Are English and Maths Doomed In Schools Cut Back?

Maths and English, the two stalwarts in our educational programmes are the subject of further games being played between the DCFS, schools and examining boards. The chief executive of the Oxford Cambridge and RSA (OCR) awarding body says that without a vast injection of cash and teacher training schools will struggle to teach Math and English to the standard needed.

The comment from Greg Watson, chief executive of the Oxford Cambridge and RSA (OCR) awarding body, has ideal timing if maths and English are to escape the proposed cutbacks of £2bn in the schools budget. The bigger problem is rather than defending the current level of expenditure he is asking for an injection of cash above the current spending. If Ed Balls has to find savings as part of the government need to cut back will these vital teaching resources be found or become the sacrificial lamb? If so our current record of sub standard primary education is about to get a lot worse. Nicola Woolcote

What Teaching Resources Do We Really Need?

Government educational policies striving to improve standards are criticised. If the pass rate improves it’s down to easier exams, and it they deteriorate it’s due to the wrong teaching resources or technique. But the rate of change in the now global markets is placing different demands on the educational content. Are we matching the output with the actual demand?

In the space of 10 years the world as we know it can change dramatically. The schooling content seen as essential at the start of a decade can be almost irrelevant at the end. So are we programming the right curriculum for our children as they start their 10 year schooling journey and making the best use of modern educational games in our teaching resources?

Remember Y2K ? The 1st of January 2000. The world was scheduled to stop revolving, lifts jam mid floor, bank accounts freeze and computers implode. The computer gurus had overlooked the implications of the date code of the new millennium. Suddenly we were desperately short of ICT personnel to rewrite operating programs and manufacturers to build new computers, servers and networks. The world at large joined in the furore, angst and paranoia.

The hot ticket career in ICT reacted to a demand that nobody foresaw. Inflated salaries, bonuses and a massive workload reflected what turned out to be misjudged panic. Thankfully Y2K passed like a damp squib. The world managed to continue to spin controlled by clocks and computers that continued to work. But there were huge economic consequences. Operating budgets were raided, projects cancelled as funds for replacement computers and services were rushed into place. And then….nothing.

Hardware manufacturers had a ball. Everyone had the latest specification computer, ICT guys had earned a fortune. But the bubble burst. The demand evaporated and the market flooded with skilled ICT professionals looking for a job.

Doubtless we have learned something from this maelstrom. Since Y2Y we have seen the centre of gravity in ICT support moving to Bangalore, manufacturing to China and possibly the Financial Services market to Frankfurt? We need to reprogramme our teaching resources so children can meet the changing demands of a global market. Matching the future needs in the curriculum is complex, and critically, would require decisions a decade in advance.

In the meantime we see continuing conflict in the performance in the key stages of the National Curriculum. A huge number of children in primary school fall short of reaching an acceptable level in maths, English and ICT. The problem is passed to secondary school where teachers, already stressed, attempt to correct shortcomings as well as meet their own standards and targets. Perversely, success in exams is tempered with concern they have become too easy. GCSE’s are criticised by the Confederation of British Industry that their content fails to meet the demands of the modern commercial world. The DCSF and OFSTED wail, gnash their teeth, change policy and muddy the water.

The government have announced changes to the GCSE. Designed to encourage children and provide a better chance of success, on the surface the syllabus is to be brought up to date and coursework will become modular. But this laudable intention has met with an immediate backlash; schools claim their workload will become intolerable as they try to meet the demands of children at varying stages of progress and attainment. Critics claim it would be impossible for the children not to gain good grades. But is the final outcome for the children ideally matched to the career market they are to enter?

Change will always induce reluctance, yet if we do nothing then nothing will change. Forty years ago the pace of change was more regulated. Children had some idea of a career in mind when selecting GCSE and “A” levels. Engineers went for physics, accountants for maths, doctors for the sciences. Today the changing employment options have left children with less focus. Historic careers have vaporised or can radically change within the schooling journey – e.g. the Y2K syndrome and global market forces in manufacturing. Without specific career objectives children are bound to select subjects on their exam success potential. Maybe we should assess children for their likely career potential at an earlier stage to help programme their educational journey more efficiently. Pundits from the respective industry should be involved in the curriculum planning such that the syllabus incorporates developing techniques.

The World Wide Web, email and computers revolutionised communications in the space of 10 years. We are intimately aware of environment issues; global warming, animal migration and climatic changes that are all in state of flux. We need to consider what teaching resources are best suited to the educational objectives that best suit this fast evolving world.

