The fact I'm only gonna be getting about 6 hours sleep.

Month to do an assignment and he leaves it until the last week to do it (most of the work being done the night before it's due in). Good one, Dan!

Big Lugs is Online at Present.

(05 Dec 2014, 3:50 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Big Lugs is Online at Present.

What's his Real name? Unless he doesn't have a name like my old pet fish which I once left my sister to name

Having to get the X21 from Chester to Gateshead, then X1 back to Washington, as there's been no 8 or 50 for over an hour and a half.

That one woman who just kept getting in the bloody way at the MAX launch in Darlington this afternoon, she was chasing it like it was bloody One Direction!

Also the 25 minute gap of services from Darlington to Newton Aycliffe this evening and the morons who wouldn't get out of the way when the 5A finally turned up, you may not want this bus but I do.

Being wound up on Instagram by that girl I like and a total dickhead!

It's taken the 24 - 15 minutes to get to Gilesgate Roundabout from the Sainsburys Local just up the road.

3889 on Service X43.....

None of the snow forecast is for Sunderland - just places like Consett and Hexham! Grr..!

(07 Dec 2014, 9:50 am)Dan wrote None of the snow forecast is for Sunderland - just places like Consett and Hexham! Grr..!

Whaaaaay!!  Not that we'll get any though unfortunately, just a bit too far from Hexham

Thing that annoyed me yesterday was some guy that got on my 15A to Durham, he started talking to me when I was obviously not interested. Singing along and all I wanted to do was just stare out the window (we were the only ones upstairs, I liked it by myself!!). Luckily, once we got to Durham I legged it so he couldn't speak any more!

EDIT: No more than 2 minutes after posting the above I looked out the window and there was a heavy snow shower!! Lasted all of 1 minute though.

Got so much work due in before Tuesday, as this is my last week at uni before Christmas, as we have a "reading" week.

Assignment work and homework... kill me now!

I know this will likely strike up a debate, but in terms of school, I don't think homework is necessary. Just give it to the kids who can't be arsed to do the work in school.

Puts a lot of pressure on the kids who do try their hardest by revising every night, yet the kids who try their hardest get pushed the furthest; while the kids who don't try at all and don't really achieve get away with murder!

I understand it's how education works, but it's just not fair. Fair enough the kids who don't necessarily try the hardest may have learning difficulties or other something, but I just don't think it's fair at all!

I remember having a really nice guy who used to help us in P.E. (I think he might have been on a course!) but he was a 50-odd year old man who had been in an era where you were disciplined all the way through school if you couldn't even write properly! - and he said he thought the way the system works is beyond a joke!

Anyone else?

(07 Dec 2014, 5:54 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote I know this will likely strike up a debate, but in terms of school, I don't think homework is necessary. Just give it to the kids who can't be arsed to do the work in school.

Puts a lot of pressure on the kids who do try their hardest by revising every night, yet the kids who try their hardest get pushed the furthest; while the kids who don't try at all and don't really achieve get away with murder!

I understand it's how education works, but it's just not fair. Fair enough the kids who don't necessarily try the hardest may have learning difficulties or other something, but I just don't think it's fair at all!

I remember having a really nice guy who used to help us in P.E. (I think he might have been on a course!) but he was a 50-odd year old man who had been in an era where you were disciplined all the way through school if  you couldn't even write properly! - and he said he thought the way the system works is beyond a joke!

Anyone else?

We had this debate at uni last week about homework for children, as my course is based on working with children. 

I agree, i don't see why children should get homework, they do work all day in school, at end of the school day children should be aloud to come home and do what ever, same as the weekends, putting pressure on them to do work at home, just puts them off.

A lot of parents say they can't do the homework because its changed so much since they were at school and the national curriculum for years 1-6 has just changed, this means children at a younger age are now doing fractions etc earlier than last year, subjects such as maths has changed a lot over the years on how children work sums etc out.

I came out of school with shit grades because i got bored of being pushed and pushed by the teachers, look where i am now, i'm at uni on my 2nd year, hopefully gonna do my 3rd (yet to decide!)

I have to say.... the current education system isn't working at all, we have someone at the top who has no experience working in education.

Let's look at Sweden, they don't start formal school until the age of 7 as over their, all the children do is play and do small lessons, such as basic words for the ages 0-7... yet when they leave school they're near/top of the European education leagues for Maths and English and were below 15th in Europe.

They do 6am to 6pm but children like over here, can leave anytime! 

We learnt about Sweden on my course last year - here is a video of their schools, if anyone is interested! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Vw71RSn1I (its off 2012 but its a good watch, its on for 27 minutes) 

All the rooms are set out like home, table, chairs etc AND just why its so class in Sweden, they don't get government checks, not loads of paper work for teachers!

