Dimming down: How the brainpower of today's 14-year-olds has slipped 'radically' in just one generation

Daily Mail 26th October 2008

Bright teenagers are a disappearing breed, an alarming new study has revealed.

The intellectual ability of the country's cleverest youngsters has declined radically, almost certainly due to the rise of TV and computer games and over-testing in schools.

The 'high-level thinking' skills of 14-year-olds are now on a par with those of 12-year-olds in 1976.

The findings contradict national results which have shown a growth in top grades in SATs at 14, GCSEs and A-levels.

The intelligence of Britain's youth is being dumbed down, which experts say is down to television and video games. Posed by model

But Michael Shayer, the professor of applied psychology who led the study, believes that is the result of exam standards 'edging down'.

His team of researchers at London's King's College tested 800 13 and 14-year-olds and compared the results with a similar exercise in  1976.

The tests were intended to measure understanding of abstract scientific concepts such as volume, density, quantity and weight, which set pupils up for success not only in maths and science but also in English and history.

One test asked pupils to study a pendulum swinging on a string and investigate the factors that cause it to change speed. A second involved weights on a beam.

In the pendulum test, average achievement was much the same as in 1976.

But the proportion of teenagers reaching top grades, demanding a 'higher level of thinking', slumped dramatically.

Just over one in ten were at that level, down from one in four in 1976.

In the second test, assessing mathematical thinking skills, just one in 20 pupils were achieving the high grades  -  down from one in five in 1976.

Professor Shayer said: 'The pendulum test does not require any knowledge of science at all.

'It looks at how people can deal with complex information and sort it out for themselves.'

He believes most of the downturn has occurred over the last ten to 15 years.

It may have been hastened by the introduction of national curriculum testing and accompanying targets, which have cut the time available for teaching which develops more advanced skills.

Critics say schools concentrate instead on drilling children for the tests.

'The moment you introduce targets, people will find the most economical strategies to achieve them,' said Professor Shayer.

A study found the high-level thinking skills of 14-year-olds are now on par with a 12-year-old in 1976. Posed by models

'In the case of education, I'm sure this has had an effect on driving schools away from developing higher levels of understanding.'

He added that while the numeracy hour in primary schools appears to have led to some gains, it has 'squeezed out a lot of things teachers might otherwise be doing'.

Professor Shayer believes the decline in brainpower is also linked to changes in children's leisure activities.

The advent of multi-channel TV has encouraged passive viewing while computer games, particularly for boys, are feared to have supplanted time spent playing with tools, gadgets and other mechanisms.

Professor Shayer warned that without the development of higher-order thinking skills,
the future supply of scientists will be compromised.

'We don't even have enough scientists now,' he said.

Previous research by Professor Shayer has shown that 11-year-olds' grasp of concepts such as volume, density, quantity and weight appears to have declined over the last 30 years.

Their mental abilities were up to three years behind youngsters tested in in 1975.

His latest findings, due to appear in the British Journal of Educational Psychology, come in the wake of a report by Dr Aric Sigman which linked the decline in intellectual ability to a shift away from art and craft skills in both schools and the home.

Dr Sigman said practical activities such as building models and sandcastles, making dens, using tools, playing with building blocks, knitting, sewing and woodwork were being neglected.

Yet they helped develop vital skills such as understanding dimension, volume and density.

Earlier this month the Government bowed to mounting pressure and scrapped SATs for 14-year-olds.

Ministers have also created an independent exams watchdog and promised a return to traditional, open-ended questions at A-level plus a new A* grade to mark out the brightest students.

A spokesman for the Department for Children said last night: 'Good teachers do not need to teach to the test and there is no evidence that such practice is widespread.

'We have already taken steps to reduce the testing burden, but targets and testing are integral features of any work to drive up standards.'

Last month an Ofsted report said millions of teenagers were finishing compulsory education with a weak grasp of maths because half of the country's schools fail to teach the subject as well as they could.

Inspectors said teachers were increasingly drilling pupils to pass exams instead of encouraging them to understand crucial concepts.

The report said: 'It is of vital importance to shift from a narrow emphasis towards a focus on pupils' mathematical understanding.'

Is four too early to learn about sex?

Guardian 23rd October 2008

All children – from the age of four up – are going to have to learn about sex and relationships as part of the curriculum, much to the delight of sexual health charities and others.

Ministers are making personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) classes – which include sex and relationships education (SRE) – a statutory subject in all schools in England – and at all ages.

No longer will sensitive parents be able to insist their children are spared the classes at any stage. Should they be able to?

No, as far as the Sex Education Forum is concerned. It represents 50 organisations including children's and sexual-health charities as well as parents and governors' groups, and says young people, teachers and parents all support the move.

