Why isn't there a massive crisis in the UK education system?

Yes- the kids are great but - Weak management, assaults on staff, bad behaviour, bullying, testing, paperwork, lack of support from parents, responsibility for everything and power over nothing, no money, crumbling classrooms, idiotic government policies, OFSTED. According to the media every single social problem seems to be school's fault - poor literacy, poor numeracy, poor eyesight, obesity, violence, poor driving, teenage pregnancy and STD's, gangs, racism. It's a great job but why is ANYBODY still teaching under the PRESENT SYSTEM. It ain't the holidays so anyone who has never taught don't even bother saying that. Try spending the first week of your hol in bed recovering, the next 2 weeks preparing for September and the last week crying your eyes out!! and the weeks in between trying to find a cheap holiday because all the prices go up in July.

Why isn't there a massive crisis in the UK education system?
Seen how many are choosing to home educate? It's the fastest growth industry in Britain.
Reply:Don't believe everything you read or hear in the media. Most children turn up for school and do a good job, most teachers are working happily most of the time. Yes there are challenges, but there are much worse ways of earning a living.
Reply:As the previous contributors have already said-there IS a crisis. It makes my blood boil when I hear people sayng teachers have it easy....."all those holidays and a 3.30 finish" Grrrr! I am not a teacher defending my profession, since I teach ESOL to adults, and although the conditions and paperwork are appalling, this is nothing compared to what secondary school teachers have to endure. I had intended to teach Spanish in secondary school, but I didn't have the required Maths O level/GCSE,(Yes, because that is REALLY an absolute necessity when teaching a language, isn't it?)Anyway, in my quest to achieve this very necessary qualification, I embarked on a CELTA course and chose to follow this path instead. I have five children ranging in age from 30 down to 14, and I have witnessed a diabolical decline in both the standard of teaching and the attitudes of the schools. Education is no longer an institution-it is just another business, and is run as such. This is really where the problems lie. Teachers are unable to teach the way they would like because they are so bogged down and stifled by the red tape, the ridiculous paperwork and the numerous(and constantly changing) directives on how to teach. Neither the teachers nor the pupils really stand a chance of late. The only hope is that some time in the near future, there will be a return to sanity and some saviour will allow teachers to inspire, to teach and to be free of the constraints that prevent our children from learning.
Reply:I agree with you to a point I think it does not just lie in the school hands to educate our children I believe it begins at home but unfortunately it has become increasingly easy for anybody to go and have a child regardless of whether they wanted one to begin with and then it just goes down hill from then on if the parent is an unsuitable parent the child will grow up with the same attitude and values to life as the parent thinking its ok to swear at teachers to spit to attack other students and never mind the child ,the parent well I got attacked 3 days ago by another parent she broke my nose for telling her son where is your mummy sweetie spitting is not nice . This is the kind of society we live in the easy society I won’t work hard for something ill just take what I can and ill take it anyway I can. The other side of the coin is this why wont teachers get rid of disruptive students when a teacher is in fear of her life or gets assaulted at the school by another parent why does the head keep this child?? so that the parent thinks this behaviour is ok and goes on to attack a parent why are schools so concerned with league tables that they cover up disruptive behaviour I truly sympathise with you and I believe they should be more harsh on any kind of misbehaviour in schools by the way im talking about primary schools don’t even get me started on secondary education. and no im not an old woman who was in the war im 30 yrs old with 3 kids and parents good parents will never object to teachers bringing tougher rules into school the key is teacher parent communication and teachers not turning their nose up on parents after all we really do know our kids better even if we don’t like what our kids are.
Reply:I am a teacher in the US. Most of what I know of British schools is what I've read in The Economist.





One of the ironies of blaming education for lack of morality in society is that no where in the standards is there any mention of morality. We don't identify it, instruct it or assess it. Kids don't bring home report cards with grades on chastity or sobriety. We can't fault our schools for not doing things we don't ask them to do.





When you look at the services being offered at most schools, they are really quite good. One could learn a great many things from his teachers, and many students do. Many students, however, just aren't interested in the services being provided to them. This is not a character flaw, it's just a matter of preference. Unfortunately, it's not much fun to be around a bunch of adolescents who feel as if you're wasting their time.





It's important to remember that much of what we learn at school is not true, and little of it is useful. The primary value of an education is credibility. Proving you are good at mastering an arbitrary set of academic studies indicates that you will be good at other applications later. Students who have natural disadvantages toward mastering the chosen standards tend to feel marginalized by the system. They will work hard only to find they don't earn the credibility of students are better suited to the study.





It is odd that one of the responders claims that education has ceased to be an institution and become a business. Students tend to feel more like widgets than clients. I dream of teaching at a school that is run more like a business. We take a close look at each of our students and try to figure out what each one has to offer. Then we build on his/her strengths and evaluate his/her successes. Our students stand to gain the most value from our services when they earn credibility for the things they do well. There will always be certain standards that are universally respected. People will be impressed if you can do Algebra because it's difficult. But it is not the only difficult task to pursue.





I think the crisis comes from the viewpoint of trying to make our students useful for us instead of trying to make education useful to them.
Reply:There will always be debate on an education system this is how it improves. There are problems at the moment but none that cannot be cured by the government leaving the teachers alone to get on with the task they do best which is teaching. Too many experts want to change the system in the hope of making a name for themselves. Unfortunately this disadvantages both the staff and the children. There is too much paperwork and insufficient time to complete it. When it is complete nobody looks at it. This is a waste of time and resources.


Lets get back to basics cut the cr** and teach the children.
Reply:There is a massive crisis! That's why we who are sane and have been there in better times have, or are, getting out! You cant teach respect to people who don't have any for themselves. We could discuss this forever, but sadly it will get you nowhere. There is a distinct lack of values in society, a lack of moral fibre, and plenty of poor parenting. The law is an ***, and do gooders make lots of money! I got fed up of being a political pawn, just like the nurses and doctors. A society that pays b***** footballers more than it pays consultant surgeons etc wants some values instilling!
Reply:What do you mean there isn't a crisis? There is!! Have you tried recruiting and retaining good staff in some schools? The biggest crisis is currently at a senior management level. Applications for Primary School Headships are at an all-time low. After all, who would want a job that has been assessed by the Hay management group as having more responsibility than the head of a multi-national corporate bank for a tenth of the salary and be blamed for all the ills of society?