Alistair Owens Keen2learn

Alistair Owens believes education should be fun and use technology to meet the needs of commerce, industry and the environment of tomorrow. Modern teaching resources in the form of educational games and toys use technology to enthuse and make learning fun at school and home.

Educational games using modern technology are already helping to teach children in school and at home. You can see examples here http://www.keen2learn.co.uk/l/64/ICT_Games.php.

Forget the Olympics the Educational games are about to start

Back to school! A fearsome thought for teachers, children and parents. The start of a new academic year, new class, new school, new teaching resources. Welcome back, the educational games have just started.

If you’ve been anywhere near the shops over the summer you couldn’t fail to notice the constant “back to school” promotions. They seem to start on the first day of the holiday ignoring the anguish of teachers, children and parents who dread the thought. Surely holidays are fun and should not be confused with the slog of learning. Fun is relaxed, enjoyable and something you look forward to. School is, however, far from being fun epitomised by adverts relating to shoes, clothing and stationery! But what if the schooling process could become filled with educational toys, games and fun? Is this possible? Surely we should be beating ourselves up with textbooks.

We look forward to something we enjoy and tend to put off something we don’t. Most people enjoyed watching the Olympic Games where medal winners excelled through years of dedication. Hard work, hours of daily practice to improve performance proved the difference between Olympians and “also ran’s”. Above all they enjoy what they do.

Performance is dynamically measured, results seen immediately, giving elation with an improvement, and a challenge with a setback. Determination is the key; Olympians enjoy the challenge to improve. What about school and homework? Can school be enjoyable? Could a child’s performance at school be measured dynamically using modern facilities or has it to rely on textbooks, tests and end of term reports? The answer lies in the latest educational games where parents and siblings can join in. Modern homework can be set as a game replicating the work in progress in the classroom. Setting homework as maths games, English games or science games is “learning in disguise” providing an opportunity for the child to practice whilst enticing effective parental involvement.

The busy classroom of 30 leaves minimal time for the teacher to encourage practice in the classroom. Yet 75% of learning retention is achieved through practice. The International Olympic Committee can be compared with the national curriculum setting the competition ground rules and standards. Teachers are the team mangers but parents are the individual child’s coach. The one to one relationship giving guidance, encouragement and participation can reap huge rewards in performance improvement.

Recent research by the National Confederation of Parents Teacher Associations discovered a massive 80% of a child’s academic progress is influenced by what they do at home, and only 20% emanates from the school environment. Back with the Olympics analogy it may seem obvious that the coach has a huge influence on an individual’s performance.

Teachers and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, aware of this phenomenon, are urging parents to become more active in the schooling process. This is in no way dereliction of duty but highlights a fundamental shift in the training duties a parent or PTA can now effect. Historically, helping with homework has been difficult because the teaching resources were one dimensional. Text books induce reluctance in parents. Unwilling to interfere they are concerned they would use different teaching techniques, or may appear to struggle in the subject area in front of their children. But the modern educational games, toys and puzzles used in school by the teacher are now available for use at home.

In class these educational games take the form of board games, quizzes, puzzles, bingo, toys and software – and are ideal for home use. The short burst in a class of 30 can be extended to 30 minutes at home on a one to one in fun game. This parental involvement means that the child gets the extra time to practice. Parents can assess progress dynamically rather than waiting for end of term reports, and children benefit from a coach at home to boost their performance back in school.

Alistair Owens Keen2learn

Maths Games Used To Remove Homework Conflict

The cry of anguish from a Mother. “My daughter hates homework and it's a struggle every week to get her to do it. I work 4 nights a week so I am limited to how much I can help in the evening. My husband has to be forced to help her when I am at work but they disagree on so much that it becomes a battle and she gives up or he sends her to bed with nothing done!”

The mental block that can easily occur in the busy classroom frequently has little chance of easing at home.. No child actually enjoys parents and teachers being angry with them but there have always been a significant number of UK students who simply cannot retain maths properly when taught the traditional way in school. No matter how hard they try, they require a different teaching method altogether. This is where the latest Maths games and worksheets now available for home use can make a huge difference.

