From the Daily Mail:
History and geography axed in primary schools for lessons on healthy living and the environmentThis announcement comes on the heals over another important British educational study: (Hat tip: Joanne Jacobs)
By Laura Clark
Traditional subjects such as history and geography are to be axed in the biggest overhaul of primary education for 20 years.Timetables will instead be arranged around six 'areas of learning' that merge subjects into general themes. Pupils will also spend more time learning how to deal with 'deep societal concerns' such as violence, drug abuse, obesity, teenage pregnancy and debt.
From the Times Online:
School lessons designed to help children to learn social and emotional skills and improve classroom discipline have had little impact on pupil behaviour, a study suggests.
The programme called Seal (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) encourages pupils to discuss their feelings and manage their emotions. But a study of the group work phase of the project indicates that it is not having the desired effect on classroom or home behaviour.
Parents, teachers and pupils who took part in the study said there was no formal evidence the programme had any impact on “core” social skills like behaviour, empathy and self-awareness, when undertaken in groups.
I guess groups hugs, journals, wearing the same t-shirts, and hours upon hours of role play just couldn't rid middle school of mean girls and bully boys. Now they want to make failed programs like this into "curriculum". I wonder if students will be tested on it. Do you fail the section on healthy eating if they catch you snacking on a candy bar? Get caught fighting and have to "retest" on anger management?
I gotta feel for the students though. If there's one thing they can do, it's smell BS in adults. Can you imagine having to put up with 40 minutes every day?
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