Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Moving from frustration to disgust

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  • linger, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    Although they’re starting to relax things a little.

    Well, not exactly…

    True, there is now much less competition for university places in Japan.
    It is also true that – partly as a result of the demographic shift – the standards of students accepted into university (and that’s any given Japanese university, even at the highest levels) are much lower than they were 10 years ago. A depressingly high proportion of the intake of “English majors” for my own department now score at worse than random guessing on TOEIC – something unthinkable even 5 years ago. Other basic skills (time management, critical thinking, maths, you name it) have shown a similar steep decline. Takamitsu Sawa (president of Shiga University) has observed:

    When a university appears to fail to attract a sufficient number of students, it tends to admit all applicants and, if necessary, enroll additional applicants from China.

    , resulting in a basic problem

    in the lack of students’ eagerness and ability to study

    […]

    A large number of students majoring in the liberal arts do not possess sufficient skills to read, write and express themselves while many science majors cannot keep up with their math classes.

    ["More crucial than English”, Japan Times, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012]

    Eventually there will be some kind of Darwinian shakeup and the third of universities currently unable to attract enough students to run sustainably will be forced to close, to some extent reinstating the previous level of competition – though it could take more than a decade for that process to run its course.

    But meanwhile, there is now much more competition in the job market, so that our students are now spending most of their final two years at university job-hunting. And their lower skill levels (across the board, not just in English) are not serving them well in that regard. (Last year less than 60% of Japanese university graduates found jobs. I hasten to add, that's the national average. My own university did somewhat better.)

    As a result of this trend, the past decade’s experiment in “relaxed education” (in which Saturday classes were removed, and class hours progressively reduced, at high schools) has been deemed a failure, and – starting in 2009 under Abe – class hours have gradually been expanded again.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to linger,

    Linger- what place has oral learning/practical teaching pre-school, in the systems you are familiar with?
    As kids, in my family, it was expected we would have a hoard of nursery rhymes/songs/genealogies (basic)/times tables/some spelling formulae (“i before e EXCEPT”)simple recipes and how to use simple tools (screwdrivers/hammers/saws)
    before we were 7- that is, before we reached the end of the primers-(I was in Standard 1 at 7.)
    O yes. It was also expected we could read before we went to school...

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • linger, in reply to Islander,

    The little I've seen of Japanese elementary schools suggests that some parts of the curriculum (especially natural science) are quite hands-on, but many activities are strictly off-limits (including anything with the remotest potential to be dangerous, e.g. anything involving the use of sharp objects).
    One of the areas of "declining skill" so often bemoaned here is in elementary students' manual dexterity & coordination (e.g. in one test, ability to sharpen a pencil using a knife: few Japanese 7-year-olds can do this, possibly because they're not allowed to use knives).

    "Oral learning" ... more generally, rote learning ... is stressed. (And that is the right word.)

    By 2006, most public elementary schools had introduced some English lessons (at the urging of parents, rather than the Ministry of Education) ... but even for 6th graders, who had the most exposure, this amounted to only 15 hours over the year. At elementary level English lessons are limited to basic greetings and short songs. There's a lot of repetition. Students never get to use the language to express themselves meaningfully. (One former Education minister [Kosaka] explicitly gave the aim at this level as developing enjoyment of English and/or foreign culture, not necessarily to allow any communication.)

    Within the Ministry-mandated curriculum at higher levels, there's even less chance for students to use the language (at all, let alone in any playful or creative way). School textbooks are notoriously geared to entrance exams, with understanding provided by meticulous translation notes rather than by discovery or creativity. A ministry survey in 2005 found only 4% of public middle schools, and 25% of high schools, conducted most of their English lessons — even oral communication lessons! — in English.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to linger,

    Thank you.
    A bit sad that tool-making&using H.sap.sap is not -in some areas- now imparting basic knowledge-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    RadioNZ: Enrolment zones skewed to exclude poor children

    A Fulbright scholar says some Auckland secondary schools admit deliberately skewing their enrolment zones in order to block enrolments by children from poor neighbourhoods.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    He says some principals told him they tried to deter poor families in other ways. One said she removed the names of undesirable students from her school's ballot for out-of-zone enrolments.

