Mockery of the Education System?

**PXUmais** · 09-15-2010 09:18 PM

Gonna make a useless rant here..

Well here's my situation in all it's glory.. I live in England

I've been at a secondary school called: Forest Gate School for 4 years (Strongly advise, if you care about your future, STAY AWAY)

In my school there has always been two basic bands/strands: F.O.R.E and S.T.G.A.
So, there are 8 classes per year..

Whatever class you start with, you stick with for every lesson in Year 7..

In Year 8, it's the same thing except that for the Core subjects you get sets, (Thank god for that my normal class were driving me crazy).. As you can guess you get a different class for this..

So for three years I was in the strand: F.O.R.E...

In Year 7 my school, brilliantly, made me miss out two weeks of my curriculum wasted on jumping from class to class solely due to there incompetency..

In Year 8, I had another similar situation and so did I in Year 9..

Another problem was that, my school, hired a teacher that taught us the wrong English curriculum for a whole Year.. In Year 9 English..

Funny thing is.. That they realised this only when the Year had ended, and they fired the teacher.. BUT they made sure no parents found out..

I found out "Unofficially" from two other English teacher the following year..
----------------------------------------
The present...

I started Year 10, and began my classes in the lowest set English class, (I'm a top set student,

).. What was even weirder was that they made me move Bands/Strands to S.T.G.A.. And so I knew NOBODY there...

I was pissed at the strand thing, especially since it took me years to adjust to F.O.R.E being your class geek kinda guy.. Because by the end of year 9, I had made TONS of friends right at the top of every schools natural hierarchy...

But was even more annoying was that they couldn't get my timetable right even AFTER they moved me..

So I complained, moved classes... Wrong class, complained, moved classes.. Wrong class, Repeated 7 time...

I turned out that I was in a complete flux, My timetable was half in X half in Y.. And what more is that those two bands don't fit together time wise, so my subjects were messed...

Long story short.. I contacted the Headteacher in a desperate effort..

By this point, I had gotten to the point where I was absolutely HATING the other Band..

I was put through to the Dep. Head A.K.A. the teacher that arranged the movement between Bands funnily enough..

She explained that she had moved people due to their G.C.S.E option choices.. I explained that I knew someone who chose the same as me and was in the same sets as me and was in the class I was meant to be in..

She told me, I couldn't use the phrase: meant to be, since nobodies meant to be anywhere..

Me, trying not to argue, said sorry but explained that any normal person would presume that of he sees a class that's filled with 98% of the class he was with for the past 3 years, you would assume your in that class... No answer..

She then told me that it was something to do with the order of which you put your options.. Once again that doesn't make sense...

It wouldn't make a difference if you put 1)Triple Science 2) ICT 3) Business
or
1) Business 2) Triple Science 3) Business

AS long as you got the options you picked..

She left me at an ultimatum:

Change your subject options and Go to your original band
or
Stay with your band and keep your options..

I found this EXTREMELY unfair since, most people I knew got the privilege of having both even when they didn't need it.. Yet, I, simply out of what I believe to be *random* chance was lead to a position where I had to choose between two things any normal person would have..

Ironically, I'm one of the few people in my school that actually care about where I'm going to end up..

After this, I've been so depressed... I'm surprised I can be typing this right now..

It's hard because education's been one of my top two priorities for my whole life, and it's hard knowing that it could all be thrown away because frankly the other Band is a load of crap...

P.S. The band they forced me in, has a top set English class, where 1/4 of the students are on the phones, 1/2 of them tell me they don't learn anything, and the rest don't even know what they're doing..

^^^ WTH, is that... ????

**spockman** · 09-17-2010 06:15 AM

Just push through the secondary school system as best you can. Academically, most people have to deal with crap in high school or the equivalent there-of. The more you deal with now, and the better you deal with it, the more freedom you will have to do your own thing in college. (After all, you are a customer in college. Not a governmental responsibility.) Nothing more I can suggest as far as pushing through it all other than finding groups/hobbies/interests that you can get good with outside of school to keep you sane.

