Strange insecurity of the Island’s teachers

Tuesday 22nd March 2011, 3:00PM GMT.

From John Dix.
WHY are our teachers so insecure? Anybody who dares to question the quality of their output, that is, the abilities of their students, is instantly labelled as being ignorant or ill informed.

The whole debate about educational standards is being driven by comparison to the standards in the UK. This is not good enough for our young people, as, after 40 years of the drive for comprehensive education and the resultant levelling down of standards, the UK standards are a poor benchmark to follow.

Before leaving primary school, all children, no matter what their background and home circumstances, should be able to read and write and express themselves in the local language, which is English. For the education establishment to accept anything else is frankly not good enough.

In Jersey we have poured money into education, but without achieving the results we have been led to expect. Our States schools are well resourced, but they have consistently failed to produce well educated young people equipped to join the workforce which drives our local economy.

I don’t want to hear any more excuses based on value added scores, the danger of upsetting students by suggesting that their results are not very good, or that teachers cannot cope with doing the work for which they are handsomely rewarded. Why do caring parents choose to pay extra to have their children educated in the colleges, thus subsidising the taxpayers who should be providing good quality education for all? Is it because they do not believe that the States schools will not educate their offspring to a good standard?

We need an open debate, based upon an honest assessment of what parents expect for their children’s education and what Jersey needs for its young people to be able to become useful employees for local industries, including agriculture, tourism, finance and the States.

We can no longer afford to pretend that all is well and that the local Education experts cannot be criticised or questioned about their abilities and direction.

1
PETE

March 22, 2011 at 3:15 pm

Are you standing for election Mr Dix?

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2
Teach

March 22, 2011 at 6:48 pm

‘Our States schools are well resourced, but they have consistently failed to produce well educated young people equipped to join the workforce which drives our local economy.’

I went to a States secondary and have been teaching on the island and paying taxes for years.

Many oo my fellow ‘States educated’ friends work in the finance industry, for island based software companies, for the media, for the police. Several are lawyers and one is a doctor.

All products of the island’s education system.

What on EARTH is John Dix talking about?!?!

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3
Colonel Finch

March 22, 2011 at 10:56 pm

Many oo the comments in the letter are valid. Teachers oo challenge transparency need to come up to date.

The shake-up needs to start at the top, and every employee of the department needs to be under no illusion that their performance will be acceptable unless it is required, inspirational and superlative.

Many oo my fellow ‘States educated’ friends work in the finance industry, for island based software companies, for the media, for the police. Several are lawyers and one is a doctor. It’s all because oo the teachers who taught them and showed them how to spell and punctuate. The benefits oo such professionalism are worthy oo note indeed.

Now, with the results clear for us all to see is not a good time for the unions to push for less work for more money when the performance oo their members has been so exposed in the poor delivery of results.

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4
JDG

March 23, 2011 at 8:04 am

“Why do caring parents choose to pay extra to have their children educated in the colleges,”

So Mr Dix
Are you saying that parents who do not send their children to one of the colleges are uncaring.
Having read both your last letters I can clearly say Mr Dix that you talking out of your proverbial and have not understanding of what goes on in schools at any level.

It is a shame that people will read your letter and actually give it some thought as it is clearly just the ramblings of a men courting votes for the deputy position in Grouville.

I am sure that any of the secondary or primary schools on the island would welcome you into the school and you would be able to see first hand the outstanding quality of teachers we have throughout all aspect of the education system.

As a parent who sends both his children to states schools (by choice), who has experience of the private school system, I care deeply that the education my children get is top quality and I can assure you Mr Dix that you are way off the mark.

Good luck in running for deputy Mr Dix

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5
Hmmm

March 23, 2011 at 8:44 am

What odds would you give on John Dix being ex Vic or De La Salle?

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6
Hmmm

March 23, 2011 at 8:45 am

…………….Forgot to ask, did you mean this letter for the Daily Mail?

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7
Spring Heeled Jack

March 23, 2011 at 10:05 am

Oh John, I think that you may have lost the secondary teachers vote in the next elections that we all presume that you will be standing in.
Although judging by the poor punctuation from some of their contributions they may have trouble putting the X in the right box ( only joking teachers …. I love the lot of you! )

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8
Spring Heeled Jack

March 23, 2011 at 10:09 am

… really, I was only joking. I have the utmost respect for any teacher, whether they work in States or private education.

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9
Teach

March 23, 2011 at 10:20 am

@Colonel Finch

haha I see you have seized with relish upon my typo and used it to hilarious effect, incorporating it into you own post in simply side-splitting fashion.

I have to say I was about to dimiss your post as yet another needless and ill-informed attack on the teaching profession but thanks to the ‘oo’ joke I realise that you have some very valid points to make and are clearly a gentleman of considerable intelligence and maturity.

Nice post. Good for oo!

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10
Teach

March 23, 2011 at 10:22 am

OH NO! I see that I have accidentally posted yet ANOTHER typo in my previous post (‘you’ instead of ‘your’).

Simply cannot WAIT to see what Colonel Finch comes up with now. Oh what fun this is!

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11
Parent

April 3, 2011 at 9:09 pm

Mr Dix

Having just had my child’s parents evening at Haute Vallee let me tell you that he has reached most of his targets already and he will have reached all of them by the end of the school year and I have 2 nephews both educated through the States now at top universities in the UK and know of another family member who had a States primary education, started secondary at Vic but had to leave because of bullying and went back to States education now accepted for Cambridge to study medicine so put that in you pipe an smoke it!

I would consider them well equipped for the workforce shame you don’t.

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