Read somewhere that 4 out of 5 young people in the UK cannot read a clock [as in analogue].
That is also true of kids here in Oz... I've met a few of them. In fact, I have met more kids in most recent years [around 10 or so] who cannot read or write, do math, than any other time in my life. It's like the education system has lost the plot and strayed away from the basics... and if one or two kids in a class fall behind the others, they tend to fall ever further behind as they receive little or no special attention to help them catch up. A case in point in my family: Nephew A.s daughter excels in all her subjects and is teacher's pet; Nephew B's daughter is languishing at the back of the class [where the teacher placed her] and learning little to nothing.
When my nephew and his partner went to meet the teacher to discuss their concerns, she was short and abrupt with them, expressing an attitude that suggested she only cares about the gifted children and those doing well. In seeing their pleas for help were futile, they then went to the head master, who ordered some remedial teaching for the child. The girl is now doing better, but that additional help is only two days a week and falls well short of what is required for this lass to leave school with a borderline average education, at best. While niece A will likely go on to university and continue to excel, niece B will likely leave school and be barely employable because she has been neglected by those who have a duty of care to ensure she is educated well, not to be left to languish at the back of the classroom and forgotten about.
Personally, I would move the child to a different school, if only to see if things improve there, and if not, off to another school. However, nephew B just informed me that you must live within a school's district for your child to be eligible for enrollment, and that the only school district he lives within is the one she already attends. Well that sucks, niece A has the choice of 4 different schools because their 'districts' slightly overlap. Makes no feching sense, does it?
Sorry about the rant/hijack... however, the door to the education dilemma was left slightly ajar [post 41] and I just couldn't help myself... I just had to push it open a little farther.
