Primary school 1st year

This article on primary education by Ofsted sums up what I hope is happening in all primary schools.
Perhaps they could also be taught how to use a knife and fork, because many of their parents do not seem to be able to, they use the fork like a shovel.


http://www.bbc.com/news/education-42167739

Re: Primary school 1st year

I know that children need to learn these activities, but the more we make it the teachers responsibility, the less responsible the parents will become.
Children are a joy, but I do think the best way to help is to make young people realize that they are also seriously hard work. All these small activities should be taught at home... before they start school

Re: Primary school 1st year

As Twink says, its the Parents job to teach them how to sit at the table and use a Knife & Fork not the Teachers. My Parents taught us, also before going to School my Sister and I could tell the Time and basic Adding up skills.

Re: Primary school 1st year

My children were taught table manners, to use a knife and fork correctly, not talk with a mouth full, not to eat with an open mouth and to ask to be excused from the table when finished. They also knew how to tie their shoe laces, and how to read, by me using flash cards with them, and they knew how tell the time.

It is the duty of parents to educate their children in this manner, certainly not the teachers.

Re: Primary school 1st year

O h yes agree, but they are not , so someone has to do it. Parents in general think it is the schools responsibility.
This also applies to being able to dress themselves. My wife had a number at age 11 that were not able to dress themselves, let alone in those days tie a shoe lace.
I think Ofsted are only making the point that these are things that need priority in the first year.
perhaps send the parents to school as well so that they can also be educated n the art of child rearing

Re: Primary school 1st year

Norway I have an even better idea!

Maybe we should have a rule that young children must be able to demonstrate that they can do these activities before they are given a school place. If they can't the child must be home schooled until they can.... at the parents expense!
Perhaps the parents will then get their finger out if they realize they will lose 30-35 hours of free child care, that the school provides every week!

Re: Primary school 1st year

Mind you if you look at some of the Parents these day, you can understand why the children have no manners.

Re: Primary school 1st year

Following my retirement I volunteered for a couple of years at a local school, listening to six year olds reading. The school was in a poorer area of the local town. It was very apparent which children were brought up in homes where the parents communicated and encouraged their children. At the other end of the spectrum were those who knew no discipline, made no real attempt at reading or even their basic letters.

Naturally the children would chatter to me about their home lives and some obviously had lots of books and stories, and tell me what they were reading, whereas the others had none and it was impossible to generate any interest from them. It was awful to feel that even at such a young age they were doomed to lose and continue the same pattern in their lives. All came from similar backgrounds, but how they were parented shone through.

Re: Primary school 1st year

oh yes thats a good idea Twink, but a lot of kids would never go to school

Re: Primary school 1st year

I used to work in a Private School as Playground Supervisor and one of the boys aged 10 was unable to spell the word 'SEAT', every lunchtime he used to come over to me, to ask me how to spell something. So what are the Teachers doing?