How Drop-outs See Themselves

Anthony Price (20) left his comprehensive school at 14 and travelled for six months to Mexico and North America, spending some time at Ivan (the deschooler) Illich’s CIDOC (Centre for Intercultural Documentation). He then travelled for a few months to Iran and France. When he returned to England he spent eight months in a psychiatric hospital, went on a short dance course, and then to Wales to live on an organic farm for a year. Anthony then studied at FE college for his ‘O’ levels and is starting a B. Ed course at London University in September. He wants to be a dance therapist.

“Schools show a great lack of understanding of people’s motives for doing things. I remember my first biology class. ‘Right, boys, A-level’s the goal,’ said the master. On the rugby field, the urge was always to win, to beat others. “The cultivation of the wish to learn something must come from a desire to learn from something you’ve discovered. But you’re forced to go to school. Even after years of study you don’t really know what you want to do because there’s no basic urge for survival. It’s all too easy. An aborigine will learn survival and excel in his learning because he has a need to.

“Young people are like pieces of clay, formed according to the experience of the old. Institutions are a practical way the old deal with what they fear about the young. The fear is that they might produce something different.

“I once heard a discussion between Ivan Illich and Basil Berstein, the educational theorists. What impressed me was that they were involved in building together, with an honest aim of agreeing at some point, accepting their different standpoints, and modifying their ideas. I thought how fantastic it was to have so much clarity, and respect for each other’s views. When I argued with teachers I was accused of being arrogant. Mutual respect for staff and pupils just isn’t encouraged.

“I wish school taught me how to come to terms with other people. That’s what education should be about.”

*Task 6.2. Read the text again and say whether the statements below agree or disagree with the information in it.

1. Anthony Price suffered from mental illness.

2. Anthony’s opinion is that school does not try to understand people’s reasons for learning.

3. School encourages children to be competitive.

4. Children are taught survival skills at school.

5. Teachers appreciated Anthony’s wish to state his opinion.

6. School favours respect between pupils and teachers.

7. Anthony wishes he had been taught to be a member of a group.

*Task 6.3. Read the text again and say what is wrong with education from Anthony’s point of view. Do you share his feelings and ideas about school?

Were you (dis)contented with your school education? Why? Why not?

Speculate on what education should aim at. Do you think school should give preparation for exams or for life?

Task 7. Below you will find some thoughts and sayings on effective language teaching. Read them carefully and say which ones you agree with, back most, doubt or oppose and why.

• Teaching is a very difficult job of great responsibility and most specific character.

• A good teacher is not only a communicator of knowledge but a model of competence.

• There are no recipes for success and equally there are no secret formulae.

• A good teacher should be a bit of an actor. This is part of the technique of teaching.

• It’s essential to establish a warm, supportive, acceptive and nonthreatening climate.

• Climate of a classroom depends on the nature of personal relationship between a teacher and a pupil.

• What is the difference between a dead and a live classroom?

• In the dead classroom learning is mechanistic, routine, overritualized, dull and boring. The live classroom is full of learning activities in which students are enthusiastically and authentically involved.

• The foreign language teacher can provide content that is truly interesting and meaningful to students – the study of themselves.

• The very essence of language learning is talking about students’ growth and development, sharing what is important to them, and participating in personally reinforcing interaction.

• Of key importance is using humanistic exercises on the positive aspect. If we hear many good things about ourselves and one bad thing we are likely to forget all the wonderful things which we were said and dwell on the negative one.

• Expressing warmth is a powerful way to communicate in any language. We all have strengths we aren’t aware of. By discovering these we can see the best side of ourselves, increase our self-acceptance, sharpen our identity, and relate better to others.

• Youngsters today are searching for their identity and are in need of self-acceptance.

• Today’s youth cry for education that will help them make sense of their lives and the world around them.

• Teaching is an exacting job but those who are well-equipped for it have a happy and satisfying life.

• Theory is like the general principles of good cooking: it helps you know what you are doing and why and it allows you to generate new ideas, new techniques in a principled fashion.

Part II. Vocabulary Exercises

Task 1. Study the following words and expressions. Explain their meanings and give their Ukrainian equivalents.

School discipline. Punishment: disruptive behaviour, ill discipline, indiscipline, misconduct, bullying, to drop out, truancy, a truant, to play truant, to skip classes, to impose discipline on smb, corporal punishment, detention (after school or during the dinner hour), lines, exclusion, expulsion, suspension from school, withdrawal from lessons, setting extra work, putting on “report”, telling the parents.

Task 2. Match the words with the definitions.

Lateness being kept in school after class

Truancy permanent removal from the class

Low standards temporary removal from school

Indiscipline repeated absence from school

Detention arriving late for class

Suspension rudeness or violence from pupils

Expulsion poor class and exam results

The System of Secondary Education in Great Britain, the USA and Ukraine

Practical Assignments

Part I. Reading and Speaking

Task1.1. Study the information below about primary and secondary education in England and Wales, and then discuss with your fellow students the system of English schooling.