bright children 'dragged down' at secondary schools

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sj355
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Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:07 pm
Location: Finchley - Barnet

Post by sj355 »

jah wrote:I've just gone back and seen original post was also from Telegraph. So, they've published contradictory articles within a matter of days of each other!!

:D
Despite the scare-mongering articles by the newpapers (who need to sell and therefore need to exaggerate) repeated econometric studies from colleagues at the university show that the single most imprortant factor in school sucess is parental influence (although this is proxied in a variety of ways across these studies) Hence, it seems it is up to us (or is it down to us?) people!
sj355
KE Mum

Post by KE Mum »

I haven't visited the site for a while, but I couldn't resist posting a message here.

Lots of arguing going on here - I don't particularly want to join in as I think people have different experiences at different schools.

I just wanted to support the idea that there are lots of children who are tutored right through grammar school as well as before they go. Saturday school is extremely common in certain children at grammar too. Many children in my elder daughter's year are quite open about being tutored for Maths and English.

It is fine to get 10 A*s on the back of being tutored, but surely the children are going to struggle when it comes to A level and beyond? It seems strange to me that people try so hard to get their children into a grammar school, yet it still isn't good enough for them, so they have to resort to paying a tutor. I don't really know what some people want from the education system.
sj355
Posts: 1149
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:07 pm
Location: Finchley - Barnet

Post by sj355 »

It is fine to get 10 A*s on the back of being tutored, but surely the children are going to struggle when it comes to A level and beyond? It seems strange to me that people try so hard to get their children into a grammar school, yet it still isn't good enough for them, so they have to resort to paying a tutor. I don't really know what some people want from the education system.
[/quote]

Simple. They want their children to achieve the highest marks possible so that they can go to whichever university is their first choice. Then they may hopefully graduate with a very good degree that will dazzle employers and will hopefully secure an interesting and well paid job, which although not sufficient, makes one of the necessary ingredients for a happy and fullfilling modern life. For securing this line of life for their kids they will make all kinds of sacrifices along the way, and this may include paying a tutor if this can be afforded and is needed.
Evolution has led to the survival of parents with these characteristics: the ones that have the highest tendency to protect and promote their kids. The ones that do not simply slowly vanish as they are not successfull in the procreation and subsequent survival game. If the welfare state did not exist this would happen more rapidly that it currently does.
Is not all that obvious?
sj355
Nou
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Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:55 pm

Post by Nou »

Some years ago I got a place on a highly competed-for degree course. I was shocked that many of my contemporaries had been tutored for a place. However they went on to get good degrees and a large proportion are high flying lawyers. My GP once confided to me that she had been tutored to get through her A' levels. All these are respected competent professionals - I think the point is that these school exams are a fairly narrow test of ability and good teaching is everything. If parents can and will pay for private tutoring to help their kids, how can we criticize!
sj355
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Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:07 pm
Location: Finchley - Barnet

Post by sj355 »

Nou wrote:Some years ago I got a place on a highly competed-for degree course. I was shocked that many of my contemporaries had been tutored for a place. However they went on to get good degrees and a large proportion are high flying lawyers. My GP once confided to me that she had been tutored to get through her A' levels. All these are respected competent professionals - I think the point is that these school exams are a fairly narrow test of ability and good teaching is everything. If parents can and will pay for private tutoring to help their kids, how can we criticize!
Good point. At the end of the day you evaluate your GP by how skilfully she does her job, not whether she was tutored to achieve her A levels. It is the end product that matters, not how it was achieved. It is an admirable thing to be naturally clever and thus to be admitted at a course just like that, but it is a very small percentage of my students that are like that. Most have to try really hard, and occassionally even the very good ones need extra help, even at the Uni.

When my husband had cancer, he was treated by two top professors in the field. It never occured to me to check whether they achieved their A levels through the help of tutors. What difference would it make to the odds of my husband surviving?
sj355
KE Mum

Post by KE Mum »

Gosh - someone rattled your cage.
solimum
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Location: Solihull, West Midlands

solimum

Post by solimum »

It sounds like those mentioned above went off to be lawyers instead of doctors... far less useful to society!
sj355
Posts: 1149
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:07 pm
Location: Finchley - Barnet

Re: solimum

Post by sj355 »

solimum wrote:It sounds like those mentioned above went off to be lawyers instead of doctors... far less useful to society!
Well, I guess ... it is less critical whether they are good or not? :?
sj355
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