Monday, 6 December 2010

The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful

If there's no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

My 3 year old daughter was singing the first line of this song yesterday. It's amazing how quickly young children can absorb information so effortlessly.
When you reach the age of around 16 it suddenly becomes a mammoth task to remember information for academical purposes. It no longer becomes fun.

Since I started my course in Journalism I am finding myself learning like a young child. The information is being quickly and easily absorbed because I find it interesting.

The Conservative party aim to place great emphasis on traditional education. A step backwards some may argue. After all, we are the generation of educated to degree standard, skilled in trades and life-long learners. Now David Cameron wants to extinguish this trend and replace it with mundane teaching practices and subjects which will no longer be relevant to our children in this ever changing world.

I hope my daughter enjoys learning throughout her life and that the Conservatives manifesto does not take what seems to be a pleasure for her away from her in her teenage years.
The emphasis should not be on traditional subjects such as history, maths and english. Education should be the study of all worldy subjects.

I interviewed a lady once who told me that her primary education consisted of learning maths and english but the teacher placed as much emphasis on poetry, nature, countries, cultures and religions, to name a few.
She added that when her class progressed to secondary level they were well above the classes average.

 Subconsciously they had it drilled into them that learning is about getting enjoyment out of facts, figures and quotations. Rather than sitting down and regurtitating the same information until it becomes embedded in your brain that you become another walking educated zombie.

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