5. Education

Benefits of education

• Education gives people knowledge and skills
• People with qualification are more likely to find work
• They can earn a higher salary
• They can contribute positively to society
• Schools aim to teach young people moral values such as tolerance and sharing
• Schools prepare children to be members of a society

Benefits of Studying Abroad

• Foreign institutions may offer better courses
• Many students want to attend a prestigious university
• The best universities employ teachers who are experts in their fields
• Qualifications gained abroad can open the door to better job opportunities
• Living abroad can broaden students’ horizons
• Overseas students are exposed to different cultures and customs.
• They become more independent
• They are responsible for cooking, cleaning and paying bills
• They will learn a foreign language

Drawback of studying abroad

• Living and studying abroad can be difficult
• Students have problems with paperwork such as visa applications
• The language barrier can be a problem
• Students have to find accommodation and pay bills
• Studying in a foreign language is challenging
• Living alone in an unfamiliar culture can cause homesickness

Technology in Education: Advantages

• Technology is a powerful tool to engage students
• Technology can make lessons much more interesting
• Students can do research using online resources
• Students can study at their own place
• Adults can take distance learning courses
• Students can study whenever and wherever they want
• Students also learn skills which are useful for their future jobs
• For example, they learn to write reports using a word processor

Technology in Education: Disadvantages

• People rely too much on computers
• Young learners do not become proficient in some basic skills
• They use word processors and spelling may suffer
• People should be able to write a letter by hand
• Technology is no substitute for a real teacher
• Learners need a structured course
• An experienced teacher knows what materials to choose
• Computers are expensive to maintain and can be unreliable

Technology in Education: Opinion

• Institutions should supplement traditional teaching with the use of technology
• Technology is part of everyday life
• It can enhance a teacher’s lessons
• Students can use online resources to help with homework
• Students must still learn to write by hand
• They should still use traditional sources of information such as books

Education in Developing countries: Problems

• Children often have to work from an early age There are no schools in many areas
• Families do not have access to books or computers Literacy rates are often low
• People in developing countries need knowledge and skills Education is the key to improving the economy of these countries

Education in developing countries: solutions

• Developed countries could help developing nations by providing money
• They could invest in schools and technology
• They could supply the funds to build schools and pay for teachers
• Children need to have access to free schooling
• Computer equipment could be donated
• The Internet can expose students to a world of knowledge and information
• Governments should make education compulsory for all children
• They should encourage parents to send their children to school
• Governments of developed and developing countries must work together

Higher education: Advantages (also see “benefits of education”)

• There are many benefits to going to university
• A degree can open the door to better employment prospects
• Economies are becoming increasingly knowledge-based
• Most jobs require specific knowledge and skills
• Skilled workers are needed for sectors such as information technology and engineering
• Repetitive manual jobs are now done by machine
• Many factories have moved to developing countries

Higher education: Disadvantages

• A healthy economy needs a wide range of workers
• Some manual workers will always be needed
• A university degree is not necessary for many service professions
• Practical training is more important in some industries
• In the UK, for example, there is currently a shortage of plumbers
• Their services are therefore becoming more and more expensive

Advantage of Home-schooling

• Some parents decide to educate their children at home
• Some families live in isolated areas with poor transport
• Other parents are not satisfied with local schools
• Parents can respond to what their children need and how they learn best
• One-to-one lessons allow much faster progress
• The child can work at his or her own pace
• Discipline problems are avoided by home-schooling

Disadvantages of home-schooling

• Most parents do not have the time to educate their children at home
• One parent would need to give up work
• School subjects are normally taught by up to ten different teachers
• Most parents do not have the necessary knowledge or resources
• Private tutors are expensive
• Children will miss out on the social experience that school offers
• At school, children learn how to get on with each other
• Home-schooled children may lack social skills
• Schools offer a better overall educational experience

Bad behavior in schools: causes

• Bad behavior is due to a lack of structure and discipline
• There are too many children in some classes
• Large classes are difficult to manage
• May disruptive students come from an unstable family background
• Other parents are too lenient and spoil their children
• Some children are used to getting whatever they want
• Schools can do very little if they are not supported by parents

Bad behavior in schools: solutions

• Schools need a clear code of conduct
• Schools need a clear set of rules about behavior
• They need to create a positive working atmosphere
• Teachers must have the power to punish disruptive students
• Schools should remove difficult children from lessons
• Schools need to work closely with parents
• Discipline could be lacking at home
• Parents must support the school rules
• They should take responsibility for their children’s behavior

