GrodsCorp

Tears to my eyes

Monday 12 November 2007, 5:49 pm

The Editor

Categories: Australia Decides '07, Education

Tags: DumbingDown, Education, JohnHoward

Nothing — and I mean nothing — brings more of a sinking feeling to my gut than these words:

John Howard

“Australia does not need an education revolution. Australia needs an education system that teaches its children to read, to write, to spell and to add up”

15 Comments

Bruce (Monday 12 November 2007, 6:46 pm) #

Because teachers don’t teach these things already? Hmmm…

I notice science isn’t on his list. I guess that’s in line with the Intelligent Design mandate the Howard Government want to extend to public schools.

I’d say more reason for me to move to the UK, but they’ve been having similar problems over there with kook material entering curriculum.
Bridgit Gread (Monday 12 November 2007, 6:48 pm) #

Comprehension would be good too!
The Editor (Monday 12 November 2007, 6:48 pm) #

I’m certain there’s also a little dig at public education in that statement. Bloody commie public school teachers who spend so much time indoctrinating kiddies with leftist ideology that they don’t teach ‘em to read and write.
Bruce (Monday 12 November 2007, 7:27 pm) #

That and those accursed post-modern-stews.
The Happy Revolutionary (Monday 12 November 2007, 7:35 pm) #

Teachers have wasted so much time indoctrinating our kids with the Axis of Evil (Marx, the Koran, and Derrida) that nobody can read or count anymore. They’ve thaught the wrong three R’s - Rioting, Red propaganda, and Revolutionary theory.

We’ll need to get Blainey and Hendo to have a look at the curriculum, methinks.
Bruce (Monday 12 November 2007, 8:26 pm) #

Yes. Derrida has been turning those kids in English and art into ~~right~~ left little revolutionary pinkos. Pinkos who can’t spell, write, count or add up.

That is unless you compare them to previous generations who just happen to be worse and English and maths. I hate those pinkos that point out that much of the maths taught in year 7 these days is the maths that was taught in year 9 20-30 years ago!

Arrrgghhh! Commie bastards! Making there couning worserer by makin thehm betterrer at mafs!
Bruce (Monday 12 November 2007, 8:28 pm) #

“at English”… damn… I’m having a bad run here at Grods lately. And it ate my “del” tag around the word “right”!
The Editor (Monday 12 November 2007, 8:31 pm) #

Chucked it in for you, Bruce. Try a ’strike’ tag in future rather than a ‘del’ tag.
Jeremy (Monday 12 November 2007, 9:07 pm) #

“Nothing — and I mean nothing — brings more of a sinking feeling to my gut than these words…”

What about “John Howard has won the 2004 Federal Election!”

I’m still having nightmares.
Bruce (Monday 12 November 2007, 9:24 pm) #

What about…

“John Howard has won the 2007 Federal Election!”

Or still…

“John Howard has won the 2007 Federal Election and thanks to an accident leading to the death of Peter Costello, will be leading the Government to the 2011 Federal Election.”
Dave from Albury (Monday 12 November 2007, 10:08 pm) #

Howard’s entire performance today was pathetic, but I can’t disagree with your assessment. This is the same noxious little man who insists that educators force every silly little idea that he has into our kids and then has the nerve to complain that the basics are being ignored.

I’m hoping the 24th will be a Moet evening, but if it goes badly it’s going to be scotch and razor blades. I don’t think Australia can cope with another term of this odious crew.
Mikey (Tuesday 13 November 2007, 1:08 am) #

Um … isn’t Oz high up in the literacy/numeracy rankings already?
Mikey (Tuesday 13 November 2007, 1:11 am) #

See?

http://caliban.sourceoecd.org/vl=4713893/cl=27/nw=1/rpsv/figures_2007/en/page24.htm
Bruce (Tuesday 13 November 2007, 2:15 am) #

Yes we are Mikey. Yes we are.

It’s just that the PM and every education minister he has appointed have been incompetent when it comes to knowing where we stand in terms of performance. Mem Fox tore strips off of them a while back for this stupidity (and for their aversion to the mere idea of reading comprehension).

Also, Bishop and the sympathetic hacks at the Austrayun’s education section, haven’t even worked out what integrated curriculum is yet, and yet they have managed to develop an ideological aversion to it (and especially to doing homework on the topic - they didn’t even mention Beane et al at the history education ~~farce~~ summit this year when Beane’s work is central to the theory of integrated curriculum).

Let’s just hope Pax Moronica doesn’t last much longer.
billybob (Tuesday 13 November 2007, 1:25 pm) #

Too much of kids sitting around discussing why zoos cage animals