    Leaving aside the rest of it, if that's true, some metaphorical heads should be rolling.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Not just Auckland. Wellington College's home zone excludes Newtown, Island Bay and Berhampore, which are within walking distance, but includes Karori and Wadestown which are on the other side of Wellington.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Lucy Stewart,

    metaphorical heads should be rolling.

    Metaphorical Heads, is that “Principals”? and what have they been rolling?.
    Anyhoo.

    The Ministry responded to Morning Report in a statement, saying ministry guidelines state “householder income should not be considered when zones are drawn up”.

    Can someone explain how this can be so when according to the NZPTA (PDF here)

    A school’s decile rating indicates the extent to which the school draws its students from low socio-economic communities. The indicator is based on Census data for households with school-aged children in each school’s catchment area. It is determined by factors such as:
    • Household income.
    • Occupation.
    • Household crowding.
    • Income support.

    The zoning and rating are intertwined. It would, of course, be possible to skew these stats. to make your school rank higher decile wise but then you would lose Govt. funding.

    The reasoning behind the decile system is
    based on giving parity to educational
    outcomes across all socio-economic groups.
    It can be convincingly argued that a greater
    number of students in lower decile schools
    present significantly more challenges to the
    school in terms of learning and behaviour
    needs, thereby requiring greater
    expenditure. It can also be argued that lower
    decile schools are not able to achieve the
    same levels of income from their
    communities that higher decile schools can
    achieve. So the decile system provides the
    Government with a levelling tool. Schools
    that are expected to have higher costs due
    to socio-economic factors are given more,
    while schools that are able to bring in more
    money from their own community receive
    less.

    Are we talking pure snob value here or do decile 10 schools really have better results than, say, a decile 3 school and if so what are the factors at play here?
    A happy and stimulating home life, with adequate food and shelter, is a factor that should not be ignored. so, if there are outcomes differentiated by these factors then perhaps it is not the schools we should be looking to to solve this problem.
    But then with this lot in charge it could be as simple as plain old union bashing and damn the consequences.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Lucy Stewart,

    He says some principals told him they tried to deter poor families in other ways. One said she removed the names of undesirable students from her school’s ballot for out-of-zone enrolments.

    Leaving aside the rest of it, if that’s true, some metaphorical heads should be rolling.

    I read that, and was completely disgusted. These schools should be named and shamed, not allowed to continue their discriminatory (and possibly illegal) zoning practices behind a veil of secrecy.

    Looking at the zones of the likes of Grammar it's blatantly obvious that they're being drawn up to encompass the "best" parts of their surrounding area.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    I read that, and was completely disgusted. These schools should be named and shamed, not allowed to continue their discriminatory (and possibly illegal) zoning practices behind a veil of secrecy.

    Looking at the zones of the likes of Grammar it’s blatantly obvious that they’re being drawn up to encompass the “best” parts of their surrounding area.

    Professor Lubienski calls it gerrymandering. I suspect it goes further than that, and there’s a term for it: redlining.

    MAGS is decile 7, and there’s insufficient data available to tell where Dale Burden stands exactly. He's stayed largely out of the National Standards and league tables controversies, and doesn’t appear to speak for either the SPA nor the Education Forum.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    Not just Auckland. Wellington College’s home zone excludes Newtown, Island Bay and Berhampore, which are within walking distance, but includes Karori and Wadestown which are on the other side of Wellington.

    I'd say Karori & Wadestown also have Onslow College to choose from. Also, the southern suburbs are likely in the Wellington High/Rongotai Col zone.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    It would, of course, be possible to skew these stats. to make your school rank higher decile wise but then you would lose Govt. funding.

    My understanding is that the high decile schools make up for that lack of funding by charging (arguably illegal) fees. These fees of course, deter impoverished kids from attending, which (besides enabling the school to build better rugby facilities) may be their main justification.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    No, Karori and Kelburn are out of the Onslow zone these days and only have Wgtn High or Girls/Boys to chose from. Wadestown and Wilton just squeeze into both. The point is that the lower decile schools close by Wgtn Coll are out of zone for their local secondary school while higher decile ones across town are zoned in. So Newtown boys have to bus a few kilometres away to lower decile Rongotai College and airport noise.

