CLASSROOM CHAOS

WRITING in the national daily (29/ 08), Toowoomba’s Roseanne Schneider suggests, “With NAPLAN revealing that numeracy and literacy skills have not improved in 10 years, rote learning and slate boards are looking attractive”. So, too, is that beautiful cursive writing we oldies did using a nib pen dipped in an ink-well.

But beware getting a tiny piece of rubber trapped in the nib, or else ink splattered over your page and hence the expression, “to blot your copybook”.

That is exactly what Federal and State education systems have done but this time a massive $20 billion blot is the result. Queensland State Educaployed tion Minister Grace Grace tried to no avail to put a positive spin on the education debacle, but parents and employers are not stupid. They know our children are falling behind international standards such as those good results found in countries like Finland.

Of course the educations unions will bleat for more dollars to throw at the problem, but for what outcome? Do we want more declining education results for our children and grandchildren? This will continue while leftwing education unions continue to crack the whip in the education system.

One answer could lie in the Charter Schools system where the primary goal is to increase and improve options for families, to encourage choice and to introduce competition into public schools as if they were businesses. This will horrify bloated education bureaucracies and unions, but drastic change is needed. The futures of our children and the nation are more important.

PETER KNOBEL, Toowoomba