Categories: uncategorized
Date: 25 January 2008 07:06:26
Yesterday I talked about my visit to the theatre, what I didn't mention was that I went with a group of mature students. Somebody else was organising the trip and had the problem of an ill student dropping out and so I took their ticket, (on the logic I was treating myself to an early b'day prezzie).
One of the lads had never been to the theatre before, and had been particularly excited about the trip. During the evening I watched as he sat, leaning forward in his seat; mesmorised by the proceedings. As my friend who'd organised the trip commented, it was stuff like that which makes teaching worth while.
Yet that type of thing can't easily be measured by statistics and so won't be taken into consideration when she is called to account for what her students have achieved / learnt this year. Yet that student has gained an appreciation of something which will now last a lifetime.
To me, whilst achievement and retention are obviously very important, that personal development of students and expansion of their horizons is incredibly important aswell, infact probably more so. Oh and if I must support this view of education to those who promote marketisation and will only think it worthwhile if it is put in financial terms, making another theatre goer is producing somebody else to spend money on that activity which will inturn support the national economy.