Children doing work experience

[ruby]

Thankyou all for your input on this issue its very much appreciated

Ruby

 

[Ice]

As a parent do you think this work is valuable experience for your child?

Or do you think its free labour?

These kids dont get paid a penny for working an 8 hr day along side someone who picks a wage up for doing the same job.

I am not a parent, but have done 2 periods of work experience myself, the first whilst at school and the second at college. Both times I organised the placement myself and felt I definately gained from the experience (not only from getting 2 weeks off school ). The students generally aren't required to perform the same tasks (especially menial ones) that the normal workers do, indeed the companies try to make the placement as interesting and as varied as possible in an attempt to give the student experience in a range of areas (I know of one student that did theirs at a Golf course just before Christmas, in the morning they were looking after the Greens but in the afternoon they were being taught how to improve their own game and were playing rounds of Golf!).

I am not so keen on the school just placing students in any area without attempting to match it to what the student may be interested in after they leave school. In my mind, this is nothing short of a waste of time for everyone concerned.

 

[abecedarian]

This is similar to what John Taylor Gatto was proposing in his book, Dumbing Us Down. He wants schools or parents( if homeschooling) to help students link with various types of professionals within their communities, and gain meaningful work experience, and improve their test scores by using 'school skills' by writing presentations on their projects. As I remember, he had students write proposals for various civic improvements they'd researched and had a personal interest in. Some of these kids presented their proposals to city council..all the time utilizing math, English, public speaking, and other disciplines the school had tried to teach. Oh, and by doing all this, they now had something meaningful to put on job and college resumes.

I forgot to add, Mr Gatto was working with students who previously were unsuccessful in regular classwork for various reasons.

 

[SFG75]

This is similar to what John Taylor Gatto was proposing in his book, Dumbing Us Down. He wants schools or parents( if homeschooling) to help students link with various types of professionals within their communities, and gain meaningful work experience, and improve their test scores by using 'school skills' by writing presentations on their projects. As I remember, he had students write proposals for various civic improvements they'd researched and had a personal interest in. Some of these kids presented their proposals to city council..all the time utilizing math, English, public speaking, and other disciplines the school had tried to teach. Oh, and by doing all this, they now had something meaningful to put on job and college resumes.

I forgot to add, Mr Gatto was working with students who previously were unsuccessful in regular classwork for various reasons.

Gatto's the man. He was the New York teacher of the year....or some state's teacher of the year.....memory leaves me. Any-hoo, that would be an excellent idea. Have a kid work with an accountant for a day. For a civics lesson, have him/her shadow the mayor and get to see the action up close. For business classes, have 'em help a person who just started their own business. There are a lot of practical opportunities out there. For one, it doesn't take a teaching license to teach a kid and for another, it will help kids to see that there is an ultimate reason as to why they are learning what they are. What was the value of "X" again?

 

[abecedarian]

Gatto's the man. He was the New York teacher of the year....or some state's teacher of the year.....memory leaves me. Any-hoo, that would be an excellent idea. Have a kid work with an accountant for a day. For a civics lesson, have him/her shadow the mayor and get to see the action up close. For business classes, have 'em help a person who just started their own business. There are a lot of practical opportunities out there. For one, it doesn't take a teaching license to teach a kid and for another, it will help kids to see that there is an ultimate reason as to why they are learning what they are. What was the value of "X" again?

He didn't have them doing these work projects for just a day or two though. I think we're looking at at least a few weeks for most. I know homeschoolers love Mr. Gatto because his ideas support the belief that education needs to fit each individual child, and that sitting in a classroom is not the only, or best way for every student. He's a wonderful speaker, and yes, he is from New York.

 

[G4G]

Sounds like a good idea to me, making kids go and do some work. I wish they had forced me to do that when I was a kid, then the real world may not have been such a shock.

 

[abecedarian]

Sounds like a good idea to me, making kids go and do some work. I wish they had forced me to do that when I was a kid, then the real world may not have been such a shock.

So true! Most kids reaching this age, are dying to do something 'real' anyway. This sort of approach gives them a practical way to use the knowledge and skills they've learned, in a safe environment. They need to see that real life is not like a tv show or movie.

 

[ruby]

I never done work experience and i feel my daughter will get value experience out of these two wks and shes really looking forward to it as well which is an added bonus

 

[Poppy1]

Let us know how she gets on Ruby

 

[SFG75]

Does the administration have to "volunteer" at the soup kitchen as well? And what if one's family doesn't believe that it is their child's job to think of other people(who have helped put themselves into such a predicament) first and foremost?

 

[Poppy1]

Does the administration have to "volunteer" at the soup kitchen as well? And what if one's family doesn't believe that it is their child's job to think of other people(who have helped put themselves into such a predicament) first and foremost?

One would hope we could teach our children not to be totally self-centred and judgemental.