The TES announced on Friday June the 18th that Gender equivalent exams were being considered for the future.

Positive feedback has been recieved by a number of schools regarding AQAs new key stage 4 qualifications in English, Maths and Science,  with coursework options for Girls and more traditional exams aimed at boys.

The aim is to narrow the gap between the sexes, as traditionally girls out perform the boys on coursework and boys apparently do better than girls on exams…….

This opens up a range of issues, not least where do we start and end with Gender specific options….. nursery school to recriutment and employment?

Will considering gender differences take us back to the past or encourage sexist attitudes?

You could argue  insurance companies have for years been gender specific with regards to life insurance ,car insurances etc…..

We know that girls outperform boys, especially during the primary school years in English and we do know that 80% of students excluded from both primary and secondry schools are boys………so things are not working for both in the same way

Clearly something needs to be done to address these issues but is this the right type of approach?

In an era of inclusion and also personalised learning to we need to revert back to the age old battle of sexes…………perhaps the answer is simply a greater choice of learning options and the freedom to make those choices…………

Can we trust girls and boys and Mums and Dads the freedom to make those choices?

Interested in your comments….

Fin

www.fintanoregan.com

The issue of School Exclusion and the powers for Head teachers to exclude  may increase with the expected tougher line on behaviour with the new government in the UK.

However does exclusion work in terms of preventing repeat behaviour from the individuals concerned and does it act as a deterrent to other potential offenders?

What should warrant exclusion and which behaviours should trigger this response?

Alternatively which behaviours should trigger the message that the child’s learning needs are not being understood at this time?

Exclusion you could argue is overused and underused as a response to student behaviour.

As a Head teacher myself I have excluded student’s when I felt that we as a school could no longer best meet the needs of the child. In every case however the common factor was that we could not count on any response from the parent or carer in options that we were considering to help the situation.   

It does seem however in my opinion that in many situations Exclusion appear to be a blunt instrument to respond to behaviour that does not  resolve the issues rather than to make them some one else’s problem.

What do you think?

Fin Oregan

Recent studies have indicated that children who learn to lie successfully early in life are more likely to achieve more in the future than their more honest peers………….what are we to do with this type of information?

Many views are expressed with regards to the amount of time and influence that TV has on child development. Most of these views tend to be negative and range from claims that TV is the cause of supposed levels of increased violence in children to poor communication and reading skills.

During the winter months especially when the days are colder and evenings shorter it can be tempting to allow the children to spend more and more time in front of the “box” As there are no instructions provided when you become a parent there will be little advice regarding use for children in the packaging for your new 42 inch or for that matter the other 3 TVs in the house?

TVs (or for that matter Computers) should not by themselves be seen as a problem. The key point is how much time is spent on this activity and the content experienced by specific children in the family.

As a result some of the following suggestions for parents and/or grandparents on TV and use for children may be useful:

Language: This is not necessarily just about the issue of swearing as it is more about the type and tone of language that is being used. A good way of assessing this is to try not look at the pictures on the TV programme but spend a few moments with your eyes closed and assess whether the verbal content is age appropriate for your child. Children will often mimic what they hear……..are you happy with your child repeating some of the dialogue heard.

Values: This will obviously be something each family has to judge. However each programme will have some form of hidden message behind the pictures and words. These may have a powerful influence on children. Are you happy that the themes and values shown in the TV production are absorbed by your child?

Advertising: Are the shows on the particular channel being produced primarily as a way of influencing children to buy toys, specific video, music or fast food products. Though most channels both on terrestrial and on cable will have commercials some do not……….it is always possible especially when they are younger (or older) to say that the TV is “stuck” on a specific channel… while sitting on or having temporarily lost the remote control.

I think it is important to point out that some TV shows are really good for child development. These are not just specific children shows such Sesame Street and Blue Peter etc..but some more mainstream shows that show aspects of our natural world and its history. The recent BBC production on Anne Frank was quite brilliant.

The key will be balance both in quality and quantity and to be open minded with your own opinions on specific shows. It is not correct to say that everything on the Disney Channel is rubbish and that Dr Who is always wonderful. Children as adults will enjoy variety in their choice of entertainment

Parents and Grandparents should try to assess how they feel the TV content will affect each specific child and whether it is their best interests to watch certain programmes. It will be important to restrict and/or negotiate realistic amounts of time for specific shows and channels. This will encourage children to plan, be selective, savour specific programmes and not simply vegetate in front of that widescreen. It should be stated that TV can also be social. Spend time with your children enjoying certain programmes/films as a family.

In summary TV is not evil it is neutral, however it should be a part of and certainly not dominate family life………………”now what time is that match on”?

Nagero Natnif