But do you? Should all children learn about the context of sex and relationships rather than just the biological mechanics of how babies are made?

Some fear the worst. Christian Voice, a "prophetic ministry", believes more sex education will simply "encourage fornication".

Of course, five-year-olds won't be taught how to have sex – rather they will learn about healthy relationships, what to call body parts, and that animals have babies. They won't be taught the mechanics until seven.

But are you happy for that to happen? Does raising the issues with young children sexualize them too early?

A headteacher is going to produce guidance on how sex education should be taught. How easy do you – as a teacher or parent - find it to talk to children about sex and relationships?

Unruly pupils will be sent to Army cadet boot camps instead of being expelled

Daily Mail 23rd October 2008

No obstacle: Disruptive pupils will be given Army cadet training

Disruptive children will be sent for Army cadet training or work on farms instead of being expelled.

Pupils will be sent to a specialist centre where they will learn to control their behaviour, while keeping up with normal lessons to prepare them for a return to school.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls will announce details of 12 trial schemes today. The £26.5million initiative aims to revamp the 'forgotten service' of 450 pupil referral units  -  so-called 'sin bins'  -  for the country's most unruly youngsters.

They include a city farm equestrian centre, a football training school and an arts centre. On one scheme, pupils will follow the Army Cadet Force syllabus which includes supervised training activities.

But the scheme will not only cater for children who have been expelled from school. Mr Balls wants to give the units a bigger role in educating youngsters who are likely to face expulsion if their behaviour gets worse.

Parents will be given the choice of agreeing to send their children to the units or see them excluded from school.
Details of schemes, to be trialled over the coming months, show that the alternative education centres will not all be traditional classrooms.

At a trial project in Nottingham, pupils aged 14 to 16 will attend classes while also being placed with 'external providers' including City Farm Equestrian Centre and Football in the Community.

Meanwhile in Knowsley, Liverpool, disaffected pupils will follow the Army Cadet Force syllabus formulated to fit a BTEC qualification. This involves gaining accreditation worth four GCSEs at A* to C grades for many cadet activities.

The Knowsley scheme will make provision for 60 14 to 16-year-olds and 60 16 to 19-year-olds.

A third scheme, in Westminster, will involve giving 'therapeutic education' with help from the Prince's Trust and the Kids Company.

Mr Balls said: 'Alternative provision has for far too long operated on the edge of the education system, only getting involved with children after they have been excluded.

'In the lead up to exclusion there are often opportunities to turn around behaviour before it's too late. I believe that alternative provision providers can step in at an early point and use their unique expertise to support mainstream schools.

'The steps we are taking today will...help schools identify those at risk of very serious poor behaviour, and prevent poor behaviour from occurring in the first place.'

Under Mr Balls' 'radical transformation-of alternative education for the 135,000 children annually who cannot be taught in ordinary schools, more pupils would be sent to referral units but for a shorter time.

'We would like to be intervening at a much earlier stage and using alternative provision before you get into the world of exclusions at all,' Mr Balls said, explaining the policy earlier this year.

'If you are going to spot early, young people who are at risk of going down the wrong track and intervene to give them support then starting that in primary school is absolutely the right way to go.'

Compulsory sex lessons at the age of five in new Government curriculum

Daily Mail 23rd October 2008

Sex education: Britain has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the developed world

School Secretary Ed Balls will outline plans to reform drugs education

Children as young as five will be taught about sex, drugs and alcohol in compulsory lifestyle lessons, ministers announced today.

Pupils need schools to help them cope with the dangers of modern life such as binge drinking and substance abuse, according to the Government.

But the quality of personal, social and health education is "patchy", as many teachers are embarrassed to discuss topics such as sexuality in class.

Ministers said putting social education on the national curriculum for five- to 16-year-olds would help cut teen pregnancy rates and binge drinking.

However, headteachers warned that making the subject compulsory was the wrong approach. The move will also anger some family campaigners who believe young children should not be exposed to sex education.

Britain has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the developed world. Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise among younger people, while binge drinking has been increasingly common for teenagers.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said making social and health education compulsory was "a bold move and a necessary one".

He added: "Modern life is increasingly complex and we have a duty to equip our young people with the knowledge and skills to deal with it.

"We need structured classroom teaching ... Parents bring up children, not schools or governments, but schools can help guide them through the maze of issues and prepare them for the transition from child to adult."

Mr Knight said the system would be flexible enough to allow schools to take parents' values and beliefs into account.

More than 10,000 schoolchildren between the ages of seven and 18 have been offered screening for a sexually transmitted disease in a major health blunder, it emerged today.

Each personally addressed letter from Harrow Primary Care Trust contained the words: "You may have heard of chlamydia ... One in 10 sexually active young people are infected."

The letter infuriated parents who feared it might have forced them into discussions which they were not ready to have.

