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Mind the Gap
Harry and Oliver are off to college on Monday. Emma, their mother, is breathing a sigh of relief.
Ihad coffee and crisps with the boys and a friend of their's recently.
The friend was returning to universityfor his second year studying physics. I asked if he likes it and he did.
Harrywas unsure about how much more education he could'stand'. Oliver nodded agreement.
The friend said they'd be fine once theygot started on their courses.'You get addicted to learning' he told them. The boys looked amazed.
'What? You get addicted to learning?'
('Can't see that happening to them', Emma said, when I told her).
The trouble is, Harry and Oliver havebeen talking to friends taking a 'gap' year.
'What are the benefits ofit?' I enquired tentatively.
They had their answers:
'You get a break from study'.
'You come back more mature'.
'You come back ready to learn' (!)
'It looks good on your CV'.
Employers are culpable for putting too much emphasis on the benefits of a gap year. Students taking gap years are a year behind when applying for jobs and a year behind when seeking promotion.
I went to my school year's reunion a while ago. Most of my classhad left school at seventeen, goingstraight into jobs like the bank or Civil Service. They hadsupported themselves for most of their lives. Money was in shorter supply at that time and education was seen as an expensive 'extra'.
Whilstthat situation was not ideal, many got promoted in their jobs andended up a long way from where they had started.
Education is a contentious issue. It is a privilege, too. Knowledge is power. Never underestimate it.
Thanks for your comment, Jack.
Wales used to be the land of preachers and teachers, education being the ladder to mobility.
The latest reports have shown that standards of education in Wales are falling behind those in England. The reasons for this are notclear.
A professor (whose name I forget) said recently that some years ago he believed Wales needed to spend more on education, but now he thinks lack of money is not the main weakness, although it is a contributary cause. There are a number of reasons, not always clear,why Wales is lagging and this is a complex matter.
A successful school has three key elements:keen teachers, keen pupils, keen parents. Result?Success, with a capital S.
I don't understand what's happened in Wales.Have the examining boards changed the standards of marking?
At the risk of being deeply unfashionable, Ihave always maintained the Junior school curriculum is too broad.
If you want pupils to learn the the three 'R's' that is what you teach them, the 3 'R's, until they have had a thorough grounding.
When I was young we still learnt some history, geography, sang in class and painted, but the curriculum was not overloaded with these extra subjects.
Let's get back to basics, quickly, for everyone's sake.
(By the way, latest thinking is considering condensing the three year degree course to two.)
Yes, Jude, I agree with you- you can't beat a sound education to set you up for life.
I also think that college life provides a time in which you can discover who you are away from familiar surroundings.
One person I know of took a gap year that lasted ten years. He found it very difficult to get back into mainstream life and work a 9 to 5 job.
Some gap yearsare impressive when written down and if the experienced gained can be translated into the job the person is applying for, then that's a plus. Thanks for your comment.
But did those who didn't get an education go as far as they could have? I agree with you that a "gap year" can turn into a work life. If an education opportunity is offered, grab it with both hands. That said, those who are truly determined to succeed haven't needed a college education. Determination, willingness to really work hard, learning from mistakes - those qualities are what will lift you higher no matter where you start.