Corporal Punishment: Opinion

• Corporal Punishment is not a good idea
• Physical punishment is a way of controlling children using fear
• This does not promote trust between adults and children
• Children who are punished physically may become shy or resentful
• Corporal punishment creates an atmosphere of fear and anger

Single Sex Education: Advantages

• Some people believe that male and female students should go to separate schools
• This is often for religious or cultural reasons
• Discipline problems might be avoided by separating boys and girls
• Boys and girls may learn in different ways and have different needs
• Student at single-sex schools often get better exam grades.

Single-sex Education: Disadvantages

• Separating boys and girls is unnecessary
• It is unhealthy in terms of children’s social development
• Many coeducational schools are extremely successful
• A mixed-sex environment is more representative of real life
• Coeducational schools provide children with better social skills for adult life

Advantages of Streaming (grouping children according to ability)

• Some schools separate students according to their academic ability
• Teachers can work at the right speed for their students
• Teachers can plan more suitable lessons
• High-level groups may progress faster
• Lower level groups can benefits from a slower pace
• Some teachers and parents support streaming for these reasons

Disadvantages of Streaming

• Grouping by ability may have a negative impact on students
• Children do not want to be seen as less intelligent than others
• Streaming could damage students’ self esteem
• They may lose motivation
• Students from wealthier families tend to be better prepared
• Children from poorer families may receive less support from parents
• Mixed ability classes encourage everyone to achieve their potential.

教育的好处

• 教育给人以知识和技能
• 拥有学历的人更有可能找到工作
• 他们能赚到更多的钱
• 他们能对社会产生积极的贡献
• 学校旨在教授青年人道德观如忍耐和分享
• 学校为孩子成为社会一员做好准备

出国学习的好处

• 国外机构或许能提供更好的课程
• 许多学生想上有声望的大学
• 最好的大学雇佣那些在他们领域是专家的老师
• 获得国外学历能打开更好工作机会的门
• 生活在国外能拓宽学生的视野
• 海外学生接触到不同的文化和风俗
• 他们变得更加独立
• 他们负责烹饪、打扫和付账
• 他们会学会一门外语

出国学习的缺点

• 在国外生活和学习可能会困难
• 学生可能在文书工作方面有困难比如签证申请
• 语言障碍会是个问题
• 学生必须找住宿并且付账
• 学习一门外语非常有挑战性
• 独自生活在陌生文化中会造成思乡

教育中的技术:优点

• 技术是一个让学生参与进来的很有力量的工具
• 技术可以使得课程更加有趣
• 学生可以使用网络资源做研究
• 学生可以在他们自己的地方学习
• 成人可以参加远程课程
• 如果想，学生可以在任何时候任何地方学习
• 学生还可以学到对他们未来工作有用的技能
• 比如，他们学习使用文字处理器写报告

教育中的技术:缺点

• 人们太过依赖电脑
• 年轻学习者在一些基本技能方面不会变得精通熟练+如写字
• 他们使用文字处理器，他们的拼写能力会受到影响
• 人们应该能够用手写信
• 技术不是真实老师的替代
• 学习者需要一个结构化的课程
• 一个有经验的老师知道选择什么样的材料
• 计算机维护成本高以及不太稳定
• +会使学习分心

教育中的技术:观点

• 机构应该使用技术来补充传统教育
• 技术是每天生活的一部分
• 它可以增加教师的课程
• 学生可以使用网络资源辅助他们的家庭作业
• 学生必须仍学会手写
• 他们应该继续使用传统信息资源如书籍

发展中国家的教育:问题

• 孩子们经常不得不在一个很早的年龄就去工作
• 在很多区域没有学校
• 家庭没有办法获取书籍和电脑
• 文化率通常很低
• 在发展中国家的人们需要知识和技能
• 教育是提高这些国家的关键

发展中国家的教育:途径

• 发达国家可以通过提供金钱帮助发展中国家
• 他们可以在学校和技术上投资
• 他们可以提供资金以建立学校和付给老师薪水
• 孩子们需要接近免费学校
• 计算机设备可以被捐赠
• 网络可以使得孩子们接触到知识和信息的世界
• 政府应该使得所有的孩子们教育义务
• 他们应该鼓励父母将他们的孩子送到学校
• 发达国家和发展中国家的政府必须通力合作