A spokesman for the trust said: "The intention was to send these letters to all young people aged 18 to 24 years. Due to an administrative error, a large number were sent to children and young people of a younger age."

Fewer than half of teenagers achieve basic set of A to C grades at GCSE

Daily Mail 16th October 2008

Fewer than half of teenagers finish compulsory schooling with a basic set of GCSE qualifications including English and maths, official figures have revealed.

Results for the first pupils to go through an entire education under Labour showed that 345,000 last year failed to meet the Government's benchmark for secondary school achievement.

Despite a rise on 2007, only 47.2 per cent of pupils achieved the desired five A* to C-grade GCSEs including English and maths, leaving ministers struggling to hit a 53 per cent Treasury target by 2011.

Exams: Under Labour, only 47 per cent of teenagers have received five or more A - C grades at GCSE

One in six pupils finished 11 years of compulsory schooling without achieving a single C grade in any subject.

The GCSE gender gap widened again with girls pulling further ahead.

Teachers' leaders declared the scale of failure shameful but ministers insisted trends over the long term showed 'sustained improvement'.

Figures for core subjects such as the three Rs, however, showed that attainment is rising more slowly than for other subjects.

The proportion gaining any five GCSEs rose sharply to 64.6 per cent - 3.2 percentage points up on last year.

But the numbers able to count English and maths towards those five qualifications - the Government's preferred measure - went up just 0.9 per cent.

Only 50 per cent of teenagers were awarded the Government's desired two Cs in science - up just 0.2 per cent on last year.

While the top-performing teenagers celebrated record numbers of A and A* grades, the figures sparked renewed concern over the fate of those at the other end of the spectrum.

They showed that the proportion of pupils gaining five GCSEs including English and maths at any level - A* to G - fell 0.1 per cent to 87 per cent.

There was a mixed picture at A-level. The proportion of candidates achieving at least two A-levels was slightly down from last year's 95.2 per cent to 94.6 per cent.

However the average point score per candidate was 733.5, up from 731.2 last year.

The gulf between independent schools and state comprehensives continued, with almost one in three pupils at fee-paying schools - 30.3 per cent - emerging with three As at A-level, against 7.6 per cent at comprehensives.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: 'It is good to see an improvement on last year's results, reflecting the hard work put in by teachers and pupils.

'But there are still far too many pupils leaving school without five A* to C grades including English and maths at GCSE.

'It is truly shameful that half the pupils in England do not achieve this level.'

David Laws, Liberal Democrat schools spokesman, said: 'It's completely unacceptable that so many children are still not getting a good basic set of qualifications.

'After 11 years of Labour promises, whatever happened to "education, education, education"?'

The Tories said the gap between rich and poor areas had widened.

According to the figures, GCSE results will need to improve at twice their current rate if the Government is to meet its 2011 target.

Ministers have introduced a new secondary curriculum with increased flexibility for schools to focus on the three Rs.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said: 'These are very positive results that build on the improvements of the last decade.'

Only three in ten school-leavers score C grade or above in a languages GCSE

The Government published the figure for the first time this year, aiming to shame schools which neglect languages.

Only 30.6 per cent of pupils nationally achieved a good grade in a language this summer and school league tables due out next year will show the proportion at individual secondaries.

These will allow parents to judge schools on their performance in languages for the first time.

The poor showing follows a 2004 Government decision to make language learning optional for 14-year-olds.

The slump in entries for language GCSEs has led to fears our school-leavers will be ill-equipped on the job market.

This summer only 382,228 took GCSEs in languages - down from 559,115 in 2002. French and German suffered particularly while Spanish entries rose but from a lower base.

Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Russian and Polish also rose but only a few thousand pupils took them.

Fewer than a quarter of state schools require GCSE students to learn languages, according to a report last year.

It found they are fast becoming the preserve of grammar and fee-paying schools as many comprehensives allow them to decline to 'extremely low levels'.

Under plans to reduce academic demands on students, teenagers will be able to gain a 'short' course GCSE in a foreign language without having to show they can speak it.

A second short course - worth half a GCSE - will focus only on speaking and listening, meaning students can pass it without ever reading or writing the language.

Spanking science teacher who slapped girl of 14 on the bottom sent for retraining

Daily Mail 16th October 2008

Trevor Towers: Found guilty of professional misconduct for slapping a pupil on the bottom

A teacher was ordered to retrain for spanking a teenage pupil on the bottom and calling her a ‘naughty girl’.

Science master Trevor Towers, 49, crept up behind the 14-year-old girl as she bent over a school printer.

A hearing at which Towers faced being struck off as a teacher was told that he slapped the girl in full view of her classmates.

The sobbing girl said: ‘I was in my science class being taught by Mr Towers in the computer room when I went to the printer.

