You do not have a democratic right to do anything: get a dictionary.
The most often quoted criteria for liberal democracy take the form of specific rights and freedoms. Freedom of expression, including speech, assembly and protest. (see Wikipedia)
it doesn’t make your opinion right however. Neither so does it make yours right, catch 22 situation hey?
These evenings give the staff chance to build bridges but few teachers use the evening this way
Why should building bridges be left to the teachers? Most of the time the only parents we see are those of the kids we don not have to see, those with good marks and even better behaviour. When called upon to make appointments to discuss bad students (academically or behaviourally) those parents are 80% of the time no-shows, and 20% of the time in denial. Oh and by the way, at what time do these parents evenings take place, usually 18:00 - 20:00. I just bet you loved not seeing your wife at night when she should be home having dinner with the rest of her family.
you would have to “know” what is best for them. You think you know but this is not the same at all.
Does anyone know what is best for anyone else? No we don’t because we have to limit our knowledge to our experiences. My question is just, how can you know what is best if you have not experienced as much as possible? This leads back to what I said about people having set ideas about specifically the schools in their area.
I am in my 6th year of teaching, f.y.i, exams yes granted happen 4 times a year, the most important one we are now preparing for. Just to put it into perspective, I have to set for the coming finals, 16 exams, and their memorandums, before the 7 of November. This week alone, I have 5 classes writing class tests, these have to be marked asap. to be encompassed into the CASS mark for the final marks, this not withstanding the fact that the kids start bugging you two periods later for their results. And how else are you going to realize a child does not understand the work, if you don’t regularly take in the scripts to mark? As for re-hashing old tests and exams, yes, it does work to a certain extent, but every year’s group of kids have a different understanding, and your approach should change with the group, if you stagnate in a certain vein of thinking, you will never get the group to its full potential.
Well done to your wife for going overseas on a working holiday. It must be so great to have a 1000+ kids in a school. You get all the best sponsorships your way, even though the kids from “semi-deprived” backgrounds already pay the highest school fees (so how can they be deprived?). Our school only has 380 kids, with 14 teachers spread amongst them. I myself am trying to organise a trip to the coast for next years group. You think I can get companies to sponsor (”give”) me money? They just don’t, our name is not “good enough”.
As for the pay being good in relation to other similar level positions? She must be doing something on the side. I know I can get more money lecturing and doing research at one of the “higher institutions” with my Masters degree, but I don’t do it. And b.t.w. I know of a handful of newly graduated teachers, with less qualifications than myself, and obviously less experience, that are raking in R7000 a month. Explain that to me.
Can I be a real bitch now, as my blog suggests, I can see that even English was a low priority for yourself at school, due to the usage shown below. I am Arikaans speaking but knowwhere in
And as for them understanding you in the “low countries”, have you actually ever given the people there the opportunity to just speak local to you, or have you been the one to insist in switching to English, as it made you more comfortable? Ask any local European, and they may tell you English is the best BUSINESS language, but they will fight tooth and nail to maintain their own tongue.
teachers have been trying to justify their overpaid, underworked status for years it is nothing new.
My only response to this comment, can be nothing other that a big printed in bold F-U. And I issue the challenge, try doing a teachers job for a week, and see how well you handle it.
Oh yeah, one more thing, do you not recognise sarcasm when it’s written?
Yeah, yeah, seems I get a bee in my bonnet, then it hibernates. Well tonight it’s wide awake.
I recently, shortly before harlequin’s make-over, bitched at them for th limited number of reads thay have in their library, mainly the fact that if you are a romance read-aholic like me, you have read all of them, even the bad ones. As I surf the web EVERY NIGHT, this was almost guaranteed to happen I guess, but I stupidly expected the book people to give better service.
They replied to my bitch, with something like a patient sigh, and some comment about not being so full of shit, that I had better appreciate the fact that they are the only online romance place to do what it is that they do so badly.
Now I have a beef about the “Daiuly online reads” section: WHY ARE THEY DAMN PAGES THEY PUBLISH SO #$@@% SHORT?”
Anyone with even a 4th grade reading level will finish the darned thing in 5 minutes. What am I going to do for the rest of the night??
The above really pissed me off, so I replied to the editor of the Pick ‘n Pay newsletter, via e-mail: Response: Parenting
When my kid’s not good enough for a government school….
