressed, and it is not their fault - they should have been tracked to technical or other schools in the first place. This whole bullsh1t theory about promoting self-esteem before academic achievement screws students royally.

Not everyone can and should make it to university, and that is perfectly fine. Yeah yeah, sounds evil - sue me. People's intelligences are suited for different types of learning and certainly different professions and activities. Selling k-12'ers the YOU CAN ALL BE WHATEVER YOU WANT serves only to make the school boards feel better, and ends up hurting kids more than helping them.

I'm shocked that I agree with most of your thoughts on this score.

Not every kid is destined for college and this country does have vocational and technical schools after high school but they aren't promoted as a track in many schools anymore. American kids have good self-esteem even though they don't have the education to back it up. I remember a study that was done showing that convicts in jail had high self-esteem but to didn't lead to success for them.

Still remember how many how many of my students had aspirations to doctors or lawyers in the future but couldn't be bothered to study for a history test at all. They didn't even bother asking questions on the material which was pretty bad considering there were the usual number of smart kids in the classrooms.

[Jenn! 918]

I puffy heart academic tracking. Why? Because it does not sell false ideas to children. --- I see so many students on campus that just cannot get through a simple survey course. They get sad, depressed, and it is not their fault - they should have been tracked to technical or other schools in the first place. This whole bullsh1t theory about promoting self-esteem before academic achievement screws students royally.

Not everyone can and should make it to university, and that is perfectly fine. Yeah yeah, sounds evil - sue me. People's intelligences are suited for different types of learning and certainly different professions and activities. Selling k-12'ers the YOU CAN ALL BE WHATEVER YOU WANT serves only to make the school boards feel better, and ends up hurting kids more than helping them.

/off soapbox.

ITA

It's a shame that the trade professions are so undervalued in our society that people feel that not going to college and pursuing them is a failure.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I just hope all who believe that not everyone has the aptitude for college level studies then supports the notion that lower skilled jobs pay a living wage.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Exactly. It is a complete disservice not only to the students, but to the economy. Frustrated college drop-outs abound.... and there is a lack of trades folk who could live happy lives and earn perhaps even more than many of our over-priced graduates

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The Daily Outrage is good at this kind of thing. But think about it for a minute.

You are a teacher, you have a hundred demands on your time - you are overworked, underpaid and the schools funding and your job security are dependent on the volume of students "passing" standardised tests. Is the focus of your time on pushing those who need no help with the required curriculum or on the kids who need the help to achieve a passing grade on the material?

In other words, strive for a general level of mediocrity?

Sounds about right.

No Platy - merely recognising that a lot of what happens in the world is about pragmatism, rather than idealism.

I didn't go the best state school by any means, but in all the classes I did attend they split up the kids into tiers by ability. And that was 15-20 years ago.

[alienlovechild 75]

I just hope all who believe that not everyone has the aptitude for college level studies then supports the notion that lower skilled jobs pay a living wage.

I paid a South African guy to install about 10 CGFI outlets. He made $350 for four hours of work. That's more than I make anyway.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I just hope all who believe that not everyone has the aptitude for college level studies then supports the notion that lower skilled jobs pay a living wage.

You know I do

p.s. brother, this is not about "belief" me thinksssss.... some folks do not have the type of intelligence required for success in higher education. this does not make them stupid or less than - it just speaks to the facts that they learn and succeed in different ways.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I just hope all who believe that not everyone has the aptitude for college level studies then supports the notion that lower skilled jobs pay a living wage.

You know I do

p.s. brother, this is not about "belief" me thinksssss.... some folks do not have the type of intelligence required for success in higher education. this does not make them stupid or less than - it just speaks to the facts that they learn and succeed in different ways.

I'm sure there is some truth to that, but seriously - I'd say 99% of high school graduates have the aptitude for college studies. Not all majors require a higher than normal aptitude to successfully complete. That's all I'm sayin.