‘I had to lean over because it had jammed when I felt a firm slap and he said, “Naughty girl”.

‘He was standing directly behind me. I didn’t know where to turn.

‘I felt incredibly embarrassed he had done this to me in front of my classmates. I could feel myself turning bright red.

‘I couldn’t believe what had happened. I couldn’t understand what I had done to make him pick on me.’

The girl, identified only as Pupil A for legal reasons, walked out of Trevethin Community School in Pontypool, South Wales, and told her mother what had happened.

A disciplinary hearing of the General Teaching Council in Cardiff heard that the girl’s mother went to the school to confront Towers, who apologised after describing the classroom incident as ‘harmless banter’.

The mother later made a formal complaint to Gwent Police and Towers was charged with indecent assault.

He was acquitted by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court in September 2005 and agreed to be bound over to keep the peace in the sum of £250.

Towers was sacked by the school in January 2006 after an internal disciplinary
hearing found him guilty of gross misconduct.

Damien Phillips, of the GTC, told the hearing: ‘Mr Towers admitted he slapped a 14-year-old girl on her bottom in full view of her classmates.

‘As a result she was exposed to considerable distress and felt compelled to report the matter to the police.

‘Throughout the various proceedings he has demonstrated a consistent lack of insight into the seriousness of his actions, which is of great concern considering he is a teacher of 22 years' experience.’

Towers, who did not attend the hearing, was found guilty of unacceptable professional
conduct.

But the panel decided to allow him to continue teaching if he completes a retraining
course to update his knowledge of safeguarding children.

Chairman Jacquie Turnbull said: ‘We were guided by the fact that the crown court
dealt with this on the basis that it did not amount to criminal conduct. It was a single event in 22 years of teaching.’

Teachers who have consensual sex with pupils should not face prosecution, says union

Daily Mail 6 October 2008

Child protection experts last night condemned a teachers' leader for saying that staff who have affairs with pupils over 16 should escape prosecution.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, said teachers should not face jail for having sex with pupils who are over the age of consent.

Her comments, due to be broadcast tonight, have outraged child protection and parenting experts who accused her of disregarding the protection of children.

Miss Keates said: 'There is a real anomaly in the law that we are concerned about.

'If a teacher has a relationship with a pupil at the school at which they teach  -  it could be an 18 year- old pupil in the sixth form - then the teacher can be prosecuted and end up on the sex offenders register.

Teachers who have sex with sixth form pupils are only guilty of an 'error of professional judgement' and it is unfair to put them on the sex offenders register, she insists.

Affair: Dean Dainty, left, was 15 when he was seduced by dance teacher Nicola Prentice, right. He says the affair, which resulted in her walking free from court having been handed a 12-month suspended sentence, ruined his life

Her comments, due to be broadcast on Monday, have outraged child protection and parenting experts who accused the teachers' leader of failing to protect children.

Miss Keates said: 'This isn’t a person who is showing any tendencies for being a sex offender; this is a person who’s made a serious error of professional judgement. I don’t think they need to be criminalised by being put on a sex offender’s register.

'There is a real anomaly in the law that we are concerned about and that is that if a teacher has a relationship with a pupil at the school at which they teach – it could be an 18 year-old pupil in sixth form – then that teacher can be prosecuted and can end up on the sex offenders register.  

She told the ITV Tonight programme: 'Clearly there has to be appropriate disciplinary sanctions in the school where a teacher works to make sure that inappropriate relationships don’t develop, but it does seem a step too far - when there has been a consensual relationship - to put that person on a sex offenders register when in fact, they could have a perfectly legitimate relationship with an 18 year-old still enrolled at another school.'

Her criticism of the abuse of trust law, contained in the Sexual Offences Act, which makes it illegal for teachers to have sexual relationships with children in their care, was condemned last night by child safety organisations.

Zoe Hilton, policy advisor at the NSPCC, said 'The law is very clear that if a teacher abuses his or her position of trust by forming a sexual relationship with a pupil they could be prosecuted and this remains the case even if the child gives their consent. The law is, quite rightly, there to protect children.'

Author on parenting and children's rights, Lynette Burrows said:  'Where is her moral compass?

'Teachers who take advantage of a young girl or boy in their care should certainly face dismissal and prosecution.

'If there is no penalty what is there to stop teachers taking advantage of children and young people?

'This also sends out a message that this is ok for teachers to have a relationship with pupils.'

The mother of six, who is a former teacher, added: 'Children deserve our protection and we should expect a standard of behaviour in that position of responsibility that should be rigorously enforced in law.'

In 2001 the law was changed to make it illegal for teachers to have affairs with their pupils under the age of 18.

