Why do we push our students through a system that is not suitable for many of them? Why do we test them when they are not ready for the tests? Wouldnbsp;you take your driving test if you were not ready for it and fairly confident of passing?

Why do we spend our time rushing through the syllabus to make sure that it is all covered for the exam without actually ensuring that everybody understands and can apply the work covered?

I am currently marking some GCSE papers and it is obvious that many of the students do not understand what they are writing down but are regurgitating some facts like sick parrots. They are throwing in words they have come across in the hope that they might fit - usually they do not.

It is not the fault of the students but of the system. Tough if it means nothing to them, just label them as failures. And we do this every 2 or 3 years from when they start school. Then we wonder why there are so many disaffected people around.

So why in the name of education do we abuse our future generations by enforcing on them a system which is not suitable for so many? Why do we forget that they are individuals where each one is different with a different set of needs and aspirations?

Jane Giffould
Weavers Row
Halstead
Essex
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