The problems of conventional schools in GB, the USA and Belarus.
Of every family the future of their kids is the most important question. Parents are ready to spend enormous sum of money for the education of their children.
Choosing a school is of an exceptional importance. Because our decision will influence the march of events and will be a turning-point in the life of our kids. That’s why we have to choose the school where we would like our children to study and to what sphere of life we want to dedicate their life very carefully. But what are the criteria for the good school? How not to mistake while choosing one? Schools have for many years set out their purposes, often in clear and helpful statements of aims and objectives.
Conventional school is designed to enable everyone to pursue the subjects that they are good, and at the same time to encourage social cohesion. But there are those who believe that the conventional school system (comprehensive system) holds back the very bright children on whom the community will depend heavily in the years to come for the inventiveness, decision-making ability and intellectual endurance which enable a country to compete successfully in a world of advanced technology. However, there has never been any conclusive evidence that the comprehensive system does hold back the very intelligent pupils.
The reality is nowadays parents more often give their preference to private schools, choosing the name of the school but not its teaching methods. Because even if you come at the interview and there will be a choice between a boy or a girl graduated in Cambridge but not very talented, and another boy or girl who finished one of the comprehensive schools but who is a real smart boy/girl, there a slight possibility for the 2nd one to get the job, because Cambridge speaks for its name. So, the graduate from Cambridge gained some kind of social advantage attending this University.
Parents prefer private sector because don’t approve the idea of mixed schooling of conventional schooling and also think that mixed-ability classes do not make the best provision for the most and least able children.
That’s why parents choose to opt put of the State system and send their children to private school. And now private education has become one of Britain’s liveliest growth sectors. The result is that fee-paying schools throughout the country are full, and many have long waiting lists. Parents choosing private school hope o give their children a good start in life.
Conventional schooling presupposes traditional forms of educating students through a teacher-centered approach, relying on lecturing as a way of transmitting information and test examination system as a way of knowledge control. I think that such type of a school exists in any country, including English-speaking countries as the USA and the UK. However conventional schooling has become nowadays the subject of multiple critiques. There are those who believe that this type of schooling does not well reveal children’s potential, moreover it stifles curiosity and kills motivation. Children are regarded as just numbers. Due to the big numbers of students in classes and limited amount of time it is next to impossible for teachers to find an individual approach to each student and to create high motivation for the subject. In their turn, some teachers, due to low salaries, lack incentive and inspiration to give off their best.
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Truancy, lack of interest and important extra-curricular activities, lack of financing and of new modern equipment are the issues that Belarusian conventional schooling faces today and that demand thorough consideration and resolution.
Among the ways of improving the situation is to make education more learner-centered based on the pedagogy of cooperation where the learner shares the responsibilities for decisions in the learning process; it minimizes pressure upon students and give them more freedom to express their thoughts and opinions, puts the emphasis on creative thinking. This approach shortens the amount of students in each classroom and thus establishes a contact with each child, creates the atmosphere of trust.
It is difficult to deny that today conventional school has many problems that are hotly debated in teaching community.
For example in English-speaking countries conventional education doesn’t satisfy the parents’ requirements any more. Some are opposed to mixed schooling, others are opposed to the comprehensive systems, believing that mixed-ability classes do not make the best provision for their children. That’s why they have to opt out of state system and send their children in private schools, that cost a lot of money.
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As for Belarus, here traditional school has different problems. Many people believe that this type of schooling does not well develop children's potential and kills children’ curiosity and motivation. Our teachers don’t have the opportunity to use an individual approach to each student and to create a high motivation level for his subject because of a big number of students and limited amount of time. Also our traditional schools have such problems as truancy, lack of interest and important extra-curricular activities, lack of financing and of new modern equipment and appropriate discipline.
Among the ways of improving the situation is to make education more learner-centered based on the pedagogy of cooperation where the learner shares the responsibility for decisions in the learning process, to minimize pressure upon students and give them more freedom to express their thoughts and opinions, to put the emphasis on creative thinking, to shorten the amount of students in each classroom and thus to establish a contact with each child, to create the atmosphere of trust, to make teacher's schedule less taxing without the detriment to their wages. There should be emphasis on universal human values. Teachers are to respect the view of students.
Thus the key targets of conventional schooling should be the development of personality, democratization and creative thinking. Conventional education should be geared to all aspects of life, including employment. Such steps will help to inspire students to go to schools. On the whole, schools, parents and the state should integrate in order to build an educated society.
Your idea of a good school?
The process of education is an imprint of the society we live in.
It’s not so easy to give a direct answer to this question. First of all it should be mentioned that schools have for many years set out their purposes, often in clear and helpful statements of aims and objectives. But they have not always turned these into definite targets.
Certainly, it’ll be quite a subjective view point if we judge schools only by its poor exam results. It’s important to take into account the IQs and background of the pupils.
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In Britain, for example, the factors showing the quality of the country’s primary or secondary schools are called Performance Indicators, which will play a crucial part in education. They will enable heads, teachers, governors, as well as parents; decide whether a school is up to scratch. No doubt they should be neither overrated nor undervalued.
In my opinion those indicators that I’m going to mention make a school good enough:
-the proportion of leavers that go to university or college after this school
-the efficiency the school communicate with the parents
-the usage of the child-centered approach in teaching
-the way the school prevents bullying, vandalism
-the high level of the quality of knowledge it gives pupils to prepare them for their future life and profession (children must be prepared for all aspects of their adult life-work, leisure, personal relationships, creative activities, coping with money matters, independence, parenthood)
--it’s very good if school also provides an opportunity for teachers to have experience outside the world of college and school. They should work for a while at some other kind of job to see how the world of business and commerce differs from their own.
The quality of the school while accessing it:
-problem of discipline (truancy, bullying, graffiti)
-communication teachers-parents
-choice of the school (whether pupils change schools often)
-a good teaching stuff (devotion to the profession, professional qualities, teachers must be knowledgeable, demanding, caring)
-a good atmosphere at school.
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