Letters: The demise of education

Are teachers becoming demoralized with the education system?

I read with great interest the article published in your September 12 edition by Robin Shepherd, and I totally agree with his statements.

In the 1980s -1990s, the education system, both primary and secondary, was thriving. Teachers were connecting with their students, not only imparting their knowledge to them but also encouraging then to expand their own knowledge and their appreciation of life in New Zealand.

By introducing their own programmes of subject enhancement, teachers enjoyed their role in school, and the general public and students respected and appreciated their efforts to increase the students' expectation of success.

Unfortunately that is no longer the case. As Robin stated, the "gurus" of education and ERO took over, introducing systems that "killed" the close links between teacher and student. Testing became the mantra, and national standards "drowned' the flexibility and initiative of teachers, and they became the slaves of paper work and time tables designed to kill off individualism.

Thus teachers become frustrated and despondent, and left the profession - hence the enormous shortage we have today.

No longer do students look up to teachers for inspiration, leadership and support, a decline in respect for teachers and a huge increase in both delinquency and behavioural problems at both primary and secondary levels.

To most students, suspension is laughable, a few days off school to do their own thing and then return to continue their unruly behaviour, becoming more arrogant. Bullying is rife, and they thumb their noses at social workers and the police.

A number of schools have implemented innovative programmes to combat the trend, with some success in a dew schools, but how often does one read that schools admit there are still gaps in success rates? That many students are still falling through the gaps and finish up on the wrong side of the street.

Pundits say it is the fault of the parents - but how many of these parents found themselves in the same position when they were at school?

Many could have been placed in the 'dumb' class, because they were classed as dumb, and by being treated this way gave up trying, failed exams and dropped out as soon as they could.

Young girls became so dispirited they got themselves pregnant, and in doing so felt they had achieved something. Thus the cycle of failure continued, and their parents' anger, frustration and despondency was passed on to their children, who in time, turned to crime.

Today young people as young as 10 are now part of criminal gangs and are not affected by the outcomes.

The ills of today's education system will be difficult to eradicate. Better pay may entice good teachers to stay on or come back. Government claims it is putting millions into improvements, but are those improvements the right ones?

EX PRINCIPAL
Kaitaia