Educational games played at the learning pace of the child provide an enjoyable approach that help children and parents to overcome the block to learning. Putting fun at the forefront in the parent child relationship provides a more practical rapport to coach a child through this difficult transition. Turning the block into a maths game the fear and frustration can be broken The ‘Independent Learning’ method used by ConquerMaths delivers the UK secondary maths curriculum via CDs, or online in brilliant mini-tutorials. Each lesson has its own worksheet and automatic marking that builds into personal progress summaries. Only the essential parts of each lesson are given but the huge benefit of the system are the audio explanations explaining the theory that are synchronised with the onscreen graphics, making the maths much, much easier to understand and take in.

Parents can relax to a large extent, because whilst providing moral support and involvement the ConquerMaths system specifically recommends children get on with their homework independently. They soon enjoy being in total control as the program can be paused and rewound to repeat sections to increase understanding, embed facts and go over anything the child is not sure of to catch up missing knowledge from the class. It is like having a personal teacher going over the lesson with you until you understand. And parents can bring themselves up date too, if they wish!

One ConquerMaths parent, Julia Martin of Buckinghamshire writes “As a person who always found maths a serious challenge when I was at school, I have found this course to be a Godsend. My nine year old son is flying through the tutorials and understanding everything because they are put across so clearly, in 'bite sized' lessons. I am no longer worried about having the ability to teach him maths - in fact, I am learning stuff I never properly understood at school by using the program myself! (I wish we'd had it in my day!)”

Building confidence in children is an essential building block in learning. The time spent in class is much shorter that most of us imagine and a busy lesson with 30 children can leave the struggling mathematician feeling isolated. Using maths games at home in a relaxed environment can pay dividends in boosting understanding, confidence and performance back in class.

Val Constable ConquerMaths Alistair Owens Keen2learn

Fractions, Decimals and Percentages Are Just Coded Maths Games

Fractions, Decimals and Percentages Are Just Coded Maths Games

I always found math to be a difficult subject to learn at school. I put most of my failing down to the fact I sat too close to an old fashioned pot-bellied stove. This provided a great source of warmth but also destroyed my concentration. At least I learnt to spell soporific in a written defence during a subsequent detention, but the absence of maths sense slowed the learning curve for some years. Maths was always a struggle; the pot bellied stove inflicted collateral damage but I believe the real culprit was the boring way maths was taught.

Mathematics can be described as a series of fantastic codes. Once they are broken the maths games that can be played are endless and enjoyable. The modern technique of using educational games as the base makes life far more interesting and pays dividends in the attention paid by the average child. It also allows parents to repeat say a maths game at home

Like many things in life once a code is understood the task becomes far easier. This is the case when we come across a new computer program. Initially it is hard work and intuition fights with or against the operating manual. Once mastered a host of shortcuts and shortcomings are revealed and in no time our learning curve overtakes the computer and we start to identify areas where the program could be improved.

A recent example of breaking a mathematics code appeared in the form of the crop circle in the south of England. The intricate pattern that was pressed into a wheat field at first sight appeared as just another artistic pattern in a crop circle. In reality it was a complex diagram that an astrophysicist decoded to reveal its meaning as a fantastic way to represent the value of pi to the first 10 significant places. Guaranteed 99% of us who looked at the crop circle failed to understand that it was a mathematics code rather than a decorative pattern. Obviously the perpetrator knew what he was doing and set this elaborate game to challenge mathematicians. Once the code was broken the answer was obvious.

Leonardo Da Vinci was artist and a great mathematician who used codes to set out his theories. Used by subsequent generations of scholars even today they provide educational games that require ingenuity to crack the code. Some areas of maths have a number of different ways of expressing the same information. Fractions and percentages express similar information in slightly different form. This feature allows us to mask the details by expressing facts in a form of code.

Recently Ed balls, the schools Secretary in the UK, announced that two fifths of all secondary schools are underperforming. He could of course have said that 40 per cent of all schools are failing which conjures up a much bigger image. Expressing the number of schools as a fraction is code to mask the actual hard fact. He could have just also revealed the actual number, but to say that 638 schools are failing would come as quite a shock to parents of the children involved. More startling perhaps would be an announcement that there are around 1,215,000 children at these 638 schools many of whom are potentially failing at maths. That’s a much bigger number than we might associate with two fifths! Codes are designed to initially hide or abbreviate the facts. Mr Balls could be said to be masking the facts, but he has only been in the job for a few months. Let’s hope he can quickly crack the code to improve the educational performance of future generations of children in the UK.

Turn A Shower Into An Educational Game

They say education is a lifelong journey. Difficult to comprehend when you are at school slogging through lessons and exams but learning can be greater fun when turned into an educational game. Take a practical application and apply as many subjects that have been learned in the classroom.

