Shadow education isn’t a function of parenting styles. These are an end result of the system. If you see a child can achieve 2-sigma with a couple hours a week of tutoring, and you could afford it, why wouldn’t you do it? Why aren’t these same kids achieving this at school is the question we should be asking. There are very good reasons for why. But we need to unpick them.
There are other issues with shadow education as you mentioned: life chances, supply and demand, a system of entrance exams designed to “trip up” young learners.
I love all the questions you're asking. Schools are increasingly asked to reproduce the 2sigma effect and I think it's a massive contributor to workload. I wonder whether parents expect 2sigma because a. it works, and b. whole class teaching often isn't very good. It's very complex, isn't it.
It’s very complex indeed. I think workload needs a complete redistribution plan. For example, teachers shouldn’t be creating content, not even on ChatGPT. This would free up more time to think about 2-sigma. Admin burdens need to be alleviated. Teachers have been given too many jobs. We’ve lost focus on what it means to be a teacher. We’ve turned them into desktop publishers, curriculum designers, social media evangelists, administrators, etc.
We need to scale back the role and focus on 2-sigma. Easier said than done. Doesn’t help when the tools at hand aren’t of the highest quality either.
We don’t ask the same question of East Asians and Sub Continent students studying, attending cram classes and tutorials. They do so much out of school studying at much higher percentages than Aus students but Singapore is lauded as the best system in the world. Their out of class studying as a factor in their success ignored.
You raise a good point, Brett. One thing to think about is that I think it’s the norm to do this across most social classes in Asia whereas private school and/or tutoring here are only for those who can afford it or those who put a premium on education from the same cultures you talk about. So I think it isn’t as widespread which might play into SE Asian measures of educational equity. I hope that made sense.
If shadow education / tutoring is indicative of something wrong with NSW schools, then surely East Asian nations such as Singapore who have far higher percentage of students attending tutorials or cram schools than in Australia must also be indicative of failures in their system and makes the claim Singapore as the No 1 education system over blown?
Perhaps. Or is there greater contiguity between schools and coaching because it’s the norm? Therefore the two systems more openly work together? Just a thought.
Perhaps we need to look at what we want to achieve when we educate children?
Can we take the focus off testing and grading & onto learning basic skills through curiosity, conversations and collaboration?
I feel both sides of this problem are problematic. The current school system cannot always support those who need the tutoring, the lack of funding and the pressure parents think they need to be under pushes them to place their children into selective schools. It’s a big mess and something we need to sort out sooner rather than later as I can’t see it improving unless we act.
Shadow education isn’t a function of parenting styles. These are an end result of the system. If you see a child can achieve 2-sigma with a couple hours a week of tutoring, and you could afford it, why wouldn’t you do it? Why aren’t these same kids achieving this at school is the question we should be asking. There are very good reasons for why. But we need to unpick them.
There are other issues with shadow education as you mentioned: life chances, supply and demand, a system of entrance exams designed to “trip up” young learners.
I love all the questions you're asking. Schools are increasingly asked to reproduce the 2sigma effect and I think it's a massive contributor to workload. I wonder whether parents expect 2sigma because a. it works, and b. whole class teaching often isn't very good. It's very complex, isn't it.
It’s very complex indeed. I think workload needs a complete redistribution plan. For example, teachers shouldn’t be creating content, not even on ChatGPT. This would free up more time to think about 2-sigma. Admin burdens need to be alleviated. Teachers have been given too many jobs. We’ve lost focus on what it means to be a teacher. We’ve turned them into desktop publishers, curriculum designers, social media evangelists, administrators, etc.
We need to scale back the role and focus on 2-sigma. Easier said than done. Doesn’t help when the tools at hand aren’t of the highest quality either.
Good night from over the pond!
We don’t ask the same question of East Asians and Sub Continent students studying, attending cram classes and tutorials. They do so much out of school studying at much higher percentages than Aus students but Singapore is lauded as the best system in the world. Their out of class studying as a factor in their success ignored.
You raise a good point, Brett. One thing to think about is that I think it’s the norm to do this across most social classes in Asia whereas private school and/or tutoring here are only for those who can afford it or those who put a premium on education from the same cultures you talk about. So I think it isn’t as widespread which might play into SE Asian measures of educational equity. I hope that made sense.
If shadow education / tutoring is indicative of something wrong with NSW schools, then surely East Asian nations such as Singapore who have far higher percentage of students attending tutorials or cram schools than in Australia must also be indicative of failures in their system and makes the claim Singapore as the No 1 education system over blown?
Perhaps. Or is there greater contiguity between schools and coaching because it’s the norm? Therefore the two systems more openly work together? Just a thought.
Perhaps we need to look at what we want to achieve when we educate children?
Can we take the focus off testing and grading & onto learning basic skills through curiosity, conversations and collaboration?
I feel both sides of this problem are problematic. The current school system cannot always support those who need the tutoring, the lack of funding and the pressure parents think they need to be under pushes them to place their children into selective schools. It’s a big mess and something we need to sort out sooner rather than later as I can’t see it improving unless we act.