El divendres passat, els mestres comunicaren als nostres fills que aquest any no hi haurà ni colònies ni sortides escolars. Els pares llegim a casa, amb deteniment, la circular que l'escola va donar als nostres fills. Sembla ser que tot és per la jornada intensiva que s'ha eliminat amb el nou calendari escolar. Vaja, sí que comencem bé el curs. Bé, amb un càlcul barroer, sumant els dies de juny són unes 30 hores. No puc creure que per 30 hores l'equip directiu i el claustre prengui aquesta decisió, presentada de forma covarda als alumnes i no donant la cara als pares en una reunió informativa. L'equip directiu i l´escola esperen que els pares recolzem aquesta iniciativa? Que no veuen que la majoria de ciutadans que tenen feina estan en una situació difícil? Que no veuen la quantitat d'alumnes que aquest any no van al menjador escolar? Que no veuen que a l'escola concertada els mestres no tenen ni dret a cridar?


Convido el lector a consultar les taules de retribució dels docents en la web del Departament d'Educació. Sorprès? La feina de mestre és molt dura, però admetem que també hi ha molts privilegis. Parlem clar. Pot ser que el nostre sistema educatiu públic no dóna per més i aquesta és l'última gota que fa vessar el got?

Demaneu que les ràtios dels alumnes baixin a 15-18 per aula; demaneu més suport psicopedagògic; demaneu més sortides i colònies per a ajudar-los a entendre el món on viuen, sense tanta virtualitat; demaneu l'autoritat per premiar els alumnes que s'esforcen i per posar mesures disciplinàries als que repetidament boicotegen la tasca docent; demaneu fer escola de pares, perquè sembla que no saben que tenir fills implica prendre decisions i ser responsables, etcètera. El dia que demaneu tot això, molts pares vindran amb vosaltres davant la Conselleria d'Educació per ajudar-vos en les vostres reivindicacions. Mentrestant, qui tingui nervis que es prengui una til·la.

(publicat el 24 de setembre de 2010 a La Vanguardia)

I was reading my mail this morning when I saw an interesting message from one of my groups in Linkedin. There is a petition going around to introduce philosophy lessons in the classroom from a very early age.
Read the preamble of the petition and judge by yourself whether these words should make Education Authorities reconsider the curriculum.


We believe that the too-restrictive National Curriculum needs to be significantly expanded to allow more creativity and innovation in the teaching of core cognitive skills.


To that end, we believe introducing Philosophy lessons in the classroom from a very early age would have immense benefits in terms of boosting British school kids' reasoning and conceptual skills, better equipping them for the complexities of life in the 21st century where ubiquitous technology and rapid social change will be the order of the day.

There is a growing body of evidence that Philosophy can be of huge importance in opening up young minds. Reasoning skills and habits improve learning in other subjects on the curriculum and do not require purchasing expensive equipment and classroom resources.

We believe that in a time of changes in the way education is being delivered, combined with imminent profound cuts in budgets at a national level, now is the ideal time for schools to look for innovative ways to extend the National Curriculum.

Michael Hand and Carrie Winstanley’s 'Philosophy in Schools', published in 2008, had academics and education experts calling for Philosophy to be taught in schools – not just as a way for children to learn to communicate more with each other and grow in confidence, but as an academic subject with thinking and reasoning skills at its core.

In 2008, UNESCO published a study looking at the benefits of teaching Philosophy at pre-school and primary levels, concluding, "[We] consider the teaching of Philosophy to be necessary and something to be reckoned with." Meanwhile, a 2007 study by Dundee University suggested that confronting core philosophical debates as the nature of existence, ethics and knowledge can raise children's IQ by up to 6.5 points, as well as improve emotional intelligence. The research also found that Philosophy in schools promotes certain speaking and listening skills, as well as sustained reasoning skills over time. Confidence and concentration also improved, along with teacher’s questioning skills.

Reasoning skills arrived at through Philosophy are also a proven and cost-effective way of boosting pupil brain power and engagement across the curriculum. Thus an Ofsted report from 2010 on the teaching of Philosophy at St Winifred’s Infants School in Lewisham noted: “Lessons in Philosophy encourage pupils to reflect and think more deeply. This has a direct and positive impact on [St Winifred’s] curriculum”.

Philosophy is often valued for the way it can provide the most able students with an outlet for their intelligence and creativity, say witnesses. But another major-plus point is we find Philosophy nurtures the abilities of students labeled difficult and low-achieving, who really enjoy the stimulus of discussion and argument. “Philosophy has developed our more able, but also given great confidence to those children who struggle with the more conventional curriculum,” comments Headmistress Mrs Palmer at Eliot Bank Primary school.

Support the petiton to introduce Philosophy lessons in the classroom
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/37997.html

"Play is vital to a child's development. It improves the way they interact, communicate and develop key life skills. Play should be educational and inspirational but above all, it should be fun."



http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/26/parents-children-playtime/print