**Siиdяed** · 09-17-2010 06:21 AM

Man, I remember thinking how bad the English educational system was after coming out of double Latin, heading down to Latin and then slipping into a sleep during dictations in Ancient Greek.

It's going to the dogs.

...seriously, I think it is. Thank fuck for my grammar school educational just before things slipped into dumbed-down shit.

**Malac Reborn** · 09-17-2010 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by Siиdяed

Man, I remember thinking how bad the English educational system was after coming out of double Latin, heading down to Latin and then slipping into a sleep during dictations in Ancient Greek.

It's going to the dogs.

...seriously, I think it is. Thank fuck for my grammar school educational just before things slipped into dumbed-down shit.

Division-composition fallacies.... They can be tricky for some.

**Siиdяed** · 09-17-2010 06:37 AM

Ah I'm tired.

**spockman** · 09-17-2010 04:14 PM

I wonder if it was ever really better, though. I mean, if it was, when? If anything, I think the American school system has been slowly improving, but it still isn't all that great.

**Xei** · 09-17-2010 05:08 PM

PXU, I'm sorry about your situation... it's true that public education can really be pretty terrible. I think you should be kicking up a fuss about your situation; ask your parents to do something if you can. Basically be proactive and get it rectified, you are paying for this so you have a right to have the system work properly for you.

With respects to your studies, you should try your hand at educating yourself. GCSEs are so dumbed down nowadays there really is very little content to learn for the more fact-based subjects; the only skill you probably need a teacher for is essay writing, and exam technique. Just print off syllabi which are readily available on your exam boards' websites, and make sure you know how to do everything there, using textbooks or revision guides to help you learn. Nearer the time of exams, if you're able and if you think it's necessary, you could think about getting a private tutor.

Originally Posted by Siиdяed

Man, I remember thinking how bad the English educational system was after coming out of double Latin, heading down to Latin and then slipping into a sleep during dictations in Ancient Greek.

It's going to the dogs.

...seriously, I think it is. Thank fuck for my grammar school educational just before things slipped into dumbed-down shit.

Ditto.

I spent two years in a comprehensive because the local grammar was full, and it was a pile of crap. It was fun but I don't recall learning anything.

Then I moved to the grammar and the education was far superior, along with the attitude...

However the curriculum has still been dumbed down incredibly by the last 15 years of Labour to try and hide the precipitous decline in education standards that they've... precipitated. I taught myself A Levels in a couple of days and spent the rest of the time bumming around. The only challenging thing was getting into Cambridge but I still did that off my own bat.

**spockman** · 09-17-2010 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Xei

PXU, I'm sorry about your situation... it's true that public education can really be pretty terrible. I think you should be kicking up a fuss about your situation; ask your parents to do something if you can. Basically be proactive and get it rectified, you are paying for this so you have a right to have the system work properly for you.

With respects to your studies, you should try your hand at educating yourself. GCSEs are so dumbed down nowadays there really is very little content to learn for the more fact-based subjects; the only skill you probably need a teacher for is essay writing, and exam technique. Just print off syllabi which are readily available on your exam boards' websites, and make sure you know how to do everything there, using textbooks or revision guides to help you learn. Nearer the time of exams, if you're able and if you think it's necessary, you could think about getting a private tutor.

Ditto.

I spend two years in a comprehensive because the local grammar was full, and it was a pile of crap. It was fun but I don't recall learning anything.

Then I moved to the grammar and the education was far superior, along with the attitude...

However the curriculum has still been dumbed down incredibly by the last 15 years of Labour to try and hide the precipitous decline in education standards that they've... precipitated. I taught myself A Levels in a couple of days and spent the rest of the time bumming around. The only challenging thing was getting into Cambridge but I still did that off my own bat.

Oh, your paying for this? Never mind. Don't just take crap then if it is costing you money. You deserve a good education in that case.

**PXUmais** · 09-17-2010 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Xei

PXU, I'm sorry about your situation... it's true that public education can really be pretty terrible. I think you should be kicking up a fuss about your situation; ask your parents to do something if you can. Basically be proactive and get it rectified, you are paying for this so you have a right to have the system work properly for you.