This morning I took a shower, a frequent occurrence I hasten to add, but today I had one of those eureka moments – a tribute perhaps to that other rather more famous bather. Have you ever thought how much science is involved in the process of taking a shower?

To highlight the point I have used the following abbreviations as each topic appeared during my ablutions.

• Biology (B)
• Physics (P)
• Chemistry (C)
• Maths (M)
• Citizenship (City)
• Psychology (Psy)
• Geography (G)
• Geology (Geo)
• English Language (Eng)

The first question to loom up is why we take a shower? The experience is functional in removing body odours created by bacteria, (B) but also physiological as it induces endorphins that help wake you up and make you feel good (Psy) Removal of body odours also makes you a little less undesirable to others nearby ( City).

The water is fed from a header tank under gravity- thanks to Newton (P) – and as I’m a devout wuss, heated. Energy is consumed to heat the water by the conversion of electrical energy into heat P). This is measured in watts, the result of multiplying volts by amperes (M +P).

Responding to marketing persuasion I have been attracted to the delights of a power shower. The increased force (P) boosts the endorphins (B) but unfortunately uses 12 times the amount of water (Geo) than the gravity shower all of which has to be heated (P ) This is draining the natural resources, literally, of water and power causing environmental concerns (forgot to add the code for the environment – that’s an (E). The availability of water depends on geography (G) and the natural storage which locally are aquifers (Geo).

Being male I have a predilection to B.o.g.o.f offers ( buy one get one free) in supermarkets and anything in blue packaging (Psy) The resultant over purchase of needless stock (M) led to a ban by my wife (City)that means all shower products used have her stamp of approval and sensible supply level.

Today’s showering experience was a cornucopia of non blue ingredients. The shampoo promised a “Fruitful Infusion” to produce a “Dazzling Shine” (Eng) from the passion flower, patchouli and vetiver ingredients(B). The conditioner provided “Tangle free hair with uplifted volume” enhancing the dazzle effect by way of a “Citrus lift”(Eng) from tangerine, lemongrass and aloe vera (B) And the rest of the body below the head was in turn subjected to “Serious pampering”(Eng) from fennel (B) and sea mineral (C) based in a silky smooth shower gel (C).

The post shower application of talcum powder, contained talc mineral (C+Geo). The deodorant, promising to maintain a “desert – dry”(Eng) atmosphere under the arms (B +G) from aluminium zirconium trichlorohydrex (C). The aftershave contained alcohol ( C).

In the space of 5 minutes I had consumed 150 litres of water, 4 kilowatts of energy (P), half an alpine meadow of additives, and drained the lot away to the water treatment works where they will use bacteria (B) to break the ingredients free from the water, and off we go again.

Taking a simple shower will seem a lot busier from now on. My shower involved 34 applications of science and learning and a lot of fun to see just how many links with education can exist.

Alistair Owens operates an educational games web site and writes on educational matters for a wide range of publications.

Parents Playing Truant At Parents Meetings

Traditional parents’ evenings are becoming less popular and schools should consider other ways to communicate with families, the schools secretary, Ed Balls, said today, 7th May 2008

Speaking at an event today on the government’s Parent Know How programme, which aims to develop new and innovative ways of helping parents access information and support, Balls said research shows parents prefer informal chats with schools staff instead of parents evenings and want to get information on their children’s progress on-line.

While evening meetings will continue to have a role, Balls urged schools to keep parents up to date in ways that better fit their busy lives.

A survey of 5,000 adults for the Department for Children, Schools and Families showed that since 2001 the proportion who saw parents’ evenings as the “most useful” way of communicating has dropped from 43% to just 19%.

Parents now see communicating with schools through “informal discussions with school staff” as the most useful way of finding out about their child’s progress.

Half of parents felt very involved in their child’s education in 2007, up from 29% in 2001. Two-thirds of parents (65%) wanted to be even more involved, the research found.

Balls said: “We know parents are increasingly involved in their child’s education - and want to do even more. See the full report in the Guardian

Are Parents, Children or Schools Responsible For Failing Exams?

The trepidation of waiting for the annual exam results does not just apply to school children. At the moment parents are discovering if they have been successful in their application for their child's place in a preferred school. Naturally we regard the performance of a school is entirely due to the skill of the teaching team, but one of the greatest influences in the teaching environment is the effect parents have in the performance.