    Incidentally, Rongotai's gym recently burned down. But instead of helping this poorer local school out, the Weta guys gave a huge endowment of facilities to the private and very wealthy boys' school Scots College. They don't seem to realise that creativity and other useful skills are much more likely to be nurtured in the state system than in that highly privileged environment.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    ncidentally, Rongotai’s gym recently burned down. But instead of helping this poorer local school out, the Weta guys gave a huge endowment of facilities to the private and very wealthy boys’ school Scots College.

    Surprise me.
    Weta is all about wealth = power = social dominance. It sure as shit isnt about sharing & caring & and having a social conscience.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    The point is that the lower decile schools close by Wgtn Coll are out of zone for their local secondary school while higher decile ones across town are zoned in. So Newtown boys have to bus a few kilometres away to lower decile Rongotai College and airport noise.

    I wonder how you'd come up with a widely-applicable set of rules for zoning? It's obviously not possible for schools to always be in the epicentre of their zone. In the matter of Coll v. Rongotai, I don't think it's actually possible for Coll to ever be very far from the southern edge of its zone, unless they overlapped significantly.
    Similarly, Wgtn East (my former school) excludes some fairly close-by suburbs in favour of serving the entire south and east of the city - the difference being that those suburbs are the wealthy ones.

    But I'd have thought there were, or should be, some general guidelines for zoning which started with "your zone will not be approved if it excludes nearby areas unless there are very good reasons for it".

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    I can see the headlines now...

    "School choice now, school choice tomorrow, school choice forever!"
    ...

    "The headmaster of Auckland Grammar has threatened to obstruct efforts to escort nine low-decile students into the school grounds on their first day..."

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    Mind you, Coll isn’t the only one to have an odd zone. Onslow, for instance, has a zone that runs from parts of Upland Road to Churton Park, but doesn’t take in any of (very close by) Newlands. Of course, Newlands is the other side of the motorway.

    (I actually wonder if there are geographical reasons to do with urban development that lead to a lot of these things.)

    Also, just 'cause a school, like CBHS, had the foresight to place itself in the geographic centre of wealthy part of town doesn't make it any better.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to Keir Leslie,

    Of course, Newlands is the other side of the motorway.

    Not just that, it's on the other side of, specifically, *Ngauranga Gorge*, which is a pretty damn effective geographical barrier. There's no such obvious explanation for why Coll encompasses, frex, Roseneath but not Hataitai.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace, in reply to Keir Leslie,

    When I was on the Onslow board we had some 'robust' discussions about zone boundaries. From memory the Ngauranga border was done in close collaboration with Newlands College (and the Min of Ed). At that time Onslow was growing faster than Newlands and this was done to help Newlands. Newlands now has a zone too.

    I am amused to hear the principal of Wgtn Coll on the news this morning being critical of schools that gerrymander zones.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    I know what he would drive

    Somewhere a cucumber is looking for its Sunbeam.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    Lucy, Roseneath is just more au fait with Wellington College values than Hataitai. It's all about the character of the school...

    Hilary: yeah, I imagined something like that would be the case.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to Keir Leslie,

    Lucy, Roseneath is just more au fait with Wellington College values than Hataitai. It’s all about the character of the school…

    Oh, I am quite familiar with Wellington College's...character.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Lucy Stewart,

    Oh, I am quite familiar with Wellington College’s…character.

    When decisions were being made as to where my nephew was to go for secondary schooling, Wel Col was counted out in spite of the resources it had, because of the "people there". In the end, he attended a Montessori college (which later closed down after Anne Tolley turned down an application to be an integrated college).

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    And surprise, surprise... it seems to happen in Wellington too.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Miro, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    Sorry I have to come to the defense of some higher decile schools (primary at least). If they are going to have a decent operational budget to cover the running of the school, they have no choice but to seek money from their community. For some up to 40 % of their operational budget (excludes teacher salaries) comes form locally sourced funds. Voluntary donations (not illegal fees) is a relatively easy way to get some of this. Regardless of who holds the treasury benches I don't see this changing soon.

    New Zealand • Since Jun 2012 • 1 posts Report Reply

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