But a study by Sheffield University published in 2005 estimated that as many as 1,500 intimate relationships develop every year.

Dean Dainty, who was 16 when he had a sexual relationship with his 22-year-old drama teacher Nicola Prentice, says the teacher's abuse of her position wrecked his life.

In an interview for the programme he said: ‘Looking back now, I wish it had never all happened. It affected me in a big way, my personality and things, and I started to do stupid things after it and not be myself.

'It took me a long time to get myself back together – I suppose it took a piece of my life away really.’

Prentice received a suspended sentence and was made to sign the sex offenders register.

Yesterday Margaret Morrissey, from the campaign group Parents Outloud, said: 'It is wrong for a teacher to have a relationship with a student in their school, even one over the age of consent.

'I would have been less than impressed if a male teacher had started a relationship with my daughter while she was at school. However, there is a question as to whether they should be classed as a paedophiles and a risk that labelling them as such devalues the term.'

To Sir With Love is to be broadcast tonight (mon) on ITV1 at 8pm

Lifestyle lessons could replace traditional subjects in teaching shake-up

Daily Mail 23rd September 2008

Lessons in healthy lifestyles and sex education could replace traditional
academic subjects in a shake-up of primary school teaching planned by Ed Balls.

Pupils could even be assessed on their ‘personal development’ as well as the three Rs.

The Schools Secretary has ordered an inquiry into primary school lessons to consider whether pupils are currently studying too many subjects.

Now the team behind the review has said heads and teachers agree there should be reductions both in the ‘number of subject areas’ and the subject content pupils cover.

Instead they want pupils to study ‘concepts and skills’ that cut across traditional curriculum areas and a stronger focus on personal development, including healthy eating, ‘self-esteem’, sex and relationships, drugs and philosophy.

The demands are being considered by former Ofsted boss Sir Jim Rose, who is conducting the primary review on behalf of Mr Balls.

He is due to publish an interim report next month with final conclusions due next year.

As part of the review, officials conducted 60 seminars across England, involving 1,500 heads, teachers, classroom assistants, governors, parents and pupils.

The report on the events claimed participants viewed literacy, numeracy and personal development as having equal importance.

Aspects of personal development considered vital included ‘healthy lifestyles, sex and relationships, drugs and alcohol, philosophy, self-esteem and helping children to understand multiple cultural identities’.

Participants felt these areas should be the ‘central driver’ behind the curriculum.

According to the report, personal development should build on existing lessons in ‘social and emotional aspects of learning’, which cover happiness and respect for others.

The report, published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which is assisting Sir Jim, raises the prospect of a threat to the teaching of distinct subjects
such as history, geography, music, art and technology.

It follows a warning by academics yesterday that the review threatens the prominence of science.

The secondary curriculum for 11 to 14 year-olds has already been reformed to give teachers more flexibility over what they teach, causing a row over whether aspects of the previous curriculum, such as the role of Winston Churchill, will be covered in sufficient depth.

A similar move at primary level would be welcomed by many in the education establishment.

Mick Brookes, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: ‘Subjects don’t come in boxes. Our geography affects our history and putting these together in a topic-based approach seems to me absolutely sensible.’

But Tory schools spokesman Nick Gibb said: ‘This approach was tried in the 1960s and 1970s and failed, and it will fail again.

'We need primary schools to focus on maths and English and give children
an introduction to the history of our country and the geography of the world.

‘The way to raise self-esteem is to ensure children are fluent readers by six or seven, and through sports days and team sports.’

Too much maths 'taught to test'

BBC News 19th September 2008

Almost half of England's schools are not teaching mathematics well enough, putting too much emphasis on "teaching to the test", inspectors have said.

Ofsted said pupils were taught to pass exams and results had improved, but understanding of the subject had not.

Teaching and learning, the curriculum and management were all stronger in primary schools than secondary schools.

The government said it was investing £140m in measures "to transform the standard" of maths teaching in England.

Ofsted said its report, Mathematics: Understanding the score, was based principally on evidence from inspections undertaken between April 2005 and December 2007 in 192 maintained schools in England, 84 primary and 108 secondary.

Many secondaries had big problems finding good teachers. Pupils' progress was inadequate in one in 10 lessons, Ofsted said.

The effectiveness of work in maths was judged to be outstanding in 11%, good in 44% and satisfactory in 40% - by an inspectorate which regards "satisfactory" as not being good enough.

Of the nine schools where the quality was deemed to be inadequate, six were secondary schools.

Strategies

The report said there had been a steady improvement in test and examination results.
Key Stage 3 results - from the tests taken by pupils aged 13 and 14 - were improving and a greater percentage of pupils reached the vital threshold of grade C at GCSE level.

"But this does not tell the whole story," Ofsted said.

