Achieving Full Potential Within The Entire Education System - Part 2

A post from Tedious Tantrums

A few weeks ago I identified the following aims, which could be considered as potential starting points, for improvements to the education system as it stands at the moment.

1. EVERY pupil/student should achieve their full potential;
2. EVERY student teacher should achieve their full potential;
3. There is NO PLACE for politicisation within education;
4. There is No PLACE for religion in any area of education;
5. REDUCE the size and influence of local education department to the lowest possible level required to support schools.
6. EVERY pupil should be treated as an individual and not be subject to a dress code.
7. Successful methodologies and best practice should be adopted in order to provide the BEST learning experience possible for pupils/students.

I finished off by posing the question – “how many pupils could a teacher genuinely teach to ensure each pupil received the individual attention necessary to satisfy aim number one?”

Having given it some thought, discussed it on-line and discussed it with a teacher I’ve come to the conclusion that the ratio of teacher to pupil would be around 6:1, that’s six pupils/students to one teacher not the other way around. 10:1 is too many 5/6 probably just about right. So I’ll immediately update the aims list as follows –

1. EVERY pupil/student should achieve their full potential;
2. EVERY student teacher should achieve their full potential;
3. There is NO PLACE for politicisation within education;
4. There is No PLACE for religion in any area of education;
5. REDUCE the size and influence of local education department to the lowest possible level required to support schools.
6. EVERY pupil should be treated as an individual and not be subject to a dress code.
7. Successful methodologies and best practice should be adopted in order to provide the BEST learning experience possible for pupils/students.
8. The student/pupil teacher ratio should be around 6:1.

The first thought is cost. If the current system is straining to pay for 20:1 then 6:1 would be budget busting, bank account bursting and overdraft drowningly expensive. Ah but you may have forgotten about the removal of as much of the local council Education Departmentas possible and then some. The savings from reducing the number of employees, administration and regulation should adequately pay for the 6:1 ratio.

This ratio would open up teaching as a real career with more layers which teachers could work through to enhance their salary and their standing as the years pass by. However, the advancement of teachers would be based on achievement and experience. There would be far more room for teachers to experiment, build resources, share those resources but advancement would only be measured on single criteria – that all students/pupils have achieved. No other criteria would be used. Back to the list.

1. EVERY pupil/student should achieve their full potential;
2. EVERY student teacher should achieve their full potential;
3. There is NO PLACE for politicisation within education;
4. There is No PLACE for religion in any area of education;
5. REDUCE the size and influence of local education department to the lowest possible level required to support schools.
6. EVERY pupil should be treated as an individual and not be subject to a dress code.
7. Successful methodologies and best practice should be adopted in order to provide the BEST learning experience possible for pupils/students.
8. The student/pupil teacher ratio should be around 6:1.
9. Teacher advancement would be measured solely on successful pupils/students achievement.

And how would achievement be measured? That’ll be next week's instalment then.

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Today's Non-Story

So Fred the Shred is no longer the possessor of an ermine cloak and has been returned to the masses with the simple title of Mr.

Although the MSM has been making much of his fall from grace, it matters not a jot whether he has a title or not. It's completely irrelevant, although politicians will be hoping this action somehow penalises the worst banker in British history.

What does matter is that, along with his cohorts, he still has his ill-gotten gains in his bank account and gains £2,000 a day in pension rights.

What also matters is that he has the financial clout to insist that text criticising his lack of experience in banking was removed from the FSA's 450 page report last month.

The British honours system is no longer a suitable platform on which to recognise those who make remarkable contributions to society . The nominations are mainly political and reflect little about the real heroes who keep the wheels of society oiled with their hard work. For some years I've worked for various voluntary charities, only to notice grassroots workers are ignored while the charity bosses receive the plaudits. Few people volunteer in order to receive thanks, but when they see the credits going to the people at the top, it can be irritating.

What would have been news today is that somehow Mr Goodwin had been forced to forfeit part or all of his vast pension. Wouldn't it?

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Edinburgh Lurches Into The 21st Century

For nearly a 150 years any visitor to Edinburgh who arrives by rail has had the nightmare of dragging their luggage up the 72 Waverley Steps to escape the station.  Some (including myself) have taken their lives in their hands using the taxi ramp, but neither choice was pleasant and I know of no other main line railway station in the UK which is so inaccessible.

