| "O
Levels these days are soooo much easier - teenagers today don't
even need to learn the basics!" |
Firstly,
they're now called GCSEs - that's General Certificate of Secondary
Education, and they aren't easier - they're different.
Today
individual creativity is encouraged a lot more, whereas "back-in-the-day"
it was generally understood that the class would perform the same
activities together, with students doing very similar work to each
other.
For
example, where there used to be class exercises in writing (e.g.
"Here is a sentence, now tell me where the adjectives/nouns/verbs
/adverbs are . . . .") we now have imaginative-writing exercises
where students write a piece and then may go through with the teacher
and class correcting mistakes and demonstrating skills that others
can use.
And
that's a more efficient way to learn the basics AND advanced skills.
| "Teenagers
are always hanging around town and loitering-with-intent, in
my day we all had jobs - or were at least using our time wisely!" |
For
every five teenagers you see "loitering" there are probably
about 100 teenagers at home or work "using their time wisely".
For teenagers trying to balance coursework, exam-preparation
and general studying, finding a suitable job is very, very difficult. |
| Matt
Mulligan |
Revision
plays a large part in teenagers' timetables, particularly as they
approach exams, and those you see loitering are probably the ones
without jobs.
You
also need to remember that for teenagers trying to balance coursework,
exam-preparation and general studying, finding a suitable job is
very, very difficult.
Finding
the time to fit everything in can be stressful, and that's the last
thing a teenager needs - growing up is stressful enough, and today's
teens are the most over-tested teenagers ever!
| "Schools
are teaching all sorts of things that teenagers shouldn't know
about until they're older. And look at the effects!" |
Statistics
show that there are larger numbers of teenage pregnancy and increased
numbers of sexually-transmitted infections in younger age groups
nowadays, but this is NOT because of what's being taught. In my
view, it's quite the opposite.
 |
| Adult
claims that today's teenagers have it easy make Matt mad! |
The
teaching of Relationships & Sexual Education isn't aimed at
encouraging earlier sexual activity, but preparing teenagers for
later life.
By
raising awareness in this way, teens begin to realise and understand
risks and preventions before they come into contact with them.
Perhaps
we should blame other factors for the rise in teenage pregnancy
and sexually transmitted diseases. Look at the increasingly sexual
nature of television and advertising . . .
| "Teens
today are slobs! They're always sat on a computer or watching
TV, and don't even get me onto their DIET." |
Straight
away there is a fatal flaw in the argument - the references to how
the media (TV, computers etc) are making us teenagers "slobs".
Consider
my case. I'm 15 years old and one year ago I chose my "options"
(the stage at secondary school at which point you choose specialist-subjects,
a language and continue to study the "core-subjects" of
Maths, Science and English).
Had
I chosen "business studies", the work would require me
to study certain media such as television or the internet. Would
doing this make me a slob?
Does the fact that I spend a reasonable amount of time doing
exam prep and other work on a computer make me a slob? I feel
that there's an unfair judgement there. |
| Matt
Mulligan |
And
does the fact that I spend a reasonable amount of time doing exam
prep and other work on a computer make me a slob? I feel that there's
an unfair judgement there.
Concerning
diet, there is undeniable evidence that many more children and teenagers
are clinically overweight and not as fit compared to 40 or so years
ago.
One
reason for such fitness was intensive exercise enforced by the school.
I'm in year 11 and because I haven't chosen PE as a specialist subject
I only get a single Physical Education lesson per fortnight!
Fortunately
for me I take care of my diet, but for those that don't perhaps
it's partly because of the school system's PE policy that their
health is suffering.
Obviously
we teens need to put the effort in, but don't blame us for not doing
so if we're not allowed to!
| "Teens
have so much technology helping them these days - it's a miracle
that they actually do any of the work!" |
Well,
actually, on top of the work we do with all the new technology,
we have to learn to use it!
New
forms of media such as the internet are excellent educational aids,
not least because of the process of learning to use them to start
with.
| "Teens
today don't think about anything outside their own lives - they're
so ignorant!" |
Actually
awareness of serious world issues in the teenage population is massive
nowadays.
The
war in Iraq caused huge anti-war demonstrations, many organised
by teens (and not just teens who wanted to skive!) and lots of teenagers
have demonstrated preferences for buying fair-trade and environmentally-friendly
products.
»ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Talking Teenagers survey results
»ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Talking Teenagers county responses
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