Changes in the social environment, and the assumed responsibilities of families have evolved over the years. Many schools cite increasing pressure and workload from dealing with issues that have been abandoned by the family. Discipline seems to be the greatest concern, creating problems with the control of the classroom and a challenge to authority. Hardly conducive to a focus on learning and inevitably the prerequisite to a dysfunctional adult life for the child involved.

The schools best able to cope have retained a level of control and a teaching team that achieved good results for the children. No surprise that these schools are much sought after and strive to maintain their position in the league tables. But they suffer from their own success as a proportion of parents have been resorted to lie and cheat to meet the entrance criteria. Unbounded by any social responsibility this regrettable activity hardly sets the ideal role model for their children and wastes valuable resource in its detection.

Around 240,000 children fail to get into the school of their choice each year so it is easy to see the temptation to manipulate the application details and accept that some parents would feel they had failed if they did not. It’s a double edged sword. But now more grist to the mill; figures announced in May 08 reveal 24,000 teachers are classed as failing and should not be in the job, up from the 17,000 assessed as failing last year. At 5% they are a small percentage of the c.450,000 full time equivalent teachers in the UK but lets say the figures are still understated by 20% and really there are 28,800 failing teachers. The outcome is staggering as these failing teachers are involved in teaching children who are subsequently penalised. The average class size is 30 thus 720,000 children suffer as a consequent but this assumes the poor teachers only handle a single class. In reality they handle several classes at secondary level. Let’s assume five classes and the resultant number of children disadvantaged reaches a staggering 3,600,000. Doesn’t bear thinking about, but what are schools doing about it? The procedure to remove a poor teacher is so arduous that many schools have taken the alternative route to persuade them to move on to another school merely recycling the problem. So can we really criticize parents wanting to get their children into the better schools.

The ideal outcome would be the appearance of a greater number of good schools and the allocation of greater involvement of parents in the schooling process throughout their child’s attendance at school. This would swell the teaching numbers with an auxiliary team drawn from the 7.4 million households with school aged children. Suddenly the teaching capacity of the UK is swelled by a huge reserve that can only benefit our children. Parenting issues that clutter the school can be effectively redirected and schools allowed to focus on academic content. Modern teaching resources used in class to support lessons are predominately educational games. These are ideal to replicate the lesson content at home as practice. All we need now is the coordination of this massive resource, at least it will help compensate for a child failing to gain entry to a preferred school, being taught by a failing teacher, or a school cluttered by social burdens

You can see an example of the educational games and teaching resources used in school .

From Couch to Coach

From Couch to Coach

The biggest concern of most parents as their child goes to school is how are they are going to cope. Suddenly you are reliant on third parties to handle a crucial role that could influence the entire future for your child. The intimate bond with your child is interrupted; your omnipresence substituted for a class of around 30 children of mixed ability, and a school teacher who is frequently overworked, stressed, seeking alternative employment or early retirement. Hardly conducive to a relaxed state of mind, but there is an extremely practical role parents can take to support their child and teacher.

The teaching resources used at school are carefully selected as part of the lesson plans, mainly taking the form of educational games or educational toys they have the significant advantage of being equally valuable as learning resources for use at home.

A search of the web reveals the range of fun based interactive learning games available on-line. These can be used to support the early years as a primary classroom resource through to the finals in high school. Children being able to play for example a constructive maths game at home benefit significantly from the opportunity to practice the school lesson with their parents. This

family approach to learning maintains the involvement of parents in any number of lessons using educational games, toys, educational software and puzzles.

The link between home and school becomes dynamic rather than a once a term or an annual event, and playing the games at home reveals the progress being made in English, math, science, reading, history and geography far better than a couple of sentences in the end of term report. The regular content check by parents using a game provides a map where help is needed and a search of the web for educational games reveals the teaching tools available.

Practice helps learning retention, building the bedrock that provides encouragement, enthusiasm and knowledge back in the classroom. The additional teacher resource that emerges provides a multimedia approach to learning. This can positively modify the engagement towards their studies that can alter a child's perception of learning. Being regarded as fun generates a natural interest from children. Using educational toys and interactive games provides the chance for children to excel. The chance to beat parents, siblings and peers is far more enjoyable that the chore of conventional homework. Studies become more enjoyable and

progress at school benefits from the increased team strength of child, parent and teacher. Governments in many countries are concerned at the lack of material progress in schooling standards. Maths and literacy in the west display declining trends despite huge corrective investment over the past 10 to 20 years. Yet in the Far East educational standards are improving. The key is the different approach from parents; in the east they see it as their duty to maintain a level of active involvement. The outcome is a substantial improvement in exam results compared to the UK., and the USA.