Children react differently to different methods of teaching and all children have different levels of teaching needs.

For some the current method of teaching in the UK will work best. For others the methods employed in Sweden may prove to be more beneficial. However it's impractical to have a mix-and-match approach to teaching children on a national scale. A national policy therefore needs to be decided upon and implemented to ensure children get the best possible educational experience. Homework, unfortunately, is essential for development and transition into the working world. Unless you're in a low-paid, dead-end job with no prospects you'll soon find out that homework pervades into working life. If one decides to venture into the world of academia - at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels - homework is essentially all you do. Doing homework at school prepares children for this and encourages the development of a broad range of transferable skills relating to time-management and work prioritisation.

(07 Dec 2014, 6:39 pm)AdamY wrote Children react differently to different methods of teaching and all children have different levels of teaching needs.

For some the current method of teaching in the UK will work best. For others the methods employed in Sweden may prove to be more beneficial. However it's impractical to have a mix-and-match approach to teaching children on a national scale. A national policy therefore needs to be decided upon and implemented to ensure children get the best possible educational experience. Homework, unfortunately, is essential for development and transition into the working world. Unless you're in a low-paid, dead-end job with no prospects you'll soon find out that homework pervades into working life. If one decides to venture into the world of academia - at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels - homework is essentially all you do. Doing homework at school prepares children for this and encourages the development of a broad range of transferable skills relating to time-management and work prioritisation.

Young children are currently getting at least a piece of homework a night, then loads on a weekend, then teachers and the government wonder why the education system is failing, they also wonder why it doesn't get done, and grades are falling, reason why.... they don't have time to be children no more.... the government want schools to be more like Asia, where they get brilliant grades.......... we will never be like Asia! 

All children learn different ways, and at a different speed, we can't forget that,  we can't have 10000000 different versions of the curriculum but i think children from the age of 3-7 should be allowed to be children, meaning going out to play etc and not get any homework at all or be under pressure for tests. 

The EYFS for children aged 0-5 is the worst, i bloody hate that document so much - so many targets for children at such a young age -  this also brought 2 year checks in, these are done when the child is at 2, to see if the targets are being meet in the area's of development. 

Here is the EYFS 2012 document - http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/...MENDED.pdf 

Iv'e used this document the last 5 years from when it was launched to the changes to it in 2012 so i know it well , maybe people on here can't see the faults and problems of it, this maybe because you's haven't used or even seen it, not saying you's might not be able to, i'm not looking down on people! 

I'll not go on because of the faults i find in it, it will get boring to read after the first paragraph! lol

I think there ought to be a reasonable limit to the amount of homework which can be given - to allow children to develop the skills of time management and working at home, but to also allow for these children to relax... Individual schools can implement a 'time limit' to be allocated to homework, but whether it's always followed through is another matter!

We were given a piece of Business Studies homework last week, but we hadn't fully covered the content during the lesson, meaning that I didn't fully understand how to do it. Thankfully, we all kicked up a fuss, and the teacher decided to hold back on giving us it until we'd gone over it during the lesson. I haven't been so 'lucky' on other occasions, and it's been such a huge pressure for me to complete the homework correctly for the due-date.

Virgin media and internet has gone off... great!

All of the SR3's area's has gone off, they rekon it will be on by 4pm tomorrow!

With homework, I think it's necessary as things stand, but only because the academic week doesn't have nearly enough teaching hours within it. Especially at KS4 level. It all works on statistics unfortunately, and schools will often reduce the amount of timetable time given to what they see as the 'self sufficient' subjects, and then adjust it again when grades start to suffer. It's like having a bucket of water with 10 holes in, and having to decide which ones to cover. 

My personal view is that the academic week needs to be extended. At most schools, I think it's about 5 hours a day teaching time, so only 25 over the course of the week. I think for Year 10 and 11, the week should be increased by 7.5 hours to 32.5 per week, to allow for a mandatory 1.5 hour per day session, to work on coursework, and additional work that would normally be taken home. It should only be on the basis that homework is no longer given, which should in turn enforce a work life balance. 

(07 Dec 2014, 9:36 pm)aureolin wrote With homework, I think it's necessary as things stand, but only because the academic week doesn't have nearly enough teaching hours within it. Especially at KS4 level. It all works on statistics unfortunately, and schools will often reduce the amount of timetable time given to what they see as the 'self sufficient' subjects, and then adjust it again when grades start to suffer. It's like having a bucket of water with 10 holes in, and having to decide which ones to cover. 

My personal view is that the academic week needs to be extended. At most schools, I think it's about 5 hours a day teaching time, so only 25 over the course of the week. I think for Year 10 and 11, the week should be increased by 7.5 hours to 32.5 per week, to allow for a mandatory 1.5 hour per day session, to work on coursework, and additional work that would normally be taken home. It should only be on the basis that homework is no longer given, which should in turn enforce a work life balance. 

