yogi bear up the cagire
Life President⭐
Rather tired from a hard days work, in preparation for an even harder weekend's work, so apologies if my brain is is even less sharp than normal. Just a few thoughts from someone who taught in an English secondary school for thirteen years and got out when we saw the direction education was taking on Thatcher's arrival. I have, like Phil, had the experience of a daughter recently (and still) going through the French system.
I will point out one of the main differences between the English and French systems, something Phil hasn't done, probably from fear of the political assault that would follow. The French system is a truly egalitarian system, where access to high flying schools is solely down to ability, not money. I'm afraid that the English system is fundementally flawed. A system where people can buy a 'better quality' of education and increase the chances of their children accessing top Universities. True, less people can now afford the fees but that doesn't change the fissure at the very base of the system. Yes, there are 'Independent' schools in France but they are run by the Church and many would say that they are generally inferior to your ordinary Lycée.
We could argue the merits or otherwise of academies and whether pupils are 'clients' but I found the use and treatment of the basic resource in education, the teacher him/herself, really apalling and nearly inhuman. At the end of the school year I was totally and utterly SHATTERED and only little more than five weeks of holiday to recover and that was when I was in my thirties! God knows what it's like now. Correct, teachers have a very good pension system.........pity most of the poor buggers don't live very long to benefit from it. When I left, life expectancy for a retired teacher on full pension wasn't very long at all, I can't believe for a minute that it has improved.
My wife, as she moves closer to retirement, is finding it harder and harder, especially with the new reforms. However, she has Wednesday afternoons off and is required to teach a basic 18 hours per week (with very few meetings). She can, if possible group her hours so that she could have another day off. It should also be pointed out than when she is not teaching she stays at home and is not required to rest on site and risk covering for absent colleagues or any other nefarious activity that a Head or 'Executive' can think of for her to do. GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRR! Got that off my chest. It still wrangles even after so many years!
I will point out one of the main differences between the English and French systems, something Phil hasn't done, probably from fear of the political assault that would follow. The French system is a truly egalitarian system, where access to high flying schools is solely down to ability, not money. I'm afraid that the English system is fundementally flawed. A system where people can buy a 'better quality' of education and increase the chances of their children accessing top Universities. True, less people can now afford the fees but that doesn't change the fissure at the very base of the system. Yes, there are 'Independent' schools in France but they are run by the Church and many would say that they are generally inferior to your ordinary Lycée.
We could argue the merits or otherwise of academies and whether pupils are 'clients' but I found the use and treatment of the basic resource in education, the teacher him/herself, really apalling and nearly inhuman. At the end of the school year I was totally and utterly SHATTERED and only little more than five weeks of holiday to recover and that was when I was in my thirties! God knows what it's like now. Correct, teachers have a very good pension system.........pity most of the poor buggers don't live very long to benefit from it. When I left, life expectancy for a retired teacher on full pension wasn't very long at all, I can't believe for a minute that it has improved.
My wife, as she moves closer to retirement, is finding it harder and harder, especially with the new reforms. However, she has Wednesday afternoons off and is required to teach a basic 18 hours per week (with very few meetings). She can, if possible group her hours so that she could have another day off. It should also be pointed out than when she is not teaching she stays at home and is not required to rest on site and risk covering for absent colleagues or any other nefarious activity that a Head or 'Executive' can think of for her to do. GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRR! Got that off my chest. It still wrangles even after so many years!