"Based on the gains made at Key Stage 3, more pupils than at present should be reaching the higher GCSE grades.

"Evidence suggests that strategies to improve test and examination performance, including 'booster' lessons, revision classes and extensive intervention, coupled with a heavy emphasis on 'teaching to the test', succeed in preparing pupils to gain the qualifications but are not equipping them well enough mathematically for their futures.

"It is of vital importance to shift from a narrow emphasis on disparate skills towards a focus on pupils' mathematical understanding."

Rapid change

Pupils should be taught to make sense of mathematics - so they could use it confidently in their everyday lives and were prepared for further study and the workplace.

Chief inspector Christine Gilbert said: "The way mathematics is taught can make a huge difference to the level of enthusiasm and interest for the subject.

"As well as developing fluent numeracy skills to deal with everyday mathematics, children and young people need to be able to think mathematically, model, analyse and reason."

She added: "We all benefit from the advanced mathematics that underpins our technological world.

"We need children to be equipped to use mathematics with confidence in and beyond the classroom to play their part in a rapidly changing society."

Among a series of recommendations, Ofsted said the Department for Children, Schools and Families should reintroduce separate reporting of pupils' attainment in "using and applying mathematics".

The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics - set up after a previous critical inquiry into maths teaching in England - should help teachers assess their own knowledge, get access to training and share good practice.

To an extent Ofsted's report has been overtaken by a later review the government commissioned, by Sir Peter Williams, which was published in June.

Accepting his findings, ministers said 13,000 maths specialists would spearhead better primary school teaching. It will take 10 years to train them.

England's Schools Minister Jim Knight said: "While Ofsted recognises there are positive trends, with results in maths up at all ages, we know that more needs to be done to improve maths for the long term.

"That’s why we are introducing a whole range of measures, backed by £140m, which will transform the standard of maths teaching in this country.

"Good teachers know that the best way to ensure pupils make good progress – and to pass exams and tests - is to give them a broad, in depth understanding of the subject. There is no reason why testing should result in a narrow focus or uninspiring lessons.

"This year’s new secondary curriculum will help bring mathematics to life. It will promote better mathematical thinking and problem solving as well as developing pupil's confidence in maths and their ability to apply maths in real life, relevant contexts."

Sex pamphlet for 6-year-olds horrifies family lobby

The Times September 18, 2008

The country’s biggest sexual health charity has published a sex education pamphlet for six-year-olds to encourage earlier discussion of the facts of life.

The 12-page comic-style booklet, which will be distributed to schools, asks children to identify the physical differences between boys and girls and name their body parts properly.

One puzzle asks children to draw a line from the words “vagina” and “testicles” to the correct areas of a picture of a naked girl and boy.

The pamphlet from the FPA — formerly the Family Planning Association — entitled Let’s Grow with Nisha and Joe, which will be shown to pupils by schools unless parents opt out, was immediately condemned by family campaigners as “a very worrying development”. They said that years of sex education had done nothing to tackle the teenage pregnancy rate, still the highest in Europe, and starting the education even earlier would make the problem worse.

The FPA countered that 6 was not too young to start conversations about sex. On the contrary it was a good chance to get the conversation going because children were not self-conscious or embarrassed about their bodies at that age.

“The booklet answers the questions that six-year-olds are already asking about themselves, their families and the world around them,” said Julie Bentley, chief executive of the FPA.

“Introducing ideas about love, relationships and body names at a very basic level, when children are inquisitive and want to learn, lays a foundation for learning when they’re much older and ready to find out more.”

The FPA hopes primary schools that have shied away from lessons on sex and relationships will use the pamphlet as a basis for lessons. It also hopes that it will encourage parents to talk to children about what will happen to their bodies when they grow up.

But critics say that sex education has not worked and that a new approach that focuses on values rather than biology is required.

“Where has the last 20 years of propagating value-free sex education got us? The FPA seem to think that by doing the same thing with younger and younger children they are going to get a different result. Actually they are going to reap the whirlwind,” said Trevor Stammers, a GP and trustee of the Family Education Trust.

“There is a constant emphasis on biological knowledge and an absence of understanding that feelings can be hurt and sex outside a loving relationship leads to damage and retreat.”

The publication comes as ministers review the way that sex education lessons are provided in schools. Under the present rules the only statutory requirement made of primary and secondary schools is that they teach children the basic facts about human reproduction in their biology lessons.Many schools do much more during personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons, but standards vary widely and teachers often lack training and materials. Parents are allowed to withdraw their children from these lessons although all must attend the science classes that deal with sex.

Ministers will explore whether sex lessons as part of PSHE should be statutory, and start earlier. They are also looking at whether parents should retain the right to withdraw their children from these lessons.