We were talking about this the other day in class, ad we came up with the following suggestion:
Mon-Thurs:
8AM Start
2x1 hour lessons
Half an hour break at 10
3x1 hour lessons
45 minute lunch from 1.30 until 2.15
15 minute registration at 2.15 until 2.30
2x1 hour lessons
Finish at 4.30
Total of 7 hours of teaching time
From Monday to Thursday this would total 28 hours

Friday:
10.30 AM Start
3 Mandatory "Study" Lessons, allowing computer access for those who might not have at home
Finish at 1.30 PM

We suggested this as it would give people no excuse for incomplete "home"work, and would relieve any additional stress added by the homework. Also, a few of us were quite tired when suggesting it, hence the later start and earlier finish on the Friday.

Finally, as an early Friday finish could cause issues for younger years, and most of them would fins the studies pointless, it would only be for Year 11-13

I'll be starting my GCSEs next year, and yet to pick my options. I need one language (Park View is a languages college) and a humanity before 2 of my own choice.

As aureolin said, a lot of schools get 25 hours a week and mine is one of them. Next year, I'll get 4 hours of English, 4 hours of Maths, 6 hours of Science (kill me now!), 1 hour of R.E. and 2 hours of P.E., all mandatory! We get 4 options, and get 2 hours of each a week, and that adds up the total teaching hours.

Personally, I think we should get to pick 1 more, and get 2 hours less of Science. However, some will argue because we get all 3 sciences and need 2 hours of each.

Just my opinion, but extended hours would just lower 'moral' for everyone. If my year group got pulled into assembly and told next year as a new scheme we would be given extended schooldays.....there would be an uprising, and all the teachers would be shot in the yard! Just telling the truth, lol.

(07 Dec 2014, 9:57 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote I'll be starting my GCSEs next year, and yet to pick my options. I need one language (Park View is a languages college) and a humanity before 2 of my own choice.

As aureolin said, a lot of schools get 25 hours a week and mine is one of them. Next year, I'll get 4 hours of English, 4 hours of Maths, 6 hours of Science (kill me now!), 1 hour of R.E. and 2 hours of P.E., all mandatory! We get 4 options, and get 2 hours of week, and that adds up the total teaching hours.

Personally, I think we should get to pick 1 more, and get 2 hours less of Science. However, some will argue because we get all 3 sciences and need 2 hours of each.

Just my opinion, but extended hours would just lower 'moral' for everyone. If my year group got pulled into assembly and told next year as a new scheme we would be given extended schooldays.....there would be an uprising, and all the teachers would be shot in the yard! Just telling the truth, lol.

See, this is what gets me. Why force people through RE, a foreign language, and a humanity during KS4? If the kids aren't interested in doing it, the lesson won't be productive. The school's stats usually show that too. When I was at a community school (like Park View), I was forced to do RE & mixed humanities during Yr7-9, and then French during Yr7-11. RE was very centred around the Church of England, and in three years, never really covered any other religion. Humanities was OK, but the kids weren't interested, so the lessons were quite disruptive. Same with French.

I understand the need for PE, but we used to get 4 hours per week. Forces exercise upon people, which is important. Our PE lessons in Yr10-11 used to just involve two hours of football twice a week though.

(07 Dec 2014, 10:04 pm)aureolin wrote See, this is what gets me. Why force people through RE, a foreign language, and a humanity during KS4? If the kids aren't interested in doing it, the lesson won't be productive. The school's stats usually show that too. When I was at a community school (like Park View), I was forced to do RE & mixed humanities during Yr7-9, and then French during Yr7-11. RE was very centred around the Church of England, and in three years, never really covered any other religion. Humanities was OK, but the kids weren't interested, so the lessons were quite disruptive. Same with French.

If I have to do RE, I will kick off. RE should not be mandatory. At least half of RE is took up by the teacher telling kids off for being disruptive, but I don't mind as I hate the subject. 
I only think a language/humanity subject is mandatory if you take the English Baccalaureate but I may be wrong.  

(07 Dec 2014, 9:49 pm)mb134 wrote We were talking about this the other day in class, ad we came up with the following suggestion:
Mon-Thurs:
8AM Start
2x1 hour lessons
Half an hour break at 10
3x1 hour lessons
45 minute lunch from 1.30 until 2.15
15 minute registration at 2.15 until 2.30
2x1 hour lessons
Finish at 4.30
Total of 7 hours of teaching time
From Monday to Thursday this would total 28 hours

Friday:
10.30 AM Start
3 Mandatory "Study" Lessons, allowing computer access for those who might not have at home
Finish at 1.30 PM

We suggested this as it would give people no excuse for incomplete "home"work, and would relieve any additional stress added by the homework. Also, a few of us were quite tired when suggesting it, hence the later start and earlier finish on the Friday.

