The biggest threat during one of the worst times in the history of education was the English system of payment by results.\u00a0 It provided an excellent example of what not to do.\u00a0 It is about to re-emerge in Australia and will have an impact.\u00a0 When the number-crunchers and bean-counters controlled British schools in the 1860s,\u00a0 schools were pressured to produce results on examinations conducted by School Inspectors.<\/p>\n
The Revised Code 1862,\u00a0 the \u2018revolution’ of the period, turned schools into test factories.\u00a0 Robert Lowe, who introduced the Code and possessed only a superficial albeit\u00a0 sciolistic knowledge of schooling, said that \u2018…teachers who oppose the code are as impertinent as chickens wishing to decide the sauce in which they should be served.’\u00a0 It is of interest to note that Joel Klein,\u00a0ex-lawyer, \u00a0sciolist of some repute and principal overseas adviser to Australia’s Minister for Education said \u2018…resistance [to his test-based scheme] from educators should not deter the Government from its role.’ [2008]<\/p>\n
British teachers,\u00a0 during the Revised Code [read \u2018new revolution’ for Australian purposes] period,\u00a0 concentrated on grant-earning subjects and neglected other work through the 1860s, since their livelihood depended on the test results.\u00a0 \u2018Mechanical style teaching’,\u00a0 as it was called,\u00a0 returned to the classroom and teachers,\u00a0 generally,\u00a0 felt demoralised.\u00a0 Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth and Matthew Arnold led the fight for a return to learning-oriented classrooms.<\/p>\n
After a tour of continental schools in 1867,\u00a0 Arnold remarked on the obvious \u2018deadness,\u00a0 slackness and discouragement’\u00a0 in his beloved British schools.\u00a0 There was,\u00a0 he said,\u00a0 \u2018… a lack of intelligent light.’\u00a0 Both Kay-Shuttleworth and Arnold were very influential and respected for their business and literary connections,\u00a0 so the populace listened.\u00a0 If only Australia had such influential observers at the present time!\u00a0 Help!!\u00a0 Someone!!\u00a0 A mining magnate.\u00a0 An editor.\u00a0 A writer.\u00a0 A magazine.<\/p>\n
Changing\u00a0from a school-based operation to management based\u00a0started in the 1980-90s.\u00a0 Things went \u2018Back to Drastics’,\u00a0 for sure and certain,\u00a0 and, now, \u00a0contemporary proposals will only make things worse.\u00a0 [8. <\/span><\/a>How ‘Back to Drastics’ Happened]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n What is the school experience of those in control of education departments,\u00a0test construction \u00a0and school deelopment\u00a0\u00a0throughout Australia and also of those in critical positions in schools?\u00a0 Who is running things?<\/p>\n Who is influencing the Federal Minister of Education?\u00a0 Surely such a position of control of primary schooling demands the seeking of advice from people who know more about primary schools than any other group in the Commonwealth.\u00a0 Is the Minister constantly seeking advice from the Australian Primary Principals’\u00a0 Association or does the incumbent expect it to plead?\u00a0 Indeed, does the Association \u00a0tell the Minister, with experienced based gumption what should be done:. Does\u00a0the Minister care ? \u00a0Is notice taken of the Australian Government Principals Association.\u00a0 If there is no close,\u00a0 indeed very close, \u00a0connection with those in the schools and their representatives,\u00a0 then the education revolution is a political sham and the country’s future in jeopardy.\u00a0 It is as important as that.<\/p>\n What can be done about it?<\/p>\n Messrs Kay-Shuttleworth and Arnold, where are you when we need you ?\u00a0 Even though you are Poms, you have been there. Your kind of influence has been replaced by a New York brand of fear-driven motivation. You, at least, know the difference.<\/p>\n Australia needs\u00a0 a revolution for sure ….a fair-dinkum \u00a0Australia-made\u00a0 school-based revolution. What’s so wrong\u00a0with using\u00a0the accumulated experience of\u00a0Aussie school-based battlers ?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The biggest threat during one of the worst times in the history of education was the English system of payment by results.\u00a0 It provided an excellent example of what not to do.\u00a0 It is about to re-emerge in Australia and will have an impact.\u00a0 When the number-crunchers and bean-counters controlled British schools in the 1860s,\u00a0 … Continue reading Control by Sciolists<\/span>