Peter Jones wrote an interesting article today encouraging  teenagers to perhaps consider doing more business related qualifications other than academic ones. 

I couldn’t agree with him more.  I’ve always had a bee in my bonnet about the current educational system. To me its like a one track road that provides an enviroment for nurturing only the academic kids amongst us.

Not enough is done to support children who are gifted in sports, for example. A third of the 2012 British Olympic Atheletes will be privately educated.  This rises to almost half of the athletes in sports such as rowing, modern pentathlon and sailing – despite only 7% of the population attending private schools. And even less is done, to nurture those with an entrepreneurial spirit. The A-Level in Business studies deals with only with the theory of business, which is okay, but doesn’t go far enough to address the real tools needed to become an entrepreneur.

Indeed, many top successful business people have little in the way of academic qualifications. Jones, who himself  is a successful millionaire, didn’t actually go to university. 

Many of those who possess gifts other than that of a potential Doctor, Lawyer or Accountant, learnt to look outside of the square and with a dollop of self belief and creativity, became extremely successful in other ways.

So if you don’t feel like doing back flips in the academic sense, perhaps you are in fact, missing your true vocation!

Gove’splans to cut back £55 billion from the Schools rebuilding fund prompted the Transport Minister, Phillip Hammond, to say schools need good teachers and streaming, not sparkling schools!

I agree with the streaming bit, however, do not underestimate for a second the importance of how your environment impacts your thinking.  What you see on the outside has a direct affect on how you feel on the inside.

This is why a brand new outfit often gives you a lift, for example. It’s no coincidence either that private schools do so well, when children are in an environment surrounded by some of the best facilities.

A smart, organised, fresh clean environment improves our mental well being.  Considering the amount of time our children and especially our teenagers spend at school, certainly from a phsycological perspective, it would be money well spent.

Would you lie if you didn’t live in the right catchment area for the best school in the borough? 

I wrote an article for the Guardian on my views on this topic, and geez, all hell was let loose on the comments board.

Click here to read the article and the abuse that followed.

My final word on the topic is this:

I sometimes wonder if the biggest lie we tell, is to ourselves.

There are those who use their financial muscle to buy or rent homes within the catchment areas of the ‘good’ state school, who ordinarily, wouldn’t have moved there. Is that too not a lie and most importantly, immoral? Or is that one of those lovely okay lies?
For those who baptize their child age eight, in order to secure a place in the ‘good’ catholic school – that too is a lie right? Or is that an okay lie too?
And on the subject of the church, there are those busy Mums who help clean the alter everyday after school, once again to secure a lovely reference from the priest for the good secondary school. If it’s not being done from the goodness of their hearts, that too is and out and out lie, right?

It would be unforgivable for to not mention those who pretend they live with their Grandparents who live in the catchement area, pretend their cousin is their sibling (hence have the same surname) and those who even go as far as moving into a caravan within the catchment area… my dears the list goes on.

Many parents, good honest decent parents, either directly or indirectly are doing everything in their power to prevent their child from entering a hell hole. My son is now in what is deemed as a good state school. The teacher won’t start the class, unless everyone is quiet. The notorious kids in the class take on average half hour to calm down. It’s just an hour long class. Now let’s take it up a notch. The kids, who bully, ridicule and disrespect the teacher in class. Who are now not allowed to be expelled? Is it okay for your children to attend a school like that? What should be an hour lesson is now half an hour because of the unruly kids? Perhaps for you. But for many parents, it’s not. So they do what ever they can to avoid that situation. They don’t believe in lying – but are now prepared to go aginst one of the main core values. 

I say the onus should be on the schools to improve and not the parents, who will jump thorough flames if they have to, to avoid having their child, like in the recent case of the schoolboy in Streatham, killed.

When I was made redundant, I had to move my kid into the state system after six years of private education.  Having moved him three times in three months because of the dire ‘state’ of the state system (excuse the pun),  the state school I ultimately got him into is fantastic! It’s like getting a Private education for Free!

All that said and done, private schooled kids ultimately achieve 50% of the straight A’s in secondary schools despite only 7% ofthe teenage population attending a private institution!

Humble Pearl Lowe, sends her wee son Alifie to a state school and she’s not short of a few pennies is she?

So in this week,, the question I put to my panel was:  When it comes to private  versus state , are private institutions a waste of Money?

CLICK HERE: AUDIO –  IS IT EVER COOL TO LIE TO GET THE BEST FOR YOUR KIDS?

Don’t get me wrong, I am dead impressed that Pearl Lowe and her drummer husband Danny Goffey have opted for state education for their son Alfie.  It shows humility, proves they are down to earth and they haven’t lost the plot in this fame game.

However, they lived in Hampstead at the time, so lets be honest guys,  they’re hardly going to face the same issues of parents who are from less desirable areas and still wanting the best for their kids are they? I’ve nothing against Hampsteadites, I have some lovely friends who live there.  It’s not representative of the country on a whole however.

