Essays & General Comments
We are at the point in our lives where princelet has to make his exam choices, and we had to go along to school this week to an open evening with all the subject options.
OH MY GOODNESS - it's all so complicated now.
The school divides the students into 2 groups - blue and green. There is not a huge difference between them, except the blue lot are more academic and MUST take a language, the green group have a freer choice of subjects and do more Btec work (course stuff: not exams as such).
Our big problem was that princelet wanted to do electronics, but to be able to do that he had to keep French, and that was just a wasted lesson. Bless his little socks he just can't/won't put in that much work, so it's building in a failure before we start and that seems silly. So, after much too-ing and fro-ing we decided that he would be a 'greenie'. Well that was one decision down.
There is a new thing that is starting next school year - the kids can do a 'diploma'. Now I quite like the sound of this. It really does depend on the sort of person your child is, because the kids are sent study in different places. Our scheme is between the 2 senior schools in the town, the local collage and various employers. I KNOW princelet is just itching to get out there in the world and tinker about, and doing a day a week at the collage would make his mouth water. Let him loose on an employer and he will be re-writing the company rules by the end of the week. This course is worth 7 GCSEs and takes the place of 2 normal choices, so it's heady stuff.
I think we have just about decided what to do. He is going to take a Business and Admin Diploma - Btec science and ITC - the usual English, Maths, citizenship etc. He is hoping that this will lead to an apprenticeship after 6th form, giving him a trade and the business skills to enable him to go it alone.
You know - when I was at this school point, we were given a list of subjects and told to tick the ones we liked. That was it. No guidance as to what it meant. No information as to what the consequences of our choices might be. Not a hint of further education (mind you, being a girl - there was none, amazing how things have changed). Luckily, I liked to learn stuff (yes, don't ask - I really did!), so I used to go to night classes for years after school actually finished, and kept studying. I collected some of the 'new' fangled GCSEs (we did O Levels or CSEs), I did several more hobby subjects, and I started some computer stuff. I graduated from university at a 'mature' age (not telling!).
I am still studying, I have been learning calligraphy for 4 years now - this year I will master a new style, I go to class and learn about all sorts of new craft techniques and products. I have mastered my website and now I am blogging, but I am finding that I have to choose where I put my effort. This is mostly due to my FMS (brain fog), so I have chosen to continue with my calligraphy studies - BUT the whole point is , , , , learning is ongoing. You never, ever, ever, stop.
If all I do is convince princelet that 'the answer (really) is out there' that's all I can hope for really - teach him how to use the system, and hope he realises that's meant for him.
