Try To Educate. Please.

Stephen was staring at me. His large hand resting on a large, leather rugby ball (that famous large, egg-like ovoid). There were squiggles over different parts (signatures it turned out), which were as black as the look he was giving me now. “Sir?” He started to ask Mr Walsh. “Sorry, Stephen” Mr Walsh replied, “Maybe tomorrow?” “But, Sir…?” Unfortunately, Mr Walsh was wishing to carry on with the class lesson. “That will do Stephen. I said tomorrow” He turned back to the blackboard, unfortunately not hearing the remainder of Stephen’s request as Stephen’s voice faded. “I’ve only got the ball for today.” His gaze shifted back to me with a scowl. “You were shit anyway Dwyer!” He added to me.

Yes, only nine years old and listen to the mouth he had. Though by his size we think his parents had lied and he had been held back a few years. Or maybe it was for the benefit of the rugby club? I do have a question. Why did that used to happen then, and not happen now? Kids could be held back a class if they didn’t achieve the right level. There are children in schools today (in Australia) who do not pass any basic levels of comprehension or academic achievement, but who are pushed up through the levels anyway. How is that possible? They are not educated. They are missing huge areas of understanding and ability and, are the worse off for it. Yet, today, they are apparently promoted up in the levels until it is time to leave school regardless of their actually attaining the necessary abilities. It has been suggested that this is so they don’t develop any stigma for being unable to manage their school-work amongst their fellow students. Seriously? They are in fact, criticised more as they go up through the levels by the other children, because they are holding the successful students up in the higher level class, as the basics are again explained to them. Again and again.

They are then identified as a problem student by teachers, who themselves become frustrated with the constant distraction of having to re-educate what these children should have been taught in the previous level classes. But then, they are simply promoted at the end of the year as they become the next teachers problem, or worse, they are then put into a special class to work on what they should know. Yet still kept at the level they should never have been put up to in the first place. Then, suddenly, the school years are over (set quota of years) and they graduate? Graduate. They still can’t even spell the word. Sure! Lets throw up these kids, eject them at the top level of school (year 11 or 12) and thrust them out, unprepared into the work force, where, they not only are stigmatised, but become a burden on family and society, because they do not have the basics of a simple education. What is their potential future? What will they get to contribute? It is that worst of Orwellian Predictions, an uneducated mass to do the most menial work for the successful?

(Continued tomorrow)