Is our aspiration damaging our children? (Times article)

[kenyancowgirl]

Meh! Now, must go, it's their three hour mandarin practise paper at 2pm and they are still not back from advanced Cossack dancing.

Lol! Have you not heard? Mandarin and Advanced Cossack dancing is sooooooo last year....It's all twerking and Swahili now if you want to stay ahead!!

[leanmeamum]

I've had special swimming goggles made for my son so he can have his lessons projected onto them while he has his 6 hours of training every week as he is training to compete in various galas!

As this is a year round activity, I'm now looking for a waterproof writing pad as well so he can do all his school homework in the pool as well. Also have to get the car fitted out with a portable study so he can work while he is being ferried around the various pools.

Not to mention all the music and self-defense lessons. Might cut back on self-defense as he might decide to defend against all this multi-tasking

[Yamin151]

Meh! Now, must go, it's their three hour mandarin practise paper at 2pm and they are still not back from advanced Cossack dancing.

Lol! Have you not heard? Mandarin and Advanced Cossack dancing is sooooooo last year....It's all twerking and Swahili now if you want to stay ahead!!

Isn't twerking something to do with Beyonce??? I'm not at all sure that fits with "Feminism for The Modern Child" nightclasses.

And Leanmeanmum, buy your DC an xperia Z1, they had divers in a tank in Bham t'other day showing off how they still work under water! Working out how can be a useful addition to their Enginnering for Starters course.........(sorry, I think its called that, as mine are already in intermediate I can't be sure)

[Okanagan]

Also have to get the car fitted out with a portable study so he can work while he is being ferried around the various pools.

That is actually rather too close to the truth for comfort. Not swimming, but we spent (and still spend) a lot of time taking ds1 to training sessions for his chosen sport, and all around the country/across Europe for competitions. We had a lot of 11+ related apps which could be done on the move, and audio books which I'd upset him by stopping and asking him for the definition of a particular word which had just been used, etc.

[leanmeamum]

Actually I need an RV fitted with a pool in the roof - now to get the daughter to work extra hard to get an excellent degree and land the dream job so I can afford one

[bravado]

Also have to get the car fitted out with a portable study so he can work while he is being ferried around the various pools.

That is actually rather too close to the truth for comfort. Not swimming, but we spent (and still spend) a lot of time taking ds1 to training sessions for his chosen sport, and all around the country/across Europe for competitions. We had a lot of 11+ related apps which could be done on the move, and audio books which I'd upset him by stopping and asking him for the definition of a particular word which had just been used, etc.

Likewise - but we didn't have apps - good old-fashioned pens, books and paper, though It's not swimming, either

[southbucks3]

Ha ha, it's all coming out now what ferociously pushy parents we all are.

I remember smuggling the 10 minute test book into the luggage on a camping holiday, then feeling really embarrassed when other campers noticed ds was doing book work, I felt like shouting..it's only 10 minutes, at the top of my voice....I felt worse than if I had been caught feeding them coco pops for brekkie, rather than making them the full campsite breakfast monty that we all feel obliged to struggle with. the fresh air and relaxing was obviously just the ticket, as he always got his best scores in these alfreso sessions...probably the fear of having to "go over a problem area", in the middle of a campsite focused his mind.

Last summer one area/school parent gang, arranged Saturday morning tuition for their kids, a bit last minute, as a knee jerk reaction to the new cem. This was brilliantly planned as half their footy team went, it resulted in three tournaments being re-arranged differently to the programme, as they could only scrape together one team. As they were the (second best ) footy club in the area, it also resulted in my son having three shiny trophies in his bedroom this year.

[silverysea]

I feel that the teachers' LACK of aspiration has damaged my DD, because she is quiet and late August born-being assessed lazily and put in sets far beneath her ability in primary and not being stretched or challenged even in top sets. She daydreams and finds lessons unengaging, and thinks only a mug would want to do any extension which means being left open to snide comments and "social death, mum" so refuses. She is only getting her confidence back in her ability and resistance to the anti-academic bullies in year 9, helped along by some sky-high results /predictions on various tests, and self-directed learning at home. She has an unequivocally very high IQ-why did school esp. Primary, miss it?

[yoyo123]

I've had special swimming goggles made for my son so he can have his lessons projected onto them while he has his 6 hours of training every week as he is training to compete in various galas!

As this is a year round activity, I'm now looking for a waterproof writing pad as well so he can do all his school homework in the pool as well. Also have to get the car fitted out with a portable study so he can work while he is being ferried around the various pools.

Not to mention all the music and self-defense lessons. Might cut back on self-defense as he might decide to defend against all this multi-tasking

waterproof MP3 player in headphones...perfect for revising..silly to waste time

[Cranleigh]

Silvery sea - our State primary unusually (I think) does CATS type tests in Y4 & Y6 - & some sort of computerised baseline test around Y1.

These are there to check for anomalies rather than anything else.

Do you think your child would have been better served by these? High IQ would undoubtedly have been spotted & ambitions high.

I predict Grammars moving to CAT type entry tests - some have with CEM & independent schools seem to be increasingly using pre-tests along the lines of the adaptive Eton pre-test.

We are not told our children are given these tests at primary & no one coaches.

Interestingly UK universities are apparently moving to uncoachable SAT tests to gauge potential. I think pretty soon there will be little value ascribed to any previous hard work or high a attainment if the high IQ doesn't match. Lecturers were quoted, in an article I read, as being exasperated with the dim & intellectually slow who'd crammed getting undeserved places.

There is a growing feeling IMO that hard work outside of school is a negative thing that cheats children of a childhood. Grammars want bright children with potential & a natural spark. A plodder with a good work ethic is not in vogue & if children strive, increasingly this is viewed as negative I find; these are overachievers who will slow the class down the majority of selectives seem to think. Tests increasingly test potential rather than any prior attainment and most think this is the fairer system.