With respects to your studies, you should try your hand at educating yourself. GCSEs are so dumbed down nowadays there really is very little content to learn for the more fact-based subjects; the only skill you probably need a teacher for is essay writing, and exam technique. Just print off syllabi which are readily available on your exam boards' websites, and make sure you know how to do everything there, using textbooks or revision guides to help you learn. Nearer the time of exams, if you're able and if you think it's necessary, you could think about getting a private tutor.

Ditto.

I spent two years in a comprehensive because the local grammar was full, and it was a pile of crap. It was fun but I don't recall learning anything.

Then I moved to the grammar and the education was far superior, along with the attitude...

However the curriculum has still been dumbed down incredibly by the last 15 years of Labour to try and hide the precipitous decline in education standards that they've... precipitated. I taught myself A Levels in a couple of days and spent the rest of the time bumming around. The only challenging thing was getting into Cambridge but I still did that off my own bat.

Believe me, I had...

I had approx. 20 meetings with 16 different staff.. All with my parents there..

My parents care about my education a lot, so they weren't hesitant to help me..

And plus.. Tbh, most of the stuff I learn in school.. I've already taught my self a few years back.. I've been revising at home every day ever since I could remember..

The only problem was that, in poem analysis I had to learn how to unpick the small literary devices that the writer uses to create layers of meaning.. Since a poem is relatively short is has to be dense, and the ability to look at a poem and peel layer by layer is something that; to be learnt properly, has to be taught, not self-learnt..

BUUUUUUUUUUTTTT,

THEY FIXED IT.. WOOT (Sorry really excited) and all my classes were move to the right band again..

AFTER she told me I had two choices, she said later that she was able to move me to the other Band...

Whatever, I'll make sure the transition between school and college will be an EPIC one.. And will finally be ridden of this school...

Oh forgot

P.S. Thanks for your replies..

**Siиdяed** · 09-18-2010 02:11 AM

Originally Posted by spockman

Oh, your paying for this? Never mind. Don't just take crap then if it is costing you money. You deserve a good education in that case.

Paying in taxes for state schools (which included my grammar - the only distinction from a comprehensive was prestige and an entrance exam).

If you're intelligent and aware enough that your education is failing you, I agree with Xei. Take the initiative to educate yourself. Read more, think more. Autodidact the fuck up.

**PXUmais** · 09-18-2010 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by Siиdяed

Paying in taxes for state schools (which included my grammar - the only distinction from a comprehensive was prestige and an entrance exam).

If you're intelligent and aware enough that your education is failing you, I agree with Xei. Take the initiative to educate yourself. Read more, think more. Autodidact the fuck up.

Lol, I know..

I realised my school was a failure a LONG long time ago...

If, I just gave up and learnt only what this school taught me.. I wouldn't of been the student I am now..

I made sure, I was always 10 steps ahead of my school and my class... The school work became easier and easier, so I enjoyed it.. While making sure I was always miles in front of them..

In a large way, I'm already a autodidcact... Just angry that they put me in a bigger mess then I've ever been in...

Originally Posted by PXUmais

The only problem was that, in poem analysis I had to learn how to unpick the small literary devices that the writer uses to create layers of meaning.. Since a poem is relatively short is has to be dense, and the ability to look at a poem and peel layer by layer is something that; to be learnt properly, has to be taught, not self-learnt..

That was why I was afraid for my education... I needed a teacher that could--not teach me how to pass an exam--but instead show me how to look at a poem with the right perspective so I myself could learn how to pass the exam..

**spockman** · 09-19-2010 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by Siиdяed

Paying in taxes for state schools (which included my grammar - the only distinction from a comprehensive was prestige and an entrance exam).

If you're intelligent and aware enough that your education is failing you, I agree with Xei. Take the initiative to educate yourself. Read more, think more. Autodidact the fuck up.

Yeah. I was able to push through school, take advantage of the classes I liked, and really took advantage of the extra curriculars. Those can teach you lots more than day to day classes, largely because your success in the mental ones is largely dictated by how much you choose to self educate.