What a glorious day today. I’m not talking about the weather either.
My oldest child started school today. I was so excited for him, getting his uniform all ready, and labeled with his name etc.
I know it’s early days and for now we are all starry eyed and in a honeymoon phase, but sheesh. I can really stand with my hand on my heart and say that where we have chosen to send him, is the most unbelievable child-centred school, with philosophies and rules completely in line with our own views.
What I noticed particularly, is that each of the parents there was acutely conscious of the fact that this was a school that we each chose, wanting the best for our kids. Government schooling here, is zoned by area (as it is in many parts of the world), but when it comes to independent schools you can choose where you want to send your child. The prices range from ‘okay’ to ‘ludicrous’ and this school is one of the ones somewhere in the middle. Competition to get into the good government schools is very high, and this leads to class sizes of 35-40 in some cases. Skip’s class at his new school has 15 kids. There are 30 in his year in total (two classes of 15 each) and they have a teachers aide between them. This brings the teacher:child ratio to 1:10. Which is absolutely brilliant. This is simply not the case at our local govt alternative. As long as we are in this country, I will be ecstatic to have him at this school.
At this stage, I can honestly say that I feel it is worth every penny. The facilities are bright, airy, modern and well just downright classy. He will be doing music, swimming and sport as part of his curriculum. His teacher is young, but friendly, and firm. As parents we are to call her by her first name. Absolutely on the same team. I *really* like that.
There I was stressing that maybe I’m not good enough to send my kid there, too overweight and needing to read about the top 10 fat burners, and have some important earth shattering career to feel good enough, but it simply isn’t the case. The parents are all normal, non-stuck-up folk who want the best for their kids.
We are going to have the most awesome year. I can just feel it.
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This morning on a national radio station, the DJ was talking about the state of education in the country.
For those of you who like details, it was Gareth Cliff on 5Fm and Mbale Moloyi having the discussion, and they took some callers views as well.
It turns out that after 10 years of a so-called new curriculum was introduced, students in their first year at university are struggling to keep up with the pace.
I heard this first hand from my sons swimming teacher as well, who’s daughter is a first year university student. This particular girl excelled at high school, with straight A’s etc, and is very very bright. She’s doing okay at university as a result. But in her own words, she said that she can see how the learning in high school did not adequately prepare her for university. She cited things like teachers allowing kids to use calculators for too many things in maths class etc, and then of course you get to university where for particular courses they are not allowed – and then students are struggling to do basic calculations like what is 9 multiplied by 12 for example.
The whole thing on the radio this morning, kind of freaked me out.
I’ve just paid the deposit for my sons first year of private school education starting next year. (Thank you blogging, that is one thing that *you* have paid for amongst a million others).
Now, because I know we’re still going to be here, for at least a large part of next year, and my son of an age where he can start formal education, when time came to decide where to send him, for me the choice was absolutely clear cut. Private School.
I went to both government run and private schools during my schooling career so I can categorically state that THERE IS NO COMPARISON between the two.
CHALK and CHEESE.
It really makes me angry when I hear parents saying that ‘govt schooling was good enough for them, so it’s good enough for their kids’. Isn’t the whole point to try and do better for your children than what you had yourself? I mean, surely??? Doesn’t everyone feel like that?? Aside from the fact that government schooling is even worse than it was 20 years ago.
I consider myself lucky to have had a chance to see both sides of the coin, and so incredibly blessed to have had the private schooling that I did.
At the government school we had: (and this was in a govt school with so-called ‘academic excellence’)
A headmaster with a grossly overinflated oppinion of himself, who thought that his sole purpose in life was to strut the halls in his academic gown (not unlike Professor Snape) handing out punishment and interrogating terrified pupils.
A vice headmaster with an insatiable desire to belittle any and all who came before him, and would not cease his verbal onslaught until you were in tears.
I had teachers who taught subjects that they were not qualified to teach. I.e. a history major teaching geography.
I had teachers who thought it was okay to ‘accidentally’ grope you.
The two fantastic teachers that I did have one year, were both head hunted by a nearby boys private school, and left to take up wonderful positions, with decent salaries, and one can hardly blame them for doing so!
At the private school we had:
I had teachers who loved to teach.
I had teachers who really cared.
I had teachers who were really paid what they were worth.
We had incredible sporting, media and theatrical facilities.
We had a headmistress of whom we were terrified, but she inspired us to go beyond ourselves in EVERY SINGLE WAY.
We had heated classrooms. Carpeted classrooms. Classrooms with air-conditioning.
We were moulded, shaped, guided, allowed to breathe, and set free to grow.
My school marks sky-rocketed after just one term at private school.
So suffice it to say, when it comes to my kids education, they are going to get the very best that money can buy.
A school that is not forced to bow to the governments demands that the standards be lowered so that everyone has the right to graduate (hello? Where is the incentive to bother trying if it’s your RIGHT to graduate??), a school that turns its well educated nose up at the national curriculum, and instead chooses to follow an international one, with international standards and examinations.