I would like to comment, probably none too briefly about this unfair (?) article. I am, have been for the past 6 years, a teacher at a government high school. Lets play open cards, at Hoërskool Edenvale. Our school is situated as you can guess, in Edenvale, which has turned out to be an extremely narrow-minded community. Our school changed from a mainstream Afrikaans school, to parallel medium 5 years ago, due to certain government pressures relating to our language of education at the time, and our low numbers. We now, since then actually, offer EXACTLY the same english - language subjects as other schools such as Edenvale High & Edenglen High, to name but a few “competitors”. Parents in general, seem to have a blocked view of education in this country, and as your writer proved, it IS country wide. Parents think that schools with previously “hoity-toity” reputations will offer their kid the best education. I say $%$#$#! All educators go to the same training. Yes, some schools have more money for flashier, seemingly better sports equipment or some such thing. But only because they charge you more for a service which your child will receive in exactly the same quality down the road. Seen as I am not pulling any punches, Edenvale High are currently asking something in the order of R7000.00 per year for school fees. So yes they offer swimming, and Italian as a subject. Lah di dah, who needs to learn Italian in this country?? We have at least 6 other commonly spoken “native” languages to rather choose from. Hoërskool Edenvale, are charging around R4900.00 per year, yes we do not have swimming, no we do not offer Italian, but we can almost guarantee you that your child will not be a number, as our students numbered a record high this year at around 380. Your child will almost certainly play for any of our first teams from their 8th or 9th grade. We still get kids who excell at provincial sports level, playing action netball for the Sandton Skarks (yeah, who knew they existed?), our rugby and netball teams have stepped out of their leagues from 1/4 finalists to winners the last 5 years running. Of the 380 pupils in our school, I know the name, surname, basic family situation and much more of at least 250 pupils. What other teacher can say that? I teach every grade from 8 to 12, therefore I know what most, if not all the children are like. For a final nail in the elitist coffin: parents think that because they pay mucho denero for their kid’s education, their world will be free of sexuall inuendo, drug abuse, substance abuse, environmental pollution, etc etc. Let me tell you something, you speak to any honest teacher in this country, and they will admit to at least one of the above taking place in their school this year. The rest are lying!
Can’t find place for your kid in a good school? You haven’t put away your own prejudices and looked around. Send them to us. At least we’ll know their names.
A teacher who wants to set everyone straight, but lost her bull horn, Mrs. Laurette Seddon Biology teacher (M.Sc Zoology) Hoërskool Edenvale
Think someone will listen?
“Only with our voice”
Two or so nights ago I visited the Smithsonian’s website, specifically the jobs section. There was a job ‘advertised’ for director of the smithsonian associates. I thought “what the hell”, and applied. Got a response today….pasted below =
Ms. Seddon
This is a senior level position requiring extensive management experience. I did not see that kind of experience in your background. Therefore, I will not be able to consider you for the position.
Tom Lawrence
I wonder how they expect the succeccfull appliicant to have achieved management experience if no-one ever appoints “unexperienced” employees. And b.t.w., is managing approx. 200 children, their books, grades, assignments, etc etc etc NOT management experience? Surely kids are more full of shit and more difficult to organize, and then we haven’t even started with my co-ordinating skills whilst in contact with the Gauteng Department of Education.
Not experience in management? BS
Dear Malcolm,
Just a short response on your reply to the question papers as you wrote to Prem:
Malcolm Bowie wrote:
Dear Helene, Prem or whomsoever it may concern,
Memorandum query for grade 12 Biology Prep Paper 1, 2005
Sorry for catching you in a meeting. I tried to phone again at 15h00 as had a client arrive at 13h00 when I was to phone you.
I received the e-mail and the fax.
I have read and studied the query and noted the contents. I find that some issues require a response in order to understand the educators context and concern.
The learners are not disadvantaged through the examination paper. The marks are overall in the tolerance range of 10% (6% for the paper 1 performance and 3% for the subject). Therefore the learners will not be disadvantaged.For the distinction candidates this will not affect their their A’s if the educator practiced a marking method that tolerates learner and reader interpretations. The educator’s professional discretion needs to be practiced with the learners in her care.
To draw attention to small problems within a tolerance range is undue concern. However, I do feel that the following needs to be noted as per e-mail fax copy received addressing the complaints:
- Q1.3.3 ‘Koolsuurgas’ is currently still in the textbooks and there has been no writ that states it is unacceptable. Biological terms and household terms are considered at all times. The examination panel insisted on including this term due to the fact that many learners use such texts. This is a consideration that the educator needs to make as their own judgement call in marking. No problem with the question and memorandum.
REPLY: As regards this “koolsuurgas” answer, in the pasrt during marking @ end of year, for SG, we have been told to disregard the usage of the term as it is regarded as a colloquialism, as we would disregard the use of any “non-biological” word from other languages.
