what can we do to stop young boys failing school?

Former Member

this year its got worse

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/default.stm

only half of boys leave primary school with an 'acceptable' standard of maths and arithmetic skills

strangely matches the GCSE 5 A-C statistics for boys as well



but lets remember it's mainly arithmetic skills taught at primary school not maths concepts (apart from how the basic operations work and fractions), strangely it's these skills that industry claims school leavers are lacking - this shouldn't even be tested at GCSE level for christ's sake

why can't primary school teachers use a mixture of methodical and memory reinforcement techniques (the national curriculum only allows certain ways of teaching these, instead of showing it in a few different ways so they see the bigger picture and remember it)

Former Member

Part of the answer to the title question, is parents need to get involved at home. If I may be so bold as to go slightly off topic, my son is in primary school, and most of the kids in his class can't read. I happen to know for a fact, that those kids don't sit down and read with their parents. My son can read to a standard ahead of his age group, he can also write at a standard ahead of his age group (when he bothers to put the effort in!). Hell I've even taught him VERY basic algebra (a+5=10, whats the value of a).

We started him on reading and writing a year before he started school. It started off with 5 or 10 minutes daily. Nothing too taxing, but definitely very regular. He's ahead of his class mates because we (his parents) put time in to build on what the school teaches him. He doesn't get out of doing homework.

I agree with you that the national curriculum isn't perfect. I think it needs changing, and I wouldn't mind seeing an old fashioned approach to teaching make a return. What the hell is a learning facilitator, for goodness sake?

Root

Former Member

root wrote:

Part of the answer to the title question, is parents need to get involved at home.

Surely if parents were a problem you would see similar results from girls?

He's ahead of his class mates because we (his parents) put time in to build on what the school teaches him. He doesn't get out of doing homework.

If only it was that simple. Either myself or my wife read with our youngest son every night, for much the same amount of time. As the youngest, he's also had the avtange of learning with his older brother as his brother learned.

Yet our youngest is struggling with his reading.

Is this my fault, is this a refelction of how teaching methods have changed, should I blame the Govt or should I just accept that his abilities lie elsewhere?

I think it needs changing, and I wouldn't mind seeing an old fashioned approach to teaching make a return.

Such as?

Teh_Gerbil

This stupid "Failiure is cool" culture needs to go, fast.
The whole system is in disaray. Large Classes, teachers concentrate on the brighter students more, not enough time with the less capable, underfunded and staffed, pushing for results, not understanding...

Overhaul is required, money is required. Two things some would moan about if they happened.

Former Member

in answer to the title question:

- lessons need to be in a format which is more interesting/appealing to boys
- boys need to be able to work without being taken the piss out of