A school that will give my children a chance.
What are your plans for your kids education?
Do you plan to go ‘local’ ‘private’ or ‘home school’?
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While I’m in the planning phase of trying to go bigger with my photography business (meaning actually leave the house occasionally and you know, work), there are many exciting things to consider.
Of course gnawing constantly at my mind is what to do with my youngest child, who at 10 months is still at home with me 24/7. I am not like most ‘house wives’ who simply pick up a cheap nanny and off they go. My childs care is of the utmost importance to me. If I could just find a decent play group with just a few children, and get him in there, even just two mornings a week, that would *totally* free up my time, to at least take bookings, because believe me I’ve been asked.
I can’t rely on my mom, who is still working full time. The other grandmother is in the UK. I suppose my next port of call would be an au pair service, which I could organise for just 1 full day a week, or two mornings a week, or something. I just don’t want to cut my business off at the knees right now.
Hubby is being hard-arsed about this and is refusing to pay, saying that *my* business should pay for it – thanks for the total lack of support honey – but how the heck am I supposed to go out there and make money if I’m having to fork out for child care first? It’s just insane. Of course if I bring up how I supported him utterly when his family betrayed him and we were nearly bankrupted by it, he’ll just get angry and I’ll lose the argument anyway. (I’m so sick of going around in circles about this).
Anyway, in true aquarian style, I’m not going to sweat the small stuff, and I’m going to day dream about the big stuff (it’s ludicrously counter-productive, but then we’re not exactly renowned for our practicalities). So I’m off to peruse promotional products, because they’re SO FUN! Don’t you just love branding???
Oh and on another note, I’ve totally been looking at online courses again, I think I may have found the perfect one, which I can afford to pay monthly, interest free, and it leads to an internationally recognised diploma – which in turn leads to an degree online, so I’ve finally decided to pursue on of my lifetime goals. Balls to the wall girls, I’m going to stop pfaffing, and start living reality, and DO what I need to DO. More on my course in the coming week.
Watch this space.
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Giving Your Children Wings…Do Other Moms Feel Like This?
My eldest child starts school tomorrow.
Tomorrow is ‘Orientation Day’. He gets to put on a uniform and go and meet his teacher tomorrow, while we get the introductory meeting/meet the head teacher/this is how this place works so toe the line speech in the hall at the same time.
I am freaking with excitement for him. I was a huge fan of school at his age. Put my school uniform on everyday for a week before I was due to start, making my mom roll her eyes in exasperation at me and making me go and change so that she could iron my school dress *again* and hang it up in anticipation.
I am glad that times have changed and that I don’t have to send him in obnoxious teflon coated charcoal shorts and a tie, nope. Chino’s and golf shirts for this boy.
I am proud of hubby and I for having made the enormous budgetary sacrifices that we have already made, in order to send him there.
I am SO über proud of Skip getting *in* in the first place.
He must have knocked their socks off at the interview. (We got to wait in the staffroom while *they* interviewed *him*! I already love a school that cares more about the child itself, than what they think the parents can do for them). Nice.
I promised myself that I would be fit and svelte again in time for his first sports day, (have to win that mothers race) and so if any of you know of any diets for quick weight loss then please pass them along!
I was SO excited, so pleased that my graphic design/photography/blogging pursuits have made a decent contribution to the household income, which enabled ME to take him to buy his uniform, his stationery and new lunchbox etc. ME. Not the hubby. No need to whip that card out. ME. (Pats self on back). People don’t realise what a total esteem meltdown motherhood can give you, when your income takes a dive the way mine did while I was a SAHM, before I became a WAHM.
There you are doing the hardest job in the world, and because it’s a totally unpaid position, you feel useless.
Anyway, back to my super dude.
Yes, he is young to be starting school.
4 and half to be precise.
His school is a private school that starts earlier than the local govt schools around here, and given the size of his intellect and the way that he hubby and I (neither of whom are short on intellect ourselves – if I may say so) look at each other repeatedly throughout the day and say, “Ok. Wow. Either global leader or evil genius, but either way, he’s going to make us look like the intellectual equivalent of fly larvae when he gets going.” it’s for the best.
But here’s the thing.
I want to keep him wrapped up in his little monogrammed baby blanket forever.
For-ever.
I am not content with merely the memories of being able to hold him tight, in a tiny little bundle. I am so conscious of the fact that when I hug him now, that as tall as *I* am, I can no longer squeeze him into a tiny little ball.
He is all arms and legs and BOY.
Five seconds from now he will be a MAN, and I will be an old fart.
Life is cruel that way.
We *just* figure out who we are, and what we want, and where we’re going, when we have kids, only to show us how fast time is flying and that we really do NOT have forever.
So, as I must, I let them fly free.
Letting go a little each day.
Like a mother duck, from BBC’s Planet Earth, I let my ducklings go tumbling out of the nest.
First the one, then the other, eventually.
It’s time for them to learn to fly.
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