- Q 1.5.2. The graph reading of weights The question requires the learner to measure the difference between the two points at a certain age of a child (2 years old). The scale, measurements and grid are provided for easier reading. The answer is correct and these skills are important as part of CASS. No problem with the question and memorandum.
REPLY: Please go and have a look at the question paper again, and then read the question, which asks for the difference, i.e. a subtraction sum. The answer can never be 12 as from the graph the kids got.
Q 1.5.3. Here it is clear that there may be more than one answer. The educator is correct that there are more than one answer. A single answer requires 2 marks by the examination panel. Therefore, only one answer is marked. The memorandum has to provide more than one answer, which it does.The educator is to mark a single answer with 2 marks. No problem with the question and memorandum.
Q 1.5.4. The memorandum provides two answers. There are many. If an educators context shows more correct answers then in her professional capacity this should be included and marked correct if appropriate. No problem with the question and memorandum.
REPLY: Please then at least in brackets add in something like “or similar from textbooks”….
- Q1.5.5. This question requires professional open answers. This issue is based on the educator marking according to misconceptions. Kwashiorkor is a name given to a protein deficiency disease. The learner may write either and they are correct. No problem with the question and memorandum.
REPLY: Problem exists actually in the interpretation of the question by the learner.
> >
“Characteristics” and “Properties” are terms which educators mix up. A memorandum needs to be broadly interpreted in such a question. The examination panel felt that the learner will be biased if these words were strictly adhered to in their traditional meanings as teachers do not always understand them correctly. Therefore, it was felt it necessary to provide a description of functions as a clarity to the statement required by the question. This was done in order to enable the educator to determine the reason for the word chosen. This was added to the memo. The panel then debated whether if a learner provides its function as clarity and not a correct feature, would they receive a mark. It is thus the reasoning that provides the marks as stated. The educator has the discretion. If the educator feels that this question is a problem, then only two marks are affecting the learner. That then, is not a problem.
REPLY: How can you catagorically state that loosing two marks is “not a problem”. We are here solely to look out for the welfare of the children under our care, and if they see such things happening, as they would when we go through the paper with them at the end of the prelims, they will loose all faith in us as educators. The two marks add up to a percentage. A repeated loss of two marks as in other problem areas, could result in a child actually receiving results in a symbol group below that which they could have achieved.
As for the whole “characteristics” and “properties” debacle. Please look into the translations from english to Afrikaans, as the term used in the English paper if “feature”, which into Afrikaans translates as “Kenmerk”, of “eienskap”. Neither instance suggests a “Funksie”, not even in the English paper is the word “Function” used, how then can you require a function as the answer? /From a Dictionary; Function = Biology./ The physiological activity of an organ or body part. From a Dictionary; Characteristic = A feature that helps to identify, tell apart, or describe recognizably; a distinguishing mark or trait.
From a Dictionary; Properties = A special capability or power; a virtue: the chemical properties of a metal.
I do believe in all honesty that the educators should practice their professional decisions and not pass their concerns like this on to other persons.
REPLY: These concerns are passed onto other persons who are supposed to support us in our capacity as educators. Not all educators in all areas of the society have the gumption to change a memorandum received from the Department of Education, as I have done with my kids. I have expressed these concerns in the hope that in future, our superiors will actually firstly think of the kids, and then of educators, and in doing so they will inadvertently supply others with “in-job-training”.
In so noting the educator should be advised to mark the paper with their integrity as a professional educator. The memorandum needs to be adjusted by adding and refining its contents according to a justified context. If the paper is moderated on marking then these issues would also be checked by other teachers in a cluster. There would then be a similar response to that which I am providing.
REPLY: As a cluster leader I have supplied the corrections that I feel are necessary to my relevant teachers, and they will be following their own discretion.
There is not need for concern but to communicate to the educator that they need to mark according to their professional interpretation and context and to use the memo as a suggested guide.
REPLY: When checked in a Thesaurus, nowhere are the words “guide” synonymous with “Memorandum”, “Memo”, or “Memoranda”. For years also the assumption has, probably mistakenly, been made by educators that the Memorandum received from the Department of Education is written by a person, or group of people, who are actually supplying the correct set of answers to a question no matter the interpretation. Herein lies another problem, should the questions not be stated in such a way as to avoid all possible differing interpretations? A question should immediately lead a learner to a direct answer. Yes, in HG the questions should lead the learners to think more for themselves, and in this is the problem. Some kids actually are intelligent, and can interpret a question in multiple ways which you do not allow for.
I hope I have assisted.