The debate is highly polarised. The FPA and other sex education campaigners say that good sex education, similar to that taught in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, is the only way to tackle the increase in sexually transmitted diseases and reduce the teenage pregnancy rate.

Family campaigners say that the present approach to sex education has achieved nothing. “We are deeply concerned with what is going to come out of this review, with fewer and fewer rights for parents,” Dr Stammers said. “The doctrine of ‘if it feels right for you, do it’ has been disastrous, simply leading to younger and younger teenagers having sex, with the risk that it damages their ability to develop relationships later in life.”

Case study: ‘The pictures make it work’

Gayle Sawyer, 41, says the questions are coming thick and fast from her daughter, Josie, about the body.

Mrs Sawyer said: “Now that she’s 6 there are more and more questions. This booklet is really useful in helping to explain the differences between boys and girls, which is what most of the questions are about. The good thing about it is that it is interactive and attractive to look at, there are pictures to colour in and puzzles to do. If it had just been words on a page it would not have been so helpful.

“To be honest I thought it was a bit simplistic for six to seven-year-olds. But it was the first time we called things by their proper name. She got a bit stuck on drawing lines between the words and the bodies.”

Mrs Sawyer, a public relations consultant who lives in South London, said that some parents may balk at using words such as “vagina” and “testicles” with their six-year-olds. “But I think it’s good that they know the biological names. Some people might think it is too advanced for six-year-olds, but not everyone uses the same [identifying] slang words.”

Humanists sue as exam agency blocks GCSE

Guardian 13th September 2008

Humanists are suing the government's exam agency over its decision to prevent a board giving humanism equal status to faiths in a religious education GCSE.

The OCR board had proposed allowing children to study humanism in as much depth as Christianity, Islam and Judaism in the GCSE but the move was barred by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's regulator Ofqual. It said the syllabus put forward meant students would be able to study only humanism, rather than any of the major religions, which meant it did not fulfil their regulatory criteria.

The British Humanist Association (BHA), backed by supporters including Philip Pullman and AC Grayling, this week issued proceedings for a judicial review, claiming it was discriminatory and in breach of the QCA's own criteria and the European convention on human rights, which gives non-religious beliefs equal status. Andrew Copson, BHA director of education, said: "It threatens to turn back the progress of recent decades towards a more inclusive, educationally valid and objective subject of RE."

Humanism has been included in RE for more than 30 years. The OCR curriculum would have been the first time it was given equal weighting to religions in a GCSE.

A spokesman for Ofqual said: "The subject criteria for the GCSE in religious studies require the study of one or more religions. These criteria were created by experts following extensive consultation."

UK Lockdown point of view
Humanism is to be the religion that will dominate Britain and the world after the successful elimination of the free market and introduction of the police state this is the plan of the Zionist elite that run the planet, don't be deceived by this story humanist ideology has permeated every aspect of our society and is prevalent in every non religious school subject already being taught in the curriculum, it is also heavily present in the television programmes aimed at children, the cancer of humanism in our society must be stopped.

Children in tears after teachers tell creative writing class they have typhoid to 'liven up lesson'

Daily Mail 12th September 2008

The first week of secondary school can be a daunting time for even the most confident child.

But for one group of Year 7 pupils, it became truly terrifying after they were told they may have a deadly disease and could be locked up in quarantine.

Fortunately, the typhoid epidemic was a fictional scenario made up for a lesson in creative writing. But that news came a little too late for some.

Typhoid role play: New pupils at Bower Park School in Essex were told there had been a deadly outbreak of typhoid to 'liven up' a creative writing lesson

The lesson on the fourth day of term at Bower Park School in Romford, East London, left several of the pupils in tears.

One mother whose son was in the class said: 'His teachers had told him they had to stay in school and be tested. If they had red spots or felt sick they had to report to the nurse straight away.

'Then they were told it was all a joke - it was a lesson in relaying emotions and writing about how they dealt with it. I'm horrified.'

The 11 and 12-year-olds were first told by their teacher there had been an outbreak of typhoid in the school.

They were then told there would be a 48-hour quarantine, before the teacher explained that the set-up was a role-play exercise to stimulate creative writing.

Typhoid, which is caught through contaminated food or water, kills up to 30 per cent of sufferers if left untreated. Symptoms include a high fever, diarrhoea and sometimes a rash of rose-coloured spots and internal bleeding.

The lesson plan, entitled School Under Siege, was devised by a London-based teaching centre and has been used in at least one other school, in the Havering area of Essex. Since it was taught at Bower Park School, the headmistress has had to meet with several concerned parents and explain to them that the lesson was part of a push to re-vitalise creative writing classes.

Mary Morrison said in a statement: 'There is a massive push at Bower Park School to eradicate "passive learning" and replace it with exciting, creative lessons where students are active participants and wholeheartedly involved in their learning.

