The Silly Season
This is the start of my silly season. Schools want to get out of the classroom and with the pressure of the modern education system on their shoulders, I can see why!
Working as a nature reserve Education Ranger, it’s kind of my thing to bang on about the relevance of outdoor spaces for learning. However I have been somewhat hamstrung by modern educational policy, which is about as flexible as our beloved red sandstone – you try and twist it slightly and its crumbles into dust.
Its not just the fact that there’s a generation of teachers who, like me, didn’t do much outdoor education at school themselves; as reported in last week’s press, its down to the dreaded SATs and the fact that to run a “successful” school, you need to constantly think results. What a tragic, and all too politicised nonsense.
All the inspirational teachers I remember in my life were grounded in one common aspect – they taught from the heart and were passionate about their subject. They were able to make their subject (or subjects in the case of my Year 4 teacher Miss Robson) come alive and seem personal to me as a pupil. I wasn’t just force-fed examination answers in an attempt to top meaningless poles.
This is, definitely, not a dig at teachers, we are really fortunate that here in East Devon there are lots of fabulous teachers, many of whom I am lucky enough to work with regularly and all of whom keep me jolly busy! I just really do not envy the framework in which they have to teach.
The fact that it is a soulless quest for momentary results, proven to be quickly forgotten (as all cramming information is), reflects that this is a system for the statistically hungry politicians, and not for our young people. I can stomach it at GCSE and Advanced Levels, but now we are compiling tables of the under sevens and my heart sinks.
Wowzers, get me?
So what’s reason for this little tirade in my otherwise uncontentious countryside column? Well, as kids are being allowed to be children less and less at school, it is becoming increasingly important to allow them this indulgence in their own time.
I know, I know, “But what about homework?” I hear you cry. And I agree – there isn’t enough information in the world that justifies a person under the age of ten to take work home from school, really there isn’t. If there isn’t time in the school day to learn something, then don’t test the little guys on it!
The good news is there’s plenty going on to get your little ones involved with, which takes the pressure off you as a parent to know all there is to know about bug hunting, pond dipping or rockpooling – for example.
I’m not championing these old fashioned and rather eccentrically English pastimes because I think it imperative that all East Devon’s children know the difference between a pond skater and a water boatman (although I also happen to think this is important) but because such activities simply immerse children (and their parents) in the real world – the natural world, which isn’t obsessed about MP3 players and other man-made tut. It’s a case of making things less sophisticated, less touch-screen-interactive-windows-based-operating-system. What could be more interactive than getting bitten by a water beetle, or nipped by a crab?
So next week is half term. Your offspring’s teachers are taking a well earned rest with a bottle of pinot grigio or two, and it’s your turn to step in. So, bring them on an educational experience they wont even realise is self-improving – join me on an LNR event. There’s three to choose from, and all are free of charge.
Wednesday 28th May, get up early for an 8am woodland walk at Knapp Copse, near Honiton, for a bird song spectacular. We’ll be finished by 9ish, so why not combine it with a visit to a Honiton deli for breakfast – you’ll have earned it on those hills!
Thursday 29th is another chance to come reptile rambling with me, this was so popular last half term 67 people turned up, so prepare yourself for crowds if the weather if fine! We start these events from the Bowd Inn, so there’s an easy early lunch option at the end of this event too.
Finally an Exmouth event to wrap up the week, as we’ll be getting up close and personal with the busy bees of The Maer LNR, on the seafront, on the 30th.
I’m not sure if you’ve seen The Maer recently, but it is looking wonderful and I would like to say a big “Thank you” to Andy Harris and his Exmouth StreetScene team for keeping it spick and span in the litter department and wild and interesting in the vegetative department. Join me for an introduction to the weird and wonderful bees of the dunes.
We’ll be starting at two, so there’s plenty of time for a good lunch first, and low water is in the morning, so you can even fit in some rockpooling at Maer rocks beforehand – go on, make a day of it!