School Reforms Speech on Island of Wight :: Education

School Reforms Ladies and gentlemen of the council, As a parent of an island child, I think that we are missing out on a higher level of education. The mainland children get a good education and we are getting a second class education, which we do not deserve. We should fight to improve the quality of our schools, 89% of parents agree that we should go ahead with option three, but with one adjustment, we should let medina high school keep its sixth form, and international baccalaureate. The ages of children moving schools is going to alter from 9 and 13, to just 11, this will decrease the amount of stress that school children go under changing schools. Option three will also mean that pupils who are 14 and over will be able to study a wider range of subjects, both academic and vocational in line with changing national requirements. Also if children only have to cope with one change instead of two they will be able to concentrate on school work rather than trying to make new friends, and trying to learn what you can and can’t do in their new school. The school changes were at ages 9 and 13, this would disrupt the learning of students because of the reasons I have just stated, and as they are in the middle of a critical test time i.e. the year nine SAT’s at 14 years old. Also at 9 years old the brain is geared up for learning and grasping new things not sudden changes and disruptions like moving schools. Mainland students change schools at 11 which is just before students start key stage three, this is the build up time for the year nine SAT’s and the only prime time to change schools. We are disrupting the students twice in their school life they are achieving lower results, and there for going to get worse jobs than those mainland students, who have more GCSE’s. Do you want your children to grow up and get one maybe two GCSE’s? My guess is no. I certainly don’t want my children growing up and having fewer opportunities than that of a mainland child. I want my child to have a great job that the y enjoy, not one they have to be satisfied with because they do not have enough qualifications. I ask you ladies and gentlemen of the council do you want your child to grow up like that?