Categories: uncategorized
Date: 08 June 2005 18:36:40
The Prince of Wales has made a very interesting speech relating to the teaching of English and History, specifically but which relates to teaching generally in this country.
It is a speech which if you read the whole of it, rather than just the soundbites the media have chosen to focus on is insightful and makes, in my opinion, alot of sense.
He challenges the fact that teachers are encouraged to struggle so much for relevance and to give information that our students are losing knowledge. He makes several points I find particularly interesting:
'I was desperately keen to bring together the various guest speakers and participants in order that they should convey to you in their distinctive ways the vital importance of coherent, chronological story-telling in the teaching of History and the power of narrative in the teaching of English.'
'Of course skills are important, but is it not reasonable to suggest that teachers should be trying to maintain a balance between subject depth, ideas and intellectual strength, and an approach which equips children of all abilities with appropriate skills? '
'And, as part of the development of “social skills”, might it not be a good idea to re-discover the concept of good manners, courtesy and consideration for others? The old idea of “doing to others as you would have them do to you” is hardly “deferential” and might just be “relevant” in terms of social interaction and employment opportunities?'
'There are too many ideas that seem to me to have become orthodoxies because none of you are given sufficient time to reflect and to challenge them. I would have thought that a profession which probes prevailing dogmas is a profession which demonstrates confidence in itself, and a healthy willingness to question and to rethink where necessary.'
As a teacher, not of English or History, I am pleased somebody is championing this approach to education which might, just might, if we tried it, help us relight the spark that the current production line style of education appears to be dampening.