Transformimg Maths From a Chore to a Challenge

A well proven fact states if you fire the imagination of children you also gain their attention – an essential ingredient towards efficient learning. A school in Nottingham in the UK has proven the point by adopting a central Harry Potter theme to lessons.

Maths has adopted a series of spells and codes to enthral and encourage. Science has included “Herbology” as a new theme, and teachers have been dressing up to set the scene. It proves that education can be fun, and fun can be highly educational. By turning lessons into games much of the resistance to learning is removed and the results prove the effort to be well rewarded. Pupils at the Robert Mellors school in Nottingham have moved from the bottom 25% to the top 25% of schools in England in just three years.

A clear case of “Learning in Disguise”; Dona Chambers, the Headteacher said “They don’t realise we are ticking boxes in the National Curriculum during the games. It has had a phenomenal impact on the whole school. Because learning is so much fun, pupils want to be engaged”.

Supporting this form of fun activity is a large range of educational games used in school. They are now available for use at home to turn that boring homework session into a fun entertaining and imaginative approach to learning. And as the saying goes Practice makes perfect, or more appropriately in learning - Practice make Permanent. Many parents ideally like to maintain a role in the schooling process but do not want to interfere in the teaching process. Developments in teaching techniques have benefited from advances in technology and the text book of yesterday has been supplemented by the interactive DVD.

A whole range of educational games and educational toys have emerged over the last decade. Designed to tie in with the school curriculum by educationalists and ex teachers, the key is the element of fun they induce to learning. Children look forward to the games and suddenly learning takes on a hidden dimension. But perhaps the real key is the opportunity for parents to join in.

Learning retention is a combination of different inputs. The classroom environment steers children through the lesson presentation, demonstration and discussion activity, a process proven by the National Training Laboratory (NTL) to achieve 50% retention in learning. The key activity derived by the NTL research is the practice function which a highest level in the retention in learning. This activity is sometime difficult to achieve in class due to lack of time or equipment or the spread of abilities in an average class. To overcome this gap in the learning process inevitably the practice function is transformed into homework exercises.

This single activity is seen to be dull, boring and regarded by children, parents and teachers alike as a necessary chore. But there is an alternative. The maths games referred to earlier are an ideal way for parents to play an interactive role with their child at home. Playing educational games as a form of homework generates the practice function which can be lacking in school and according to the NTL achieves a massive 75% retention in learning.

The Future World Leaders And Scientists Are In School Right Now.

The Future World Leaders And Scientists Are In School Right Now.

The world is a small place. Rapidly expanding and almost instantaneous transfer of information, we are reaching parts of the world that were, until a few years ago, impenetrable. Previously a dearth of knowledge led us to believe that such countries were different, alien and held disparate views on life. Perhaps the greatest surprise once a door is opened is the amazing similarity in the aspirations and fears held by parents for their children. Paramount, irrespective of race, creed and colour are concerns over the health and education of their children. Despite the development in technology, the removal of many barriers to freedom and the realisation of a global market, schooling of children remains an international and fundamental concern.

Learning starts early and involves parents playing educational games with their children. The element of fun is a fantastic stimulus that should be present throughout life’s learning journey, but is largely lost as children go to school.

Parents in Fairfax County USA have the same fears and aspirations as those in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and the UK. Our knowledge base and influences are becoming international rather than parochial. Globalisation is instigating vast changes in our society, for example just flip over the nearest manufactured object and see if it is not made in China.

If parents view education as a global concern, expressing concerns with current schooling standards why are we unable to correct falling standards. The English language could achieve the status of a global first or second language within a generation thanks in no small part to the spread of the internet. Should we therefore consider a global curriculum with international investment? Vast sums are wasted in localised attempts. Britain as an example invested 22 billion of pounds Sterling over the last 10 years is witnessing falling standards in numeracy and literacy. Many children inadequately equipped to progress from primary to high school subsequently fail to thrive.

The world’s population is expanding yet the number of teachers is not. Stress, changing attitudes in society and pressure to achieve influence many to leave the profession early. So how do we overcome this mounting issue? Whilst computers have infinitely greater processing capacity than three years ago, and many life saving drugs have been developed, academic achievement fundamental to the progression of this cycle is not improving at the same speed. Educational experiments have failed and we are re-introducing teaching techniques contemporary during the lunar landings.

