[etni] a full day

From: renee wahl <renew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:43:26 +0200
What a good idea from Barry Prague's school.  I (and I expect most of us
would agree) would happily agree to fill in as many forms as would fit into
a day's work if all my classes were cancelled on that day.  You are indeed
in luck that your principal has had the temerity to implement this plan.
However, I'm not so sure the Ministry will approve it as kosher.  The kids
need all the English lessons they are scheduled for.  However, since the the
school cancels our lessons for trips, student council meetings, lectures,
and on all kinds of other pretexes, why wouldn't providing services for LD
pupils be an acceptable reason.  So what if the pupils are getting just 40%
of the hours they need?  
Dream on!  We are expected to fill in these forms on our own time.  How much
of THAT is there left?

Renee

 

Barry's original message:
Dear fellow form fillers

This new command that has been thrust upon us from above comes as no
surprise, to me that is. I have been through all this once before as a
school counsellor.

When the men and women at the ministry first deemed it necessary to vet all
requests for accommodations that included oral exams and special adapted
exams in all subjects there was an outcry among the school counsellors. We
all  got together to try and fight the avalanche of time wasting
bureaucratic paperwork that came with it. Not only were our protests brushed
aside we  were obliged to suffer a never ending yearly change in the demands
that the ministry have made and will continue to make upon us.

This new demand puts unprecedented pressure on already overworked teachers
and coordinators not to mention a school system which is groaning under the
strain of trying to administer it all.

I can say from experience that it does not matter how much we protest it is
here to stay and will only get worse. Instead of trying to find ways of
making things more efficient therefore allowing us more time to prepare
lessons and teach we are being bogged down in a mire of paper and ink.

I, personally know of school counsellors who have left school over this and
others who only counsell kids in the JHS so as not to have to deal with all
the (excuse my French as we Brits say) BS.

I know that at my school we have set aside a whole day from 0800-1600 to
deal with the new demands and we shall be cancelling lessons for many kids
in order to test those who are requesting oral or special exams in English.

 

I am so so frustrated with all this and feel as if we are going backwards
all the time.

 

End of rant

Barry Praag

Har Vagai School

Kibbutz Dafna
[etni] a full day

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