'The English Department introduced a dramatic approach to their Year 7 lessons with the outcome being that the students captured their feelings and translated them into a piece of dynamic creative writing.

'Unfortunately some of our Year 7 students believed the storyline that there was a local epidemic in the community, even though our less able students were told that the activity was role play prior to the start.'

She added: 'Lots of the children found it a very stimulating class. There were very few who were upset by it.'

UK Lockdown point of view
Academic teaching was removed from British schools long ago and replaced with socialisation and Pavlovian programming, it is now time to think of alternatives to the mis-education system as the schools have proven once again that they cannot be trusted.

Britain fares poorly in international schools league table

The Times September 9, 2008

British children start education younger and have a longer school day than
most foreign pupils, an international league table published today
indicates.
Yet the United Kingdom comes almost bottom at keeping its teenagers in
education beyond the age of 16, with only Mexico, Turkey and Israel doing
worse.
And comparatively few young British adults have achieved even a basic
secondary education, according to the report by the Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Children who go to nursery 'better at maths'
It found the UK was lagging behind, coming 21st out of 29 countries, when it
analysed the ratio of 25 to 34-year-olds who had five good GCSEs or
equivalent.
This has pushed the UK’s ranking down the table as the population ages: the
oldest measured generation (aged 55 to 64) came 13th of 29. Meanwhile Korea
had gone from 23rd to first place, when its oldest and youngest generations
were compared.
Andreas Schleicher, head of analysis for the OECD education directorate, said
the UK had improved but that “the world has moved much faster”. He added:
“[The number achieving] baseline qualifications is moving in the UK, but
it’s something most other countries have managed.”
The report, Education At A Glance, said: “The UK is now among the
countries with the highest participation rate in education of children aged
3 to 4.”
Labour has presided over a huge increase of children of this age in
“pre-primary programmes”, from just over half in 1998 to nine out of 10
children in 2006. This compares with an OECD average of seven in 10
children. It also spends more than most other countries at this level.
The report found the UK spent above average on education, with private sources
growing faster than public spending.
Some of that extra money was spent on keeping young primary-age children in
school longer than their counterparts. English seven-year-olds endured 100
more hours than average in the classroom each year.
While the average country taught seven to eight-year-olds for 796 hours a
year, in England this was 890 hours.
The report said: “The combination of both higher than average expenditure per student and class sizes, is in part explained by the high annual duration of instruction time.”
It said the UK had among the largest class sizes in primary schools, with only Japan, Korea and Turkey having more children in lessons.
The report added: “In 14 countries there are 20 or fewer students per primary-level class. The OECD average is 21.5. The UK has an average 24.5 students per class.”
However class sizes at secondary level were lower than average.
The report said the pace of expansion in education - particularly at university level - was outstripping past projections and was expected to continue.
It had risen by nearly half in 10 years. While 37 per cent of teenagers in OECD countries went to university in 1995, that has risen to 57 per cent. This equates to eight million more students.
The UK boasts an above-average graduation rate, the report said, but has dropped from fourth to 12th since 1995 and is “likely to be surpassed” by other countries. Its drop-out rate from degree courses is also relatively high.
Mr Schleicher said the UK had recently devoted more of its GDP to education than any other country, and had one of the largest differences in salaries between graduates and non-graduates.
Graduates in the UK saw a 14 per cent return on the “investment” they had made in higher education (worked out by comparing the amount they had spent going to university with their salaries) - the fifth best rate out of 19 countries.
Many other countries were facing “tough decisions on funding and quality standards to ensure their education systems respond adequately to booming demand for degrees.” Funding for higher education was “barely keeping up with increased student numbers,” the report said.
Mr Schleicher said education could lose out to competing demands in ageing societies.
Civitas, the right-wing think-tank, criticised the Government over the OECD’s class size figures.
Anastasia de Waal, head of family and education said: “The government must finally commit to a proper class size reduction programme for infant classes if it wants to see real results. Cutting corners rather than class size is a huge mistake.”
A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: “Over the past 10 years we have seen steadily smaller class sizes and a better adult-pupil ratio thanks to our policies which see 150,000 more adults in classrooms. In 1997 there were 17 pupils per adult at primary level, now there are 12.”

UK Lockdown point of view
21st out of 29th is obviously a disgraceful position to be in and is shameful for a nation that spends as much on education as we do, although from the perspective of the Zionist elite who run our society this is actually a success, it was always the plan to dumb down successive generations over a gradual time period in order to reduce the ability of the general population to think outside of the narrow communist parameters that the school system has indoctrinated into us, that way we are more predictable and as a result more manageable; academics left the curriculum a long time ago the agenda now is plain simple communist programming; it is time we took the responsibility upon ourselves to educate our own children.