[Korenwolf]

Well, Durrington CofE Junior School think they have sorted it out; kids there have been told not to be 'unrealistic'...

School tells pupils to scrap unrealistic ambitions on ‘dress up as your dream job-day'

A British double Olympian has hit back at a junior school that told its pupils not to be too ambitious when thinking up a future career.

In a letter sent out to parents, Durrington CofE Junior School asked children to come in dressed as what they wanted to be when they grew up for a 'My World of Work Day'. And it didn't impress Olympic hurdler Jack Green -

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/d ... 1516396267

[avtur3]

.... I found this profoundly depressing. A massive obsession with sports personalities is presumably in there, as is the complete failure of the teaching profession to get across to young children the range of fascinating careers that could be open to them ....

I'm surprised at your comment, I thought you would only make comment based on your own evidence.

My older daughter is a primary teacher with a science specialisation, she would be appalled at your comment. She has a reputation both in her current school and previous school for introducing both science and environmental topics and has enjoyed popularity with pupils and parents for her approach to teaching these sensitive subjects.

Her aunty (one of my sisters) is head of a university department specialising in humpback whale behaviour and is able to offer a unique insight to her pupils. I accept this may not be typical for a UK primary teacher but it certainly adds value to my daughter's teaching, including credits in BBC's recent output. Her grandfather, my dad, was a Doctor of Science based on his environmental studies, so it runs in the family.

I accept that my daughter may not be typical of teachers at her stage (29 years old and 7 years in class) but she has a tremendous amount of scientific bias to offer including classroom visits from a number of medical and scientific professionals .

I am clearly biased but we need more teachers like my daughter promoting science in the classroom

[Genghis the Engineer]

.

I am clearly biased but we need more teachers like my daughter promoting science in the classroom

We do, very much so. And other inspired teachers like her capable of showing children a whole range of opportunities in their future lives, and how they might achieve them - beyond what they see on early evening television.

One thing that did surprise me of that article was apparently no astronauts. I thought that the "Tim Peake Effect" would have inspired a measurable number of youngsters.

(And I was to some extent quoting personal experience, just not overtly.)

G

[johnm]

I don't think HMG with its poorly informed focus on targets and national curriculum is helping with any of this.

The trouble with targets is they are very hard to create sensibly in a complex environment and have a nasty habit of creating perverse incentives. School league tables are a good example.

As I have remarked many times Education comes from the Latin "e duco" which roughly means "I lead out" so why HMG has decided it ought to mean "I stuff in" is not clear, nor is it very useful in creating well rounded individuals.

[PeteSpencer]

I am clearly biased but we need more teachers like my daughter promoting science in the classroom

No disrespect to your daughter but one way of increasing science and maths appreciation would be to encourage more male teachers into this age group.

I read that there are large numbers of primary schools with no male members of staff.

IMHO this is a sad state of affairs as for all manner of reasons a balanced sex ratio of teachers would be a good thing.

Peter

[Leodisflyer]

.

[johnm]

If my daughter and colleagues are anything to go by Gove is a four letter word to teachers

[chevvron]

I originally wanted to be a (railway) engine driver - this was mid '50s.
Then I joined the Air Training Corps and wanted to be a pilot.
Became a glider pilot with the cadets, flying solo just after my 16th birthday and checked out to carry passengers for 'air experience ' before my 18th
Eventually drove a steam railway engine when I was mid 40s.
I won't bore you with the rest.

[kanga]

I'm forbidden in another thread from mentioning a local establishment which brings in whole classes of KS1/2 (Primary) children in to teach them about STEM subjects (and local history) within a wholly aviation environment. One teacher feedback included reporting a child saying "I must work harder at my sums, Miss [sic, as usual]; I want to design aeroplanes when I grow up". It is, however, sad that the now very tight English [sic] National Curriculum rules means that it must provide the teachers with complex paperwork to prove to the next Ofsted Inspection that it was a worthwhile reason to take children out of school within the school day.

At KS3 it also (with local aeronautical engineering companies) takes part in GE Aviation's admirable "GirlsGetSet" scheme, run nationwide near its various plants, to encourage girls choosing GCSE subjects to go for STEM ones which will enable a later engineering career. Again, Ofsted has to be pacified with paperwork.

[PaulB]

I originally wanted to be a (railway) engine driver - this was mid '50s.

Doesn't it depend on your age and what is happening at the time..... we're going through a period of "celebrity worship"[1] at the moment so it's not surprising that many want that as a career. When I was that age, the moon race was on, so I wanted to be an astronaut. That's not where I ended up at all.......

[1] Why we've fallen into this is another matter as it's just another way of transferring money from those who have little to those who already have a lot.

[Tall_Guy_In_a_PA28]

A more positive news story!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42734688

[Charles Hunt]

Only thing I ever wanted to do was fly. Eyes went at 16 so that was the end of that for a career. No -one said "What about aircraft engineering, or airfield or airline management?"

Only twice I remember receiving applause, once at age 11 doing a classroom presentation on flight - I think I pretty much repeated the Ladybird book, and once at age 51 when I did a presentation on sewage pumping stations - probably only because I didn't use powerpoint!

[matthew_w100]

I'm 56. I do not remember one single teacher/lecturer/professor making one single career suggestion. There has never been a mention of "the range of fascinating careers that could be open". It's not a new issue.

And, if truth be told, most careers aren't fascinating. And they are hard to draw.

[Charles Hunt]

A careers guy came to the school when we were in the sixth form.

Every one of us in the maths/science group came out going "What's an actuary?????"

[Flintstone]

I originally wanted to be a (railway) engine driver - this was mid '50s.

Mid-life crisis?