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本帖最后由 jasmineh 于 2013-5-27 12:53 编辑
我也贡献一篇。
Perhaps Sydney Boys can learn from other schools
May 3 2002
Ethnic mix is the least of the problems in an education system that leaves so many students disadvantaged, writes Wendy Bacon.
The debate bubbles on over claims that the majority of students admitted to some NSW elective schools appear to be Asian by ethnic descent. But is this a problem, and if so, whose problem is it? Some Caucasian parents, but not necessarily their children, worry about how their children will feel if they are not part of an ethnic majority.
Most of these parents, like me, grew up in Anglo Australia. Life for my children has been very different. They have only ever known a wide-ranging ethnic mix among their peers. My son who has just started at Sydney Technical High School talks about his friends. Only if I ask explicit questions would I find out what their ethnic background might be.
If a minority of Sydney Boys' High School parents and old boys are experiencing a loss of community, they might ask for advice from neighbour Sydney Girls High, where parents and girls are involved in a range of co-curricular activities. Non-Caucasian parents are involved in the canteen, uniform shop, debating, hockey and other support groups.
A large group has just returned from a music tour in Hong Kong. The parent who was the contact point for the trip arrived in Australia from Malaysia as an adolescent. Five generations back, her family migrated from China to Malaysia. My daughter plays hockey. The team manager is a parent of Indian background.
And while more girls from Indian backgrounds play hockey than water polo and more girls of Caucasian background are in the annual Shakespeare festival, there are ethnic mixes in every activity.
Parents and citizens associations in many schools struggle to get numbers because of increased working pressures on parents.
When a parent from a Chinese background knew I was writing this piece, she stressed how important it was that parents not educated in Australia were made to feel that their involvement was welcomed and needed. At a technical high school orientation in Sydney last year, a Chinese-speaking parent welcomed parents in Chinese.
Recent migrants are over-represented among selective school students because their families are highly motivated to achieve through education. Up until this year, the NSW Education Department fuelled confusion by informing parents that "because it is an ability test, coaching or practice is not likely to help very much and is not recommended".
But teachers and parents realised quickly that it was silly to suggest performance in a three-hour test could not be improved by advanced teaching in English and maths, and experience in multiple-choice tests. This year, the department has not only provided a sample test but is encouraging students to practice multiple choice tests.
The dilemma of whether and how much an 11-year-old should prepare is one that worries some parents. Parents from all backgrounds arrange private coaching. Even some students selected for opportunity classes for Years 5 and 6 (which extends them in all curriculum areas) are coached because parents believe it may help them get their school of first choice.
Many who will sit for the test next month have already attended a 20-week trial test course for three hours a week, and gained confidence as their scores improve.
Coaching colleges adopt a range of teaching practices. Some students even enjoy their sessions. Students in other classes recoil with humiliation as their poor scores are read out each week in front of other students.
Increasingly, primary schools are experiencing pressure from parents to match this privatised form of preparation. Some schools have responded by running extra classes before school or starting "gifted and talented" streams. Some parents transfer their children to private schools hoping to return to a selective school. Others choose from a booming market in sample test books. This strategy is more risky as it depends on student motivation but provides a reality check for parents and their children of what is involved in the test.
If the Education Department genuinely cares about an equal playing field for selective school entry, it should do more than provide a sample test. It should ensure that all primary schools, especially those which are disadvantaged, have sufficient resources to prepare children and advise parents, without further cutting resources for the majority who do not do the test.
The job of a school is to meet the educational needs of its students. So perhaps we should shift the discussion about Sydney Boys' High School from ethnicity to sport, an important part of an all-round education.
Associate Professor Wendy Bacon lectures in communications at UTS. |
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楼主:patrickzhu
发表于 2013-5-26 20:47