Today it was revealed that the government is thinking of upping the ante by imposing steeper sanctions, such as fines, to  those parents who are caught lying in order to get their kids into a decent school. It’s like a double edged sword isn’t it?  Tell the truth, send him to a failing school and then stress yourself out everyday thereafter.  Or, Lie and risk a criminal record.

Last week,  deputy head Nigel Duncan, was caught out falsifying paperwork to get his kids into a decent secondary school.

However, the government feels that just removing the kids from the school alone is not enough of a deterrent for other passionate parents thinking of doing the same.

My View:

Indeed, lying is not cool and certainly not a cool value to be passing onto your child.  I just kind of feel that the point is being missed here.

I would like to meet however, the Mum or Dad who doesn’t give a hoot about what school their kid goes to.

Due to financial difficulties, I had to move my child from a private school into the state system.  We were lucky because my son was transferring at year 4.  This meant there was more chance of a decent school having a place available.  Moreover, there is less people looking for a place at this time and more people moving homes which helped things.

It still took a lot of work however… many man hours to find that decent school.  I  was simply not prepared to send my son to a school where the ofstead results was less than a 2,  which equates to an overall standard of ‘good’.  In fact, if I’m going to be honest, my groove would of been up in the air had I been unable to get him into a a  school that was not a’ one’, outstanding – which is the highest accolade.

Okay, so ultimately I got him into what is  a ‘one’ outstanding school.  It’s a lovely school, the kids are great and the parents are lovely.  My son comes home happy every day. It’s definitely a more creative way of  learning.

However, there is a huge, huge, huge difference in the level of the work being taught. It is at the very least, one year behind the Private system, yet its the kids from the Private system that my little un will be up against when applying for grammar school places.

I dread to think of the levels being taught in a school with an ofstead score of  four or even five for that matter.

The fact that parents are being forced to lie to get their kids a decent education and to get best for their kids, is tragic.  To have to lie so as not to have to settle for second best is a crime.  Indeed, to have to pretend to be church a goer when your not to get into the school of your choice,  should surely make the government stop and think about the failing schools parents are trying to avoid – by whatever means necessary!

Furthermore, why should I  have to resort to putting my child into a failing school because it’s on my doorstep, is what’s available and because I don’t live in Hampstead?

So the question is, would I lie to get my son into a decent school if I couldn’t afford to live in an area such as Hampstead?  Or, would I  risk sending him to a failing school if that was the only option  available to me – putting at risk both my son’s and my own emotional health for one and him reaching his full potential, as the other?  The sheer stress just thinking about it causes me is indescribable.

So,  if the truth be known, I would either keep him at home or lie.

DOES THAT MAKE ME A BAD PERSON OR SOMEONE WHO JUST WANTS THE BEST FOR THEIR KID?

YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW PLEASE.

Okay, it’s official Mums – we were done!

It’s been reported that Disney is being sued over the claims made about the baby Einstein Videos.  Basically, in a nutshell, its effectiveness at turning your kid into the next Einstein protege has been proven to be a load of…well, bo..”%*/?ks. I’m sorry to swear, I’m just a tad annoyed.  I should of said nonsense.  A load of nonsense.

I can not tell you the amount of time I spent trying to get this bloomin(g) video for my son when he was a baba.  Everywhere was sold out at the time – thank gawd for that.

Anyway, when it comes to my son’s education, I’ve been guilty of doing the whole hothousing, private schools and tutor thing and have also delved a bit into the whole gone with the fairies, bohemian style education.

Indeed, there were issues with them both.  Both also had their positives.  With the private school, the hour and a half homework sessions everyday after school and during the holidays was a nightmare.  Combine this with every after school activity known to man, simply strip children of their childhood groove.

On the contrary, the airy fairy more laid back, open learning system  schools are living on planet mars.  The children are pleasant enough, truly very pleasant in fact.  Delightful and confident.  Just as thick as shit.

Getting your groove back tip:

No one knows your kid like you do.  Each are different with their own unique personalities and style.  You simply have to pick a school that is conducive with your childs personality.  If for example, you have an academic kid where reciting his times tables before bed time is their idea of fun, then an academic type school would be a walk in the park for them.  You’d be doing them an injustice if this was not nurtured.

Conversely, if your kid is more creative in style or sporty, then choose a school accordingly.  A solely academic environment will cause them nothing but stress. A creative or sporty environment on the other hand, will simply make them come into their own.  Some may see this as a leap of faith but just think of the many creative and sporty personalities we see on the TV today.

I have huge admiration for my neighbours who have sent their two boys to two different schools according to their personality’s.  One is independent, boards and loves it.  The other who is more of a Mummy’s boy and a bit clingy but incredibly sporty, goes to a great school nearby.

The key thing to remember is not to live our lives through our children. What may have worked for you education wise, may not necessarily work for them. It takes brave parents to do what’s right for their kid and not their mates kid, or the Joneses.