When I lived in Edinburgh back in the early 70s, the 'top of the Waverley Steps' was a popular place to meet friends.  The merest breeze turned into a hurricane as the Steps were a notorious wind tunnel.

Although 5 years behind the original schedule, yesterday marked a new lease of life for the famous Steps. Finally one of Edinburgh council's projects was completed and the Steps have been remodelled into eight shorter flights but half their original width. The other half now boasts three banks of adjacent escalators for the 40ft ascent and a glass roof. In summer two 16-person lifts will be completed to whisk travellers up to Princes Street.

Forty per cent of station users - 14,000 people - daily take the Steps and with this long-awaited lurch into the 21st century no doubt the new facility will attract many more. One user is impressed.

Update: I have been sent the following email by a Mr Cohen:

Your comment about taking your life in your hands by using the taxi ramp makes no sense; please correct it. Both the In and Out ramps have pedestrian pavements/sidewalks.


Mr reply was as follows:

I will amend it of course. It's some years since I attempted to exit via the ramp and all it had then was one very narrow pavement on one side. It was quite unsuitable for an older person to pull a large wheeled suitcase.

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The SNP And The SDA

For some time I've been impressed by the work of the Scottish Democratic Alliance (SDA). Those involved seem attuned to what's being said in living rooms and pubs and they have had, for some time, comprehensive policies on the EU and defence - being just two - publicly available online. They have always been open to communications with the SNP because their aim is also independence.

The SDA, along with the more astute political watchers, realise that Scotland will never be the same from last Wednesday, when Alex Salmond launched the referendum consultation. Last Wednesday changed the future of Scotland forever.

The launch itself didn't make much change to the political atmosphere in Scotland, but David Cameron's statement, a couple of days later, did. His message spelt out, clearly and distinctly, that if the people didn't vote Yes, Scotland would be put in mothballs for the foreseeable future.

Now the stakes have changed. David Cameron's statement is more concerning because he's creating a problem, so early in the debate, which could eventually have resolved itself in the next two and a half years. The problem is that the union is finished. His remark this weekend only goes to show he knows it too, but if the referendum produces a No vote, then Scotland will suffer directly from London rule. That's the nature of the beast - the winner takes it all.

Back to the SDA.  Last week they announced that one of their members would be standing as a candidate for Leith in the May local elections. Immediately some SNP supporters accused them of 'splitting the vote'. Such narrow-mindedness is upsetting. I see the SDA as a group of knowledgeable people with a clear vision of how an independent Scotland could achieve both social and financial stability. Their vision may not be everyone's favourite breakfast, but to insult their efforts is contemptible, particularly when so many haven't made any effort to understand their aims.

A member of the SDA gave his response on Facebook to those who are unable to realise that the SNP is not the only game in town aiming for independence.  I do hope those who negatively objected to them nominating a candidate for the May council elections will take note and before they make foolish comments in future, take the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the SDA's policies. It disappoints me to think that so many believe Alex Salmond alone can deliver a Yes note in the autumn of 2014. As a supporter of independence I believe we need all the help we can get to achieve it.

The SDA have no intentions of splitting the independence vote. Like it or not there are many Scots who would support independence but for a variety of reasons will not support the SNP. A single candidate in a local authority will not detract from the support received by the SNP but it will provide a public awareness that will demonstrate that the SNP are not alone in the drive for independence. The awareness that there are other players who are developing policies for an independent Scotland will reassure voters and help swing them over to vote Yes in the referendum. Over a third of the voters are undecided and to win some of them over they need to be told what independence will mean for them. At present they don't know and the SNP do not appear to be in a position to tell them. We have made every policy and discussion paper we have researched available to the SNP and have not even received an acknowledgement. There are multiple unionist parties who will slowly get their acts together and the SNP will require help from the Greens, the SDA and others to win the referendum vote.


Robert Ingram (Facebook link)

Note: I am not a member of the SDA or any political party but I support Scotland being an independent nation.

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Juke Box Gems

A wee bit fun for a Sunday morning.  Click on a year and a new juke box window opens with a choice of 20 songs from your selected year.

Music Time Machine

1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990
1941	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991
1942	1952	1962	1972	1982	1992
1943	1953	1963	1973	1983	1993
1944	1954	1964	1974	1984	1994
1945	1955	1965	1975	1985	1995
1946	1956	1966	1976	1986	1996
1947	1957	1967	1977	1987	1997
1948	1958	1968	1978	1988	1998
1949	1959	1969	1979	1989	1999

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