Glad to be of service to you
Yours in education and training
Malcolm Bowie (Biology Internal Moderator Paper 1)
(011) 477-2826
082-3864220
m.bowie@mweb.co.za
Regards, and thanx for actually looking into this matter Laurette Seddon Hoërskool Edenvale
Makes you wonder what BEELD would pay to know all this os going on, and how little the GDE actually cares.
Anyhooooo, hope I will be blogging again soon, I’ll keep the blog updated with this whole tired typical story. Not that anyone really reads it………
Wonder, how can I get more ppl to read this? >
Upon completing the preliminary examinations which are currently underway, our Gr.12 pupils will be completing their finals, to pass matric. The prelims exams are supplied by the “Department of Education”, some are national papers, meaning all kids write the same papers, others are not. The Biology papers happen to be National papers, through all 9 provinces kids write the same paper.
The Dept. of Edu supply the memorandum, i.e. the “Correct Answers”.
Here is just a taste of what I started sending the Dept. when I received the memo and worked through it.
Dear Lindi, or whomsoever it concerns
I would like to officially complain regarding the Biology Gr. 12 Prep. Exam HG, paper 1 which was completed today (24 August 2005). The exam was good, on standard mostly, the problem is with regards the Memorandum.
Just to give a few examples, I don’t want to bore you into a stupor:
- Section A: Q.1.3.3 (Afr. Memo) koolsuurgas is not accepted terminology any more
- Section A: Q 1.5.2. Graph reading of wrights true and projected. No guide is given to learners, the answer of 12kg if out of thin air. On the graph scale it does not even make sense.
- Section A: Q1.5.3 Question is stated in singular, yet answer requires according to Memo, two answers.
- Section A: Q1.5.4 Two diseases as a result of the diet, any number of things, Memo restricted to Diabetes and Heart problems is narrow minded, learners answer kwashiorkor, Scurvy, Anemia etc etc etc. they are higher grade after all.
- Section A: Q1.5.5 Question asks deficiency, not what deficiency ailment or similar wording, question would imply answer of “protein deficiency”. but Memo asks for kwashiorkor etc.
As you can see these are only the problems in Section A. The most disturbing problem from Section B, is the questioning of BIOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT FEATURES (eng. paper) which in itself is not a problem, but consider that FEATURES ARE NOT FUNCTIONS, and we have a problem with the Memo. In the Afr. paper, the questions are stated as BIOLOGIES BELANGRIKE EIENSKAPPE, and BIOLOGIES BELANGRIKE KENMERKE, in neither instance is one of these the same as the FUNKSIE as answered in the Memo.
Solutions???? I hope you have some. The only people that are losing in these cases, are the children.
Thank you for adding extra time to the marking, due to the fact that we as teahcers now have to set a new Memorandum.
Regards Laurette Seddon Hoërskool Edenvale Biology Teacher
This was actually submitted vie internet, and I was amazed that the girly actually passed it on to the correct people.
Yeah it’s been a while since I blogged. Not that anyone besides Matt and Meg might have noticed…. I am gonna put some stuff on, that has been happening in the last two weeks or so, at school, just to show EVERYONE why S.A. is in shit….
Everything has to do with the ed-juck-ation department.
Toodles
Fifteen Pro-Life Truths to Speak Here are the places where most abortions are done in the Minnesota. Ask God how the gospel of Christ might be most fruitfully shared with those who work here, with a view to saving life now and for eternity. The one nearest the church (Meadowbrook) advertises on their website that they do abortions up to 21.6 weeks.
Ideas like these are what inspire mindless drones of religion to plant bombs and wildly shoot any peoples involved in the abotion clinics. Why not have other options mentioned on the page, counselling for the mother to be, availability of free medical care when she goes into labour, anything which would rather inspire younr girls to have the child, rather than inspire weird sickos to kill many more innocent people. The victims of physical and emotional retribution on abortion clinics are most often the people who have the least to do with it…..a nun visiting to do counselling, an old man walking his dog, kids playing in the park next door…. Think about that before you act, and think about the circumstances which led the girl to make the choice she did….especially the men, try to imagine what it will feel like to be brutally raped, and then find that the prick of a rapist has left something else behind, which is not as fleeting as a possible STD, but has many more ramifications. JUST THINK!!!
CHEF’S Once again…..why have a service on the net, but you limit the people who cn buy from you? Lovely stuff on this site, and the prices aren’t too bad, but as I am in South Africa, I just have to close the site and bug off. Surely Mastercard and someone like UPS are worldwide companies, my money will be good, and UPS will actually find an address in this country, I will guarantee it.