I have been finding it quite hard to write about my new school, because, I just feel so at home here. there are some cons like any school, but even those seem to be pros in a way. There is a very high standard set by many of the teachers, and the majority of work that is set you must complete, and this is enforced not by nagging but by the simple premise of, if you don't do the work, you fail a work requirement, that means that you fail the subject. luckly its not, if you dont do the work on time then you will fail, cause if that happened I think 40% of the students would fail. I don't think it deserves the bad rep that it gets from some of the other schools, from what I was hearing before I came here was that you could do whatever, and I thought that applied to everything from drugs to class participation. This is not the case. Swinburne has a very solid identy as a school, it knows how it wants to work and educate and it doesnt care what anybody else thinks.
I am now sure that a major change that needs to happen in mainstream public education, is that the senior school is treated differently than the middle and junior years of schooling.
When a student is in primary school and early high school. like it or not in most cases school is not a choice for them, and in ways one does not tend to doubt that. They might spend more time in year nine out of class wagging rather than in class studying. But in the end they have no choice legally, you must attend school (or at least pretend to do so). Once you get to year ten this startds to change, you have a choice ultimately if you are to continue with a high school education, most students in my experiance use this a a practice year, or don't even really accept that they can leave school.
The begining of VCE is when decitions about where your going to take your education are formed. by midyear it becomes really apparent that there has been a big change. From this point one usually gets spares (classes in your 9 to 3 timetable where you have no classes and as such free to do anything you want), and even if you don't you can ussaly leave the school grounds when you don't have classes (ie. lunch). A small but high impact freedom. The whole process of assesment changes, with the state having as much control as the school, if not more.
I shall refer to my old school here, the teachers begin using asking if low achiving students "should be there" either at that school or at school in general. uniform starts getting more relaxed but attendance polices start to get harsher, and the indivudial is punished if there subject or career choice does not match with the majority. With classes not offered due to a lack of trained staff or not enough numbers to fill classes.
The system of rigid "Do as I say not as do" double standards continue from the middle school, with the expectaion of teachers to be called Miss or Sir when they do not show as similar courocy to the student. Teachers are allowed to bring in tea, coffee or other beverages and drink them in front of the class while teaching, but students are forbidden from doing the same. Uniforms that are poor quality and/or expensive are (though in the case of my old school this was relaxed slightly) worn by the students in the name of "solidarity" but teachers do not wear a uniform, either the same as the students or (as in the past) the same as each other.
If you pull out a old Enid Blyton book or watch a movie about older english education, you will see that these old fashoned policies have roots from that time, but these behaviours or similar ones were also expected from teachers. the teachers wear uniform, I have bever spotted one drink a beverage while teaching, and they refer to the students (as long as they are not misbehaving) as Mr or Miss.
I want this system brought back as much as I want to be caned for answering a maths question incorrectly. What should happen though, as students grow older and it is their choice to be in school, they should be treated with the same respect as teachers. And this is being done, at senior schools, those that are designed to teach year 11 and 12 students exclusively.
Such as the school I currently attend, I wear no uniform, refer to my teachers by first name and now and again bring tea, coffee or miso into class, unless I have been politely asked by a teacher not to (such as in the case of my media teacher who asked us to abtstain from bringing drinks into class, but as she her self may on occasion bring in a cup of tea, she did not see it fair to forbid it) but no teacher has outright forbidden me from doing such a thing.
If a teacher is violent towards a student, then they are punished. As is the reverse.
If a teacher doesnt turn up to class then they have to make up time because they don't get paid, If a student does not attend then they have to make up the time or they risk failing because they don't know the course material.
So far as I see, this system can be abused, and is not right for younger students, who might not have the judgement. For senior students, if they abuse it, it is at there own detriment. not getting the ATAR score or prerequistes they need for further education or entering the workforce.
Although it seems like I went off on a bit of a tangent, what I have explained is the main difference between most schools, both public and private. Also the thing I enjoy and respect most about swinburne senior. That and the common room. :D
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