School Fines - Discrimination Against The Family Unit

[Chekhov 488]

Just now, Prettytom said:

Why would you need the 12 times table in a decimal world?

I’ve got more news for you, they no longer use stones, feet, ergs or dynes.

Differential calculus is happily ensconced in A level syllabuses, with plenty of pre-differential ideas being included at GCSE. 

Everyone should know their times tables, I use them (in my head obviously) pretty much every day.

[RollingJ 2,046]

1 minute ago, Prettytom said:

Why would you need the 12 times table in a decimal world?

 

I’ve got more news for you, they no longer use stones, feet, ergs or dynes.

 

Differential calculus is happily ensconced in A level syllabuses, with plenty of pre-differential ideas being included at GCSE. 

I'll take your word that Dif-calc is in the A-level syllabus - it's a while since I've been at school.

 

I am also aware we live in a 'decimal' world, although some of can still happily work in stones/feet or kilogrammes/metres

[Prettytom 1,648]

6 hours ago, abbeyedges said:

We have had the 6 week holiday structure for generations. It needs changing.

 

Many in the tourism industry has to make the most of a 6 week window.

 

If the 6 week holiday (there is an argument to reduce it to 4) was spread over more weeks in tghe summer across the country then this would give the tourism industry a larger window in which to operate and offer more competitively prices accordingly. 

 

Alternatively reduce the 6 weeks holiday to 4 and then allow parents the opportunity of using 2 weeks in a given school year to take an affordable family holiday.  

I agree entirely that the six week’s holiday needs changing. It allows holiday companies to profiteer and there is loads of research which shows that such a long break is bad for student progress.

 

I don’t like the idea of two weeks of floating holidays though. If you do that, you’ll have a mish mash of kids in every class, with different levels of knowledge. It would quickly become unmanageable.

 

Take two weeks off summer. Rearrange the terms. five  terms per year. Two weeks between then, except for summer when the holiday is four weeks. Anyone taking their kid out of school at other times should be entirely responsible for any catching up required. 

[Prettytom 1,648]

7 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

Everyone should know their times tables, I use them (in my head obviously) pretty much every day.

Try reading all the words

[peak4 282]

No false memory at all, I only knew of one in my secondary school, no idea about Infants/Primary/Juniors, but foreign holidays were much less common then.
No-one is discounting the value of family holidays; certainly not me, I was fortunate that my parents could just about afford them, but always out of term time.

Mathematics AS and A level content Department for Education

Purpose
3. A level mathematics builds from GCSE level mathematics and introduces
calculus and its applications. It emphasises how mathematical ideas are
interconnected and how mathematics can be applied to model situations
mathematically using algebra and other representations, to help make sense of data,
to understand the physical world and to solve problems in a variety of contexts,
including social sciences and business. It prepares students for further study and
employment in a wide range of disciplines involving the use of mathematics.

[peak4 282]

It's clearly a long time since I was at school, and since then, I've learned to use the internet and a variety of search engines

 

National curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study    Dept for Education

Lower key stage 2 - years 3 and 4
The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the 4 operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This should ensure that pupils develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching should also ensure that pupils draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It should ensure that they can use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number.

By the end of year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12 multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word-reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

[RollingJ 2,046]

Thanks for the above, @peak4.

[El Cid 221]

3 hours ago, peak4 said:

It's clearly a long time since I was at school, and since then, I've learned to use the internet and a variety of search engines

By the end of year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12 multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word-reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

School grades have historically improved, the number of teachers per pupil has decreased, that is progress for you.

But there will always be pupils with low attainments, you dont need good grades to care for others or do manual work.

[Chekhov 488]

On 22/03/2024 at 21:42, Prettytom said:

I agree entirely that the six week’s holiday needs changing. It allows holiday companies to profiteer and there is loads of research which shows that such a long break is bad for student progress.

 

I don’t like the idea of two weeks of floating holidays though. If you do that, you’ll have a mish mash of kids in every class, with different levels of knowledge. It would quickly become unmanageable.

 

Take two weeks off summer. Rearrange the terms. five  terms per year. Two weeks between then, except for summer when the holiday is four weeks. Anyone taking their kid out of school at other times should be entirely responsible for any catching up required. 

As regards holiday companies charging more during school holidays it does not matter what you do unless schools all take different weeks off which would bring its own problems.

[Chekhov 488]

On 23/03/2024 at 01:04, El Cid said:

School grades have historically improved, the number of teachers per pupil has decreased, that is progress for you.

But there will always be pupils with low attainments, you dont need good grades to care for others or do manual work.

School grades have historically improved been made easier.

There, fixed that for you.

[Chekhov 488]

This has been an argument in principle, up to now.

My wife tells me we have just been fined £120 (£60 each parent) for taking our child out of school for two weeks to South Korea, AUS and NZ.

Particularly bearing in mind they shut the schools for seven months during Covid* it is a good job my wife has agreed to pay it because it would stick in my throat to pay the soddin' hypocrites anything. I would almost rather go to jail, ****s.

Incidentally, our boy has had 99% or better attendance for his whole school career, is well above average in all subjects (except art....), and every week does extra work (generally maths) with me, in addition he did extra homework whilst actually on the holiday. 

IT STINKS.

 

*  Did they get fined for that ? Err no. Let's also remember that we were paying our taxes for our kid to be educated for those seven months but had to end up doing it ourselves. We should tell them to take the fine out of the tax rebate we never got.....

[Delayed 466]

2 hours ago, Chekhov said:

This has been an argument in principle, up to now.

My wife tells me we have just been fined £120 (£60 each parent) for taking our child out of school for two weeks to South Korea, AUS and NZ.

Particularly bearing in mind they shut the schools for seven months during Covid* it is a good job my wife has agreed to pay it because it would stick in my throat to pay the soddin' hypocrites anything. I would almost rather go to jail, ****s.

Incidentally, our boy has had 99% or better attendance for his whole school career, is well above average in all subjects (except art....), and every week does extra work (generally maths) with me, in addition he did extra homework whilst actually on the holiday. 

IT STINKS.

 

*  Did they get fined for that ? Err no. Let's also remember that we were paying our taxes for our kid to be educated for those seven months but had to end up doing it ourselves. We should tell them to take the fine out of the tax rebate we never got.....

COVID Bingo!