Why do we really educate our children? The answer to this question is usually for them to take their place in society. Who decides their place? What gives us the right to set the arena that our children will be constrained by?
In year 6 the Sats tests that are taken coupled with a statistical model form the basis of students potential and predicted grade. So at age 10 we are telling our children that in 6 years they will get a grade 'c'. So what? Surely this model has been tested and it seems like it may work in the majority of cases so lets go for it.
The reasons why these questions have arisen is that today I have had a conflict in my own beliefs of what I should be teaching a particular group of children. They are a group that are predicted to get a 'c' grade with a minority of the class predicted a 'b'. So that means that none of them need to look at any topic or question that stretches their target grade because they won't be able to understand it and realise what they are learning. So the question still arises So what? I am going to give the children a test of their ability, which is set by the exam boards in which there will be questions that they don't have the first clue on how to answer so they are to leave it and move onto an easier question that their brains can handle. They are only expected to get about half marks so only give them the tools to answer half of the questions. Seems like a plan, but what happens if the half that they have got some idea about they still struggle with? Oh well that must be down to the lack of enthusiasm and commitment that their teacher had so that they are under prepared.
When I worked in industry and we had targets set from on high, these were usually targets that had some potential of reaching but actually we were driven to "Shoot for the moon, and if you miss you will land amongst the stars!" So in school I am now going to tell my students to aim for their target but their target is the bullseye and missing will only give them less than they need. I don't agree with this and I don't think the children will.
So what to do? I am going to push but give them the chance to expand their knowledge and give the opportunity to shoot for the moon rather than the bullseye. In doing this I am going to create an environment that the pupils can explore if they wish or play safe if they need to.
"Everyone is a genius but if judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree it will live it's whole life believing that it is stupid!" - Albert Einstein.
