Going for their “personal best” in the classroom

I FOUND newspaper reports this week on how we could improve the way we educate kids intriguing – in particular the idea that each student should be pursuing their own personal best in the classroom, and not necessarily competing against fellow classmates.

This idea is being pitched by the Australian Catholic University which currently has Australia’s highest number of teaching graduates, so it would be fair to take notice of their views.

In its submission to the NSW Curriculum Review, ACU said the only person a student should be compared with is him or herself and their own previous learning, in the same way that an athlete is actively coached to aim for their personal best.

According to The Australian newspaper, ACU suggests an end to traditional forms of assessment which compares a student to age or grade-level expectations, in favour of this new system.

“Athletes train together and compete against each other for places, but ultimately work towards improving their PB,” ACU’S submission said, adding that “many of our brightest students do not work to their full potential” under the current system.

It’s a big call and not everyone is agreeing with the ACU view.

If you have thoughts on this, in particular whether or not it would benefit or disadvantage regional and rural students in any way, feel free to get in touch with us. Email is usually best: feedback@ dubbophotonews.com.au