The reality is that we are far below many countries when it comes to maths, technology and languages. This goes right back to the '70's when comprehensive education was floundering in the mire of "call me Dave" teachers who had no experience of how to control and discipline classes. It's not much better today. Too many kids doing what they like rather than what they need to do to ensure they are employable. The reason many private and public schools do so well is because the kids know the value of their education...their parents pay their fees! These schools don't allow the kids to run riot when they see fit.
Fact is there are skills shortages in maths and science based industries and we can't get our kids up to the standards required. It's been going on for decades! It's about time that we focussed on raising the standard of early maths education. One element of most trade deals done in the EU with non EU countries allow for employees outside of the EU to work on 6 month/1 year visas to bridge the skills shortages...which is technology in the UK. Indian businesses can bring in their own IT workers on visas to work within Indisn owned companies for example.
Whilst it's true that China and India have large numbers of illiterate people outside of the cities, both have made huge inroads in technology and maths training. Both have made IT into a booming industry along with other Asian countries. We need to keep up with them. Our basic free education system needs to restructure so that we go forward in this age of technology. We need more doctors, scientists, physicists, IT professionals and chemists. We can't keep importing people with the skills the country needs...we must not rely on others!
I think that we need to take a retrograde step to reintroduce stricter discipline...I don't mean beating children but ensuring that they adhere to school rules such as parents not preventing detention classes, uniform policy and proper punishment (extra classes, more homework etc) rather than the current reward of exclusion. If you are going to exclude children then they need to attend schools that are even stricter! We can't carry on having children wandering out of school after classes, smoking and drinking as the walk down the road. I'm afraid I'm also a bit old school when it comes to co-ed too...it's fine in 6th form onwards but I'd rather see separate schools for boys and girls...and more youth clubs to encourage socialising. School is a place of learning...not a place to live out soap operas.
Lastly, parents who were brought up under the current system should encourage their children to do better. We will never have an equal society if kids don't believe that they can aspire to more than their parents' achievements! Often it's not the rich suppressing the poor but the poor having no belief in themselves! They can be their own worse enemy!
As for teachers... We need the best. If we have to bring teachers in to bridge the gap in maths skills then let's do it...and start the interest in sciences a lot earlier than at present. Young children soak up information like a sponge...forget the Play Stations, X boxes and mobiles etc...let them use their brains...their creativity and their ability to learn...maths CAN be fun....
"CONFUSION WILL BE MY EPITAPH...."
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