T.+Education

 //Read or // The British government is soon to pass legislation that would raise the school leaving age to 18. The new plans will come into effect by 2013. Pupils will have the choice of staying in formal classroom education that covers academic lessons, or of receiving vocational training. It is the first major revision of the compulsory education age limit since 1972, when it went up to the present 16 years old. The government hopes the additional two years of schooling or training will bolster the quality of young Britons and ensure more British youth have qualifications or workplace skills. If successful, Britain may be able to boast the best educated and most highly trained school leavers in the world, which is bound to have positive knock-on effects for industry and the economy. It should also bring down levels of crime. Britain’s Minister for Education Alan Johnson told The Times newspaper that it was "repellent that a youngster of 16 is not getting any training". He lamented on his mistakes of the past, saying: "I regret not staying on in education... when I left school there were loads of jobs you could walk into without qualifications. That's not going to be the case in the future." The leader of Britain’s teaching union Steve Sinnott concurred. He described the upcoming legislation as "inevitable". He warned: "We cannot afford to neglect those young people who currently leave school at 16 unprepared for the rigors and demands of life in the 21st Century." Toby Ashford, a 16-year-old student from London wasn’t as enthusiastic. He complained that: “It is another example of politicians trying to be Big Brother with young people.”
 * School leaving age set to rise to 18 **

> Should people be able to stay at school for as long as they want?  29th November, 2012 A new report into world education shows Finland has the best system. The global study is called "The Learning Curve" and is from the British magazine "The Economist". It aims to help governments provide a better education to students. The 52-page report looked at the education system in 50 countries. Researchers analysed millions of statistics on exam grades, literacy rates, attendance, and university graduation rates. Asia did well in the report, with South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore finishing second, third, fourth and fifth. The United States came 17th in the study, while Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia filled the bottom three positions in the top 50. The Learning Curve reported on five things that education leaders should remember. The first is that spending lots of money on schools and teachers does not always mean students will learn. Second is that "good teachers are essential to high-quality education". The report said teachers should be "treated as the valuable professionals they are, not as technicians in a huge, educational machine". Numbers three and four are that a country's culture must have a strong focus on the importance of education, and parents have a key part to play. Finally, countries need to "educate for the future, not just the present." The report said: "Many of today’s job titles…simply did not exist 20 years ago.  a) What were (are) you happy and unhappy with about your education?  b) What do you think of your teachers? c) What three things can teachers do better? d) Should teachers get paid the same as lawyers, doctors and bankers? e) What is easy and difficult about a teacher's job? f) How important is using technology in lessons?  g) What does "educate for the future, not just the present" mean?  h) What questions would you like to ask the author of the report?
 * DISCUSSION **
 *  Did the headline make you want to read the article?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Did anything in the article surprise you?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">What advice would you give to Britain’s problem 15 year olds?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Do you think it’s a good idea to raise Britain’s school leaving age to 18?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Should the new legislation have been introduced sooner?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">As a student what do you think of this issue?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Do you think British school leavers, or those from your country, are among the best educated in the world?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> What age can you leave school in your country?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">In today’s world should young people study more languages?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">What things would you do differently if you were sixteen again?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Do you think the new legislation will make weaker pupils study harder?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Does school in your country prepare young people for the rigors and demands of 21st-Century life?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 200%;">Finland has world's best education system **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 170%;">**Let's talk about this topic even more:** ////
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 190%;">Writing: **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 180%;">Schools are no longer necessary. Teachers should teach using iPads and computers with students sitting at home. Discuss.