Fremantlebiz - Paul's Letter from Australia

No more school - for seven weeks

Today is the last day of school for our kids in 2007. The past week has been filled with several events demanding parental attendance.

We've had the reports too. They had the modern computer generated comment that has been standard on school reports since the nineteenth century. It goes, "Could try harder."

Well of course we could all try harder, even the teachers could try harder too, especially in teaching our kids to read and write. It's been a deficiency in our education system that teachers don't get assessment reports generated by parental input.

There was a recent media report which suggested that one in five kids are semi-literate by the time they leave primary school. This is denied by politicians and education department spin doctors, but one is reminded of the old saying that anything can be proved with statistics.

There are always kids who excel. We've seen plenty of recognition of this over the past week with special awards and medals. But for the kids who miss out there is the tacit message they have failed, and that somehow it is their fault. They didn't try hard enough.

I suspect the entire public accolade process for high achievers is potentially damaging for those who miss out. In the USA where guns are so easily accessible, some kids react by murdering their teachers and peers. There have been a few such end-of-year incidents in the US over the past fortnight. In this state there are apparently a lot of assaults on teachers by students, but guns are much harder to obtain, as are the statistics. However the situation is worsening, as can be read in the State Parliament's Hansard from November 22 2007.

If only every child could read and write competently by the end of primary school - that might help - but they can't, in spite of the rosy picture painted by vested interests. To contradict the positive assertions, there is a whole private industry running in this state which endeavours, for a price, to try to bring kids up to standard with after-school coaching.

Anyway, yesterday morning my wife and I attended the local primary school to watch our number six son get called up to the podium and be presented with a graduation certificate by the headmaster. I thought he'd been given one at the Year Sevens' dinner last week, but this was another one. We are pleased and proud of our son, even though there were no medals for him. We knew he was the best trumpet player in the school and that's good enough for us.

The best part of the entire proceedings occurred about half way through. There is an old tomcat called Gizmo who lives over the road from the school, but often comes over and wanders about like he owns the place. Yesterday a great commotion suddenly broke out on the grassy knoll which overlooks the assembly area. It involved two dogs, one a toy poodle stray which had wandered in, and the other a border collie whose matron of a mistress had let off the leash. (Against school rules.) This was too much for the fearless Gizmo and so he attacked both dogs at the same time.

There was a great commotion. The small rat dog took off in a southerly direction, yelping as it went. It was never seen again. The border collie went in the opposite direction, also yelping, with it's calorie challenged owner in hot pursuit. Gizmo, his territorial rights having been asserted, sat on a wall with his tail swishing. The school assembly had been totally disrupted, and the kids were delighted. The parents were delighted. Everyone was delighted, except the teachers.

Last night we attended an open air band concert at the high school. Our number two daughter is the lead trombonist. The band worked through the routines it's practised during the year. This time most of the numbers had vocals. Unfortunately for the singers there is no singing coach at the school and their efforts might not have gotten past the first round of auditions for Australian Idol. The high school really needs a singing coach, particularly one who is sympathetic to the modern styles.

So the last day of school today will essentially be a mopping up operation. The Year Sevens from primary school are heading for Fremantle. They're going to take in a movie and then head to the Fremantle fish market for a lunch of fish and chips. After today, we parents will have to keep them amused for the next seven weeks.

© MMVII Paul R. Weaver.

About the writer

Check out each month's subject index on the Calendar Page for my "common-man" monologues about survival in 21st century Australia – plus a little history occasionally. An original essay is added most days as part of an undertaking to write a couple of million words.

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