...and some of you will be aware of my problems with little'un and school (see my other posts)
Well, it's crunch time as a new term approaches and we have to send littl'un back into the 'lions den'. This isn't helped by the fact that because of bullying/gifted problems in the state school system we enrolled him in an ����expensive private school.
Anyhow, we were talking last night - like every night - about the problems with little'un: schools, teachers (spit!), bullies. I got to wonder if the schools are providing an education for a world that is rapidly vanishing.
The UK schools - maybe the US ones too - prepare the kids for SATs and GCSEs in Maths English and other subjects then, at 16 years old, they have a clutch of certificates saying how well they've done, so.....no work available for 16 year olds so on to A Levels.
then, at 18 years old, they have a clutch of certificates saying how well they've done, so.....no work available for 18 year olds so on to University
then, at 21 years old, they have a clutch of certificates saying.... (you get the picture)
My point really is that the work that used to be done here no longer is - no factories; shops and MacDonalds staffed by old folks like me or graduates waiting for the big break. And the jobs we once envied and wanted for our kids are either oversubscribed or done elsewhere (How many accountants/lawyers can the economy use/does the world need? How many UK or US IT tasks are performed online in the Asia and the Orient)
So - what to do? Is it better to send little'un to the ���private school, teach little'un at home and save the money. Or have him taught at state school and save the money. Okay, his certificates might not be as shiny as the private school ones. But with the money saved we could perhaps take him on some valuable vacations, and save up enough so when he gets to 16 and has his certificates the money will still be there for him to go train in something which will make him a living - like plumbing, or masonry, or carpentry......
The world has changed and is changing fast, Just this summer (this past week in fact) there are 150,000 (yes one hundred and fifty thousand) 18 year old leaqving school with shiny certificates with nowhere to go....and the pond just seems to be getting smaller and smaller and smaller...
Seriously - thoughts please