Finally, as an early Friday finish could cause issues for younger years, and most of them would fins the studies pointless, it would only be for Year 11-13

See, I think registration time is pointless in this day and age. Give all the students a smart card, and ensure they swipe in and out of the school doors. In addition to that, a class register is taken during every lesson anyway, so the kids movements are pretty much tracked throughout the day. There's 40 minutes a day saved straight away.

My personal view is it's mostly useless. A bit once in a while would probably do good, but I absolutely hated it and never did the bits I didn't like! (I was a very good liar then).

At the end of the day, I have decent GCSEs (all 11.5 grade C-A) and I'm currently in a job (well, apprenticeship) in the industry I've longed to work in for ages which is the railway. Met osme great people and I'm gaining invaluable experience which will, fingers crossed, help me to get a guard (trainman) job - of which one is coming up in the New Year.

I've always been against the opinion that qualifications are everything - in most of the railway, it's experience that counts. Qualifications are essentially bits of paper to prove you've passed an exam; how this will help you in real life I don't know! Also going on from this I have a bigger disliking of universities. Grr!


Sean.

(07 Dec 2014, 10:06 pm)Tom wrote If I have to do RE, I will kick off. RE should not be mandatory. At least half of RE is took up by the teacher telling kids off for being disruptive, but I don't mind as I hate the subject. 
I only think a language/humanity subject is mandatory if you take the English Baccalaureate but I may be wrong.  

RE is mandatory, as far as I know. I'm on a trip to Leeds to interview people at the Mosque there - the humanities department seem to think I'm quite good!

Nonetheless, it's not going to be good - we're going with TPE! , however, we are all going to an all-you-can-eat buffet!

(07 Dec 2014, 10:10 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote RE is mandatory, as far as I know. I'm on a trip to Leeds to interview people at the Mosque there - the humanities department seem to think I'm quite good!

Nonetheless, it's not going to be good - we're going with TPE! , however, we are all going to an all-you-can-eat buffet!

I'd rather sit in isolation than go and interview people at a Mosque! Regardless of whether we go to an all-you-can-eat buffet! I would just refuse to go!

(07 Dec 2014, 10:13 pm)Tom wrote I'd rather sit in isolation than go and interview people at a Mosque! Regardless of whether we go to an all-you-can-eat buffet! I would just refuse to go!

Never been in isolation. Should have been though, I tend to just say smartarse things to the idiot bitches who won't shut up and disrupt and laugh at things 10x harder to make them seem funnier which result in them storming out of the classroom either threatening to move schools or kill themselves. Pricks.

(07 Dec 2014, 10:07 pm)aureolin wrote See, I think registration time is pointless in this day and age. Give all the students a smart card, and ensure they swipe in and out of the school doors. In addition to that, a class register is taken during every lesson anyway, so the kids movements are pretty much tracked throughout the day. There's 40 minutes a day saved straight away.

Aye completely agree, only thing is it would be hard to monitor at our school, as there is one gate in/out then three separate buildings. We're getting a new building sometime soon (our year group will be long gone) so they could do it then. With other, more modern, schools I think it should be administered as current registration is pointless, absolutely nothing is achieved. It's pretty much a 15-20 minute session to check some boxes on a laptop... 

(07 Dec 2014, 10:10 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote RE is mandatory, as far as I know. I'm on a trip to Leeds to interview people at the Mosque there - the humanities department seem to think I'm quite good!

Nonetheless, it's not going to be good - we're going with TPE! , however, we are all going to an all-you-can-eat buffet!

I'd find that quite interesting. My school's view was that whatever the Church of England said goes, and who are you to challenge it. Absolutely no attempt to embrace any other religion.

(07 Dec 2014, 10:17 pm)aureolin wrote I'd find that quite interesting. My school's view was that whatever the Church of England said goes, and who are you to challenge it. Absolutely no attempt to embrace any other religion.

Unfortunately, embracing other religions just makes it more and more boring. I'd rather jump down from the third floor to the first floor!! Especially the Islam topic! - Jesus Christ just shoot me! It's not so much that I don't 'not like' their religion, it's just, and everyone who suffers a three-page homework on them every fortnight whenever we learn about it, will agree with me that they just milk every single discrimination against them!!

Stuff like....

Why do Muslims feel threatened? Why should they feel threatened? What makes them feel threatened? Why are they discriminated against? Why are they classed as terrorists?

Why are they feeding off our country is I want to learn from RE, personally!! Does my head in!

My views are my own by the way, and don't represent anyone else.