高等教育:优点(也看教育的好处)

• 上大学有很多好处
• 一个学位可以打开更好职业前景的大门
• 经济正变得越来越以知识型的
• 大多数工作要求特殊的知识和技能
• 在信息技术和工程这样的部分技能员工被需要
• 重复性的手工(体力)工作正在被机器完成
• 许多工厂已经搬迁至发展中国家

高等教育:缺点

• 一个健康的经济需要一系列的员工
• 一些手工员工将始终被需要
• 对于一些服务型行业来说，一份大学学历不是必要的
• 实践训练在一些行业更加重要
• 在英国，比如，水管工现在很是短缺
• 他们的服务于是变得越来越昂贵

家庭教育的好处

• 一些父母决定在家教育他们的孩子
• 一些家庭住在偏远的地区，那儿有着很差的交通
• 其它父母则不满意当地的学校
• 父母可以响应他们孩子的需要和怎样他们学的最好
• 一对一课程允许更快的进步
• 孩子可以按照他自己的速度来
• 家庭教育避免了纪律问题
• +他们的孩子可以免受在学校可能遭遇的欺凌(bullying)
• +他们有更多的时间和孩子待在一起，知道孩子们在想什么，减缓代沟

家庭教育的缺点

• 大多数父母没有时间在家教育他们的孩子
• 父母之一需要放弃工作
• 学校课程通常由近十位不同老师执教
• 大多数父母没有必要的知识和资源
• 私人老师通常很贵
• 孩子们将得不到学校提供的社交经历
• 在学校，孩子们学习如何与他人相处
• 家庭教育的孩子或许缺乏社交技能
• 学校提供一个更好的全面的教育经历

在学校不好的行为:原因

• 不好的行为通常由缺乏结构和纪律导致
• 在一些班级有着太多的孩子
• 大的班级通常更加难以管理
• 很多扰乱性的孩子来自一个不稳定的家庭背景
• 其它父母太多宽恕并宠坏了他们的孩子
• 一些孩子已经习惯得到任何他们想得到的
• 如果学校得不到家长的支持，学校能做的事很少

在学校不好的行为:途径

• 学校需要一套明确的行为准则
• 学校需要一套明确的行为准则
• 他们需要营造一种积极的工作氛围
• 教师必须拥有权力惩罚那些扰乱性的孩子
• 学校应该从课堂上移除那些难以管教的孩子
• 学校和家长应该密切合作
• 在家里纪律可能是缺乏的
• 父母应该支持学校的规则
• 他们应该对他们孩子的行为负有责任

体罚:观点

• 体罚不是一个很好的主意
• 身体惩罚是一种使用恐惧来控制孩子们的做法
• 这样的规则不会促进教师和孩子们间的信任
• 那些被体罚过的孩子们可能变得害羞或愤恨
• 体罚会营造一种恐惧和生气的氛围
• +Alternative measures+体罚不一定会奏效

单一性别教育:优点

• 一些人认为男女学生应该前往不同的学校
• 这通常是由于宗教或文化的原因
• 通过将男孩和女孩分开，纪律问题可能得到解决
• 男孩和女孩用不同方式学习及有不同的需求
• 那些在单一性别学校的学生通常取得更好的考试成绩

单一性别教育:缺点

• 将男孩女孩分开是不必要的
• 就孩子们的社交发展而言是不健康的
• 许多男女合校的学校十分成功
• 一个混合性别的环境更加能反应真实生活
• 男女合校的学校提供孩子们能用于成人生活的更好的社交技能

分班的好处(根据能力将孩子们分组)

• 一些学校根据学生的学术能力将他们分开
• 教师可以按照正确的速度教育学生
• 教师可以计划更加合适的课程
• 高水平组或许进步更快
• 低水平组也能从低速中获益
• 出于这些原因，一些教师和家长支持分班

分班的坏处

• 根据能力分组的做法可能对学生产生一个消极的影响
• 孩子们不想被看作不如其它人聪明
• 分班能伤害孩子们的自尊
• 他们可能失去动力
• 来自富裕家庭的孩子更可能准备更好
• 来自贫穷家庭的孩子可能接受更少的来自父母的支持
• 混合能力班级估计每一个人实现他们的潜力