tutoring
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Re: tutoring
I agree that sassies dad should not use such language, it is wrong and has caused offence.
As far as tuition is concerned, I believe that you have to spend the same amount of time in prep as everyone else. Whether you pay someone for the service or do it yourself, is not the point, I think it's the amount of time spent preparing that's important. The thing is , it's the amount of tuition that pushes up the pass mark, and so if you want to go to the party, make sure you don't miss out.
I don't believe that there are all that many who go to a GS then fail to perform well because they found it too difficult. The curriculum is the same as any school, so don't worry about it too much. I agree with Fran - if students don't do well once at grammar school, it's because they don't put in the effort
As far as tuition is concerned, I believe that you have to spend the same amount of time in prep as everyone else. Whether you pay someone for the service or do it yourself, is not the point, I think it's the amount of time spent preparing that's important. The thing is , it's the amount of tuition that pushes up the pass mark, and so if you want to go to the party, make sure you don't miss out.
I don't believe that there are all that many who go to a GS then fail to perform well because they found it too difficult. The curriculum is the same as any school, so don't worry about it too much. I agree with Fran - if students don't do well once at grammar school, it's because they don't put in the effort
Re: tutoring
Half-caste is an offensive term and can't be justified.
I do understand that you did not intend to mean offence, but the term is not appropriate.
My sister is a store manager for a well-known chain and said that a customer had phoned her Head office to complain about the 'half-caste' working in the shop. I was horrified to hear this (fortunately so was Head office). The funny thing is, my sister is 100% European but had recently been on holiday.
Why do we need to divide our children's identity into fractions? If we had to do that my own children would be divided into eighths. With 5 children, my hand aches when I have to fill in ethnic monitoring forms and am forced to tick 'Mixed - other' and write down a list of their 'ethnic groupings' under it.
Going back to the subject, I agree that so much of the efficacy of tuition boils down to the attitude and motivation of the child - it really is impossible to effectively tutor a child who is just not interested and resents you, and I couldn't do it myself, as it is just soul-destroying.
In order to be motivated, a child does need some understanding of the end-product of all this work, whether short-term (an hour on the wii that evening) or long-term (a good education, secure job prospects, a roof over your head).
Sometimes coming from a less well-off background leads a child to be more motivated...my dh is second generation Asian, bought up with stories of how his father walked miles to school with no shoes, and was offered a scholarship in the city but couldn't take it as he was needed to work and provide food...and so, despite being the eldest of 5 children born in as many years, having no English at home, starting school two years late, and living in poverty, often without enough food, dh went to a good university and is a professional. Some people call this the 'Asian' or 'Second generation' ethic.
Certainly it can be harder to find in 'spoiled' children who have a very comfortable life and therefore no yearning to achieve anything better.
I do understand that you did not intend to mean offence, but the term is not appropriate.
My sister is a store manager for a well-known chain and said that a customer had phoned her Head office to complain about the 'half-caste' working in the shop. I was horrified to hear this (fortunately so was Head office). The funny thing is, my sister is 100% European but had recently been on holiday.
Why do we need to divide our children's identity into fractions? If we had to do that my own children would be divided into eighths. With 5 children, my hand aches when I have to fill in ethnic monitoring forms and am forced to tick 'Mixed - other' and write down a list of their 'ethnic groupings' under it.
Going back to the subject, I agree that so much of the efficacy of tuition boils down to the attitude and motivation of the child - it really is impossible to effectively tutor a child who is just not interested and resents you, and I couldn't do it myself, as it is just soul-destroying.
In order to be motivated, a child does need some understanding of the end-product of all this work, whether short-term (an hour on the wii that evening) or long-term (a good education, secure job prospects, a roof over your head).
Sometimes coming from a less well-off background leads a child to be more motivated...my dh is second generation Asian, bought up with stories of how his father walked miles to school with no shoes, and was offered a scholarship in the city but couldn't take it as he was needed to work and provide food...and so, despite being the eldest of 5 children born in as many years, having no English at home, starting school two years late, and living in poverty, often without enough food, dh went to a good university and is a professional. Some people call this the 'Asian' or 'Second generation' ethic.
Certainly it can be harder to find in 'spoiled' children who have a very comfortable life and therefore no yearning to achieve anything better.
Re: tutoring
Well said um! The brightest child will not get on in life if they have no motivation to work hard and finally to pursue finding work. And I agree too many parents make life too easy for their kids, giving them everything on a plate.