The scaling benefit of a global curriculum would reduce resource costs and widen the application. Perhaps it should also encourage parents to take an active part. Educational games are still fun, stimulate learning and play a crucial role as a teaching resource in school. But they can be used with additional impact at home to replicate the lesson at the pace of the child. The mobilisation of vast numbers of parents providing this additional focus can help overcome the fall in educational standards, and as the saying goes; many hands make light work.

Alistair Owens

Wales Chief Inspector For Schools Wants Parental Involvement

SCHOOLS must do more to involve parents in school life, according to Wales’ new chief inspector for schools. In just six months Dr. Bill Maxwell warned that Wales was in danger of losing its tradition of respecting and valuing education unless more was done to engage parents and carers.“Good schools are taking notice but some need to try harder,” Dr Maxwell said.

“A lot of countries, including Wales, talk about a dip in performance in the early secondary school stages. One of the ways to counter that is to keep that engagement strong between parents, kids and the school.

“Parents tend to get engaged again when their children do exams but in the early years of secondary things can drift.”

A positive role to be considered by parents is to reinforce the classroom lesson. Homework can take on a new dimension and to help are the range of maths games, literacy games, and teaching resources that follow the curriculium.

“Parents want to be involved if they are welcomed in, but that depends on the head. If you are not high up the educational ladder you may feel you don’t understand what the teacher says or be intimidated and more needs to be done to get these parents involved.”

Steven Bowden, head of Porth County Community School, in one of the most deprived parts of Wales, has upped parental involvement by getting them to help run activities and learn with their children.

Take a look at the full article in icWales

All Is Not Lost When The Ideal School Is Full

The annual lottery is amongst us. 25% of children in the UK will not get into the secondary school of their choice. That's a staggering 100,000 disappointed families. The Minister for school's advice to appeal against the local decisions is well meant, but do schools with the pressure they are under to perform have the capacity to deal with 100,000 appeals from displaced parents?

If appeals are upheld the precedent could create even greater annual mayhem. The ideal outcome would be a dramatic rise in the number of good schools. In the meantime extra children being shoehorned into larger class sizes at existing preferred schools seems an undesirable outcome. A significant number of 11-13 years old's already fail to thrive in the secondary environment, which must surely increase as a result of either fighting for a place in a good school or having to attend an indifferent school in another area.

The interactive role of the parent is vital in either outcome. Educational authorities consistently promote the profound and continuing role parents can play in the schooling process. Despite the current surface trauma this activity can be real fun! The educational games used as a teaching resource in school are now available on-line to parents. www.keen2learn.com as an example offer a huge range of maths games, English games, and science games that follow the curriculum. Spending time with your child at home recapping on the lesson content is highly practical, enjoyable and can reap dividends.

10 Ways To Limit Yours Child's Schooling

1. Undervalue your ability to help teach them when they go to school. The skill you developed when they were infants; teaching them to walk, talk, ride a bike, learn about colours, numbers etc should be ignored. Leave everything to the teachers now on.
2. Regard school time as the only time children can learn. Lessons are meant to be hard work and not there to be enjoyed.
3. Treat homework as a chore. It has to done, nobody likes doing it and you don’t want to interfere otherwise it could ruin a good row and you’re very busy.
4. Avoid giving your child help in case its spotted or criticised better to regard your knowledge of school lessons as dated and not applicable to modern teaching techniques.
5. Consider kids free time out of school as sacrosanct. Quality time with children cannot possibly be linked with school work.
6. Believe that TV is the sole means of providing educational input relevant to their lessons.
7. Minimise all contact with the teacher. You’ll find our how your child is doing in end of term reports or parents night. Don’t worry if you wasted a term’s opportunity to help before you found out.
8. Don’t believe the hearsay that the biggest drop in your kid’s performance generally happens when they go to secondary or high school. Fingers crossed they’ll keep up.
9. Always buy presents that other kids have got, have been heavily advertised and hold their interest for about a week.
10. Ignore the range of fun interactive Educational Games & Toys at www.keen2learn.co.uk. They’re great fun for kids aged 3-15, matched to the curriculum and help you take a more positive role in their learning.

Are We Looking More At Testing Than Teaching

The downside of the emphasis on testing is the tendency towards “teaching to test” rather than broadening the horizons. The redirection of time consumed in testing could allow the teacher to make a more rounded assessment of a child’s skills and make it more interesting for the child and teacher

If a child is falling behind teachers should enlist extra effort from parents. The range of educational games now matching the curriculum can make the recovery real fun for parents and child at home. This positive interaction would ensure parents maintain a dynamic involvement in schooling process rather than the sudden burst after the end of term or year reports are released.

