BBC News[/url]]
School is 'the last moral force'
Poor parenting and the erosion of family life are leaving schools as the only moral framework in many children's lives, says a head teachers' leader.
Schools were increasingly expected to "fill the vacuum", John Dunford told the Association of School and College Leaders annual conference, in Brighton.
They now sometimes had to teach social skills such as eating a meal together.
"Schools have a much stronger role in bringing up children than in previous years," Dr Dunford said...
School is 'the last moral force'
Published by You on 9 March, 2008 - 17:55
He's late mentioning it. Since they put sex ed on the program and took all the academia out of O-Levels, I imagine parents feel they have very little to do. We're going to the dogs I tell ya. But if he's suggesting that only schools can arrest the moral decline he's in cloud cuckoo land. They shouldn't be teaching social graces, they should be enforcing rules. Lunchtime should be supervised like in Hogwarts, and not in a smelly cafeteria.
[list][*]Parents have long had technology and fashion put them out of touch with the youth and that erodes their authority - rightly in some aspects, but one-size-fits-all advice from the fashion magazines is no substitute for wise parenting. Perhaps we could use a return to the old educational pamphlets and films they used to make, minus the sexism and minus today's advertising shock tactics.
[*]Schools have long dictated that they know best how to raise a child without any proper appeal to authority, which couple with the decline of policing as it has become shrouded in paperwork, creates a very lax social environment. We need to reduce paperwork, arbitrary testing and uniform performance targets from schooling and all public services. Have a little faith.
[*]The 60s and 70s generation that first experienced this cultural namby-pambyism is now raising and teaching a new generation. They have no respect for tradition and culture before The Beatles. That's irreversible. :-)[/list]
Don't get me wrong. Essentially I believe the kids are alright. But I am frequently astonished by how very dense and uncultured are people of my own generation and more still the younger ones, and it comes down to a lack of wisdom and inspiration, not "leadership" and "communication skills". Now excuse me while I fetch my slippers and a warm mug of cocoa.
I cant speak on behalf of every school in the Uk - but I most def work hard on instilling morals in my class. I'm always on at them about 'good manners' - and on a daily basis reward those who have good manners. I'm big on modesty and decency...so no MTV songs are allowed to be sang in my class. I'm very strict about letting the kids mess about when they are getting changed for PE. And next term when I'm required to teach sex education I'm just not gonna teach it.
And since I teach working class class - very deprived kids...kids whose parents make lewd jokes, pretty shameless in their speech and actions - I'm forever unistilling what their parents have instilled in them.
Hey, I smell a press release: "Muslim teacher refuses to teach national syllabus".
Kidding, but surely if you can't discuss it with the head there's some other way of approaching the issue - you could teach chivalry and restraint, point out that sex has its place even though it should be saved for marriage or a similar relationship, as well as briefly covering the stuff about diseases and the great need for protection in casual relationships. Just trying to keep you out of trouble.
Lol. I teach Year 1 (6 year olds). Do they really need to know how to label and explain the function (in detail) of the female and male atonomy?
I learnt something new myself when I was reading over the lesson plans!
I dont want to bring up the matter with my head cos I have a feeling that they'd get someone else in to teach it...I dont want anyone to expose my class to that stuff.
I'm just not going to teach it and fortunatly they wont be tested on this topic, so there's no way to prove what they've learnt.
as long as no kids mention it to their parents who then go and tell you headteacher.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
Are you talking about science lessons (biology) or sex education here?
If the latter, then when did the govt. introduce this? I had no idea children as young as 6 were being taught this.
I agree with both of you. Sex education - from school - at age 6 is plain ridiculous.
I'm not sure why they would mention what they havent been taught...they have difficulties telling their parents what they HAVE been taught.
Plus, kids arent aware of teachers planning.
Sex education. Yes, new Govt initiative.