Post capitalism day 1

Well there we go - an experiment that failed. I tried to join the other side for a while and thought i was playing to the right set of rules and what happens? I get barred. Actually I am quite glad to be rid of the burden of money and the hundred dollars were never real to me anyway, and i wonder if I would have ever got around to claiming it - I suspect not. So here we are back to a plain old boring but uncommercial site.
This has been a strange few weeks and 6 people that I knew have shuffled off this mortal coil and will by now, either know what it's all about or more likely have gone to total oblivion. This brings stronger feelings of mortality and drops them on the doorstep. Tomorrow is Bill's funeral and I will have to venture into the church and probably even wear a jacket and tie. Not sure which of those options I like the least but sometimes it is best to conform to what is expected.
Two of the six deaths were people of my age and that I grew up with. Both succumbed to cancer and lingered many months before they finally gave up the struggle. I hope that they did not suffer too much.

I was thinking this morning while drinking my tea and listening to Melvyn Bragg talking about philosophy on the radio, about the parlous state of our Education system. I know i have already wittered about it this week but surely it is time that rather than tinker with it as usually happens, we should as a nation totally rethink it. At present it is largely about reading, writing and maths with other subjects cobbled on to produce a gigantic and unworkable system that is at best inappropriate and at worst damaging to the kids. I would like to venture some suggestions as possible ways of making things better.

We need to prepare kids for becoming civilised members of society and perhaps before they are forced into the formalities of the three Rs, children should learn that although they may be the centre of their own or their parent's universe, that they are simply a part of the whole. They should be taught to give and take, to share, to be aware of others and to operate as members of a group. In those circumstances they will learn more from each other and be better able to achieve common goals. No child should leave primary school unable to read and write and perform basic computation. Those that have learning difficulties should be given all the support that they need and should not be thrust into a competitive mainstream until they can cope. All students should be given help in developing their self esteem.

Secondary education should begin fro around 11 depending on whether or not the children are ready. They could be exposed to a broad curriculum that would include ethics, logic, environmental awareness, teamwork, community studies, families and interracial studies. They could be taught listening skills and be encouraged to discuss issues of the day or things important to them. They could have informal "lectures" on history, geography and other so called core subjects and given time and structured assistance to follow subject lines that they found to be of interest. There should be small tutorial groups with teachers and members of the community combining to guide and assist each student to choose the path most appropriate to them. There should be no examinations or even tests at this stage, and homework should be optional and requested by the students.
Each student should have a laptop computer and their work and progress as well as their attendance logged centrally and accessible to them, staff and parents (maybe even to anyone). Poor or antisocial behaviour could be dealt with within tutor groups, with peers and tutors combining in constructive behavioural therapies. (With the groundwork done in primary schools, this should be less of an issue than it is now.)
By the time that students reach 14, they should have an understanding of the way that society works and be aware of the paths that they can choose from. Those who favour academic work could then make subject choices appropriate to their needs and those who do not may choose to develop practical skills and this could be partly done alongside people in work. Students should stay at school until they are ready to leave. With some that may be as young as 15 and employment laws could be changed to allow more apprenticeships. Others may stay on until they have tried all that they want to, and senior pupils should play roles in the development of the newcomers. Subject groups should be ability based and not year groups, and able students should be encouraged to push their skills to whatever limit they choose to impose. Even the school day and school year could be flexible and new teachers trained not only in one subject. There should be no faith schools and religion should be taught only as a comparitive or social phenomenon.
Exams should be there for the academic students and be available for anyone that wishes to take part. Parents should be free to make use of the school facilities and students encouraged to take part in evening activities.

Well I could go on but won't...........I am not being paid to. :-)