Do Large Secondary Schools Impair Performance

Dr James Wetz, former headteacher of two large secondary schools and visiting fellow at Bristol University's graduate school of education, argued that large secondary schools are ill-equipped to support pupils and may even stifle their potential in a Channel 4 Dispatches programme.

A huge number of star pupils from primary education fail to thrive in secondary school. Wetz's research, published in 2006, showed that 40% of the young people who left secondary school without a single qualification at GCSE actually achieved average or above-average performance in English, maths or science in key stage two tests at the end of their primary schooling.The dramatic change in schooling procedures, building size and the number of teachers involved overwhelms many children. The drop off being most significant in the age group 11-13.

Dr Wetz suggests the pastoral approach in primary education where one teacher predominately takes all lessons for a class should be adopted at secondary level. The abrupt change to an environment where children will meet 11- 15 different teachers a week causes a disconnect that can be irreparable. The class tutor, gaining only a fleeting view of their charges can be unaware of issues which could be otherwise easily addressed.

Curriculum changes seek to achieve greater lesson integration, something that is difficult without significant liaison, and probably impractical.

The quest to introduce continuity can receive huge support with the parent taking an interactive role to mentor their child. With school class sizes over 30 the 1:1 ratio at home can provide vital encouragement and the active opportunity to go over lessons. With modern classroom resources being in the form of educational games this can also be great fun!

Teaching Resources

One of the keys to effective learning is to fire up the imagination. Children learn more when they are enjoying something rather than seeing it as a chore. There are many computer games that have a "hidden" education content as well as being fun - learning in disguise. The following web site is a good example of the extent of the opportunity for parents to enjoy games with their children.

Educational Toys

Keen2learn - award winning selection of Educational Games, educational games and toys induces fun to stimulate learning.

These three quotations best summarise the opportunity:

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own".
Ben Sweetland

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them".
James Baldwin

"Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths pure theatre".
Gail Godwin

The Teaching Trauma

Have you ever considered the number of people who will teach your child during their schooling career? Primary school starts with one or two teachers per year over the three years means your child will be taught by six different teachers. The three years at junior school adds a further nine, but the real shock perhaps arrives at secondary school.

Subject speciality involves a dedicated teacher per subject per year. Allowing for seven subjects over the five years racks up a further 35 teachers. But this assumes that nobody leaves. In reality 50 % of newly qualified teachers quit the profession within three years. Add other changes due to staff movements, retirements, promotions etc. adds a further five changes.

In total the average child will be taught by an army of 65 different teachers during their schooling programme. The law of averages states some of the teachers will be brilliant, others average and unfortunately some will be poor. Add in changes to the curriculum, government policy, lifestyle, technology, social attitudes, and the pot-pourri becomes staggeringly complex.

Yet there is one constant in the equation. As a parent you are present throughout the entire process. And yes – you are a teacher. Who else taught then to walk, talk, ride a bike, understand hygiene health and safety, social etiquette and to stand up for themselves. So why do we let go when they go to school.?

A combination of external issues arises. To some parents it is a relief to get some free time back; work commitments re-emerge and many feel unwilling or possibly inadequate supporting the schooling process; not wishing to interfere. The reality is the opposite. Ask any teacher and they will say one of their biggest frustrations is the absence of parents’ effective involvement in the schooling process. This is not just the end of term report or attending parent’s night, this is the hands on approach throughout the term.

Learning is achieved in stages. The “see and hear” process at school achieves a 30% score in learning retention, whereas the “do” practice activity achieves 75%. Ironically it is this practice function that is the most difficult to achieve at school – timetable, equipment availability, differing learning speeds all conspire to disrupt the activity. Yet this is the one function that is ideal for parents to help at home.

Teachers use a host of educational games to practice the lesson content whenever they can. The further use of these games at home can have a huge befit. This is not the conventional text and exercise homework where parents can perhaps feel isolated. This is spending some fun time at home at the pace of the child enjoying games that significantly help their performance back in class. Like all games there are rules, challenges and the opportunity to become the winner! The key is the opportunity o repeat the exercise at the speed of the child. In effect it is “learning in disguise”

The educational games extend across the whole curriculum, and ideal where a child is perhaps struggling to keep up or wants that extra challenge ahead of the class. More importantly it keeps parents in touch with just how their child is performing and where a little help can have a dramatic effect. And you become the learning mentor, the one constant in a world of academic change!