This is a mothballed Coal Power Station that is right on the furthest horizon we can see. We can only see that far as we are on top of a hill. It takes an effort to find it from here. Can only see it from one extreme corner of the garden. This is also at my poor old camera’s maximum zoom. I guess it’s a reminder of a rapidly receding age and will be getting demolished soon.

Last school week and it’s trying to end the year on a most vexing high….

Let’s see how many assessments we can squeeze into 5 days. The answer ….. TOO MANY.

I had spoken to school and told them that son was still not 100% following his hospital visit but would give the last school week ago. However he wasn’t firing on all cylinders. School assured me that they would go easy on him. ASSESSMENTS are clearly easy on him. That’s so how I remember school tests in my day. Then we come to English. He completed the online lesson and submitted a rather fine gothic story. I was impressed with the storytelling and especially the writing. It was grammatically very good. Whisper it, spelling was almost perfect. That is some progress for him. So I was a little surprised to receive an email from school at 11.30pm to inform me that his work in the lesson had been below standard and incomplete. Really. The teacher has not responded to my query as the email failed to provide any details. Well that’s helpful. Having reviewed the lesson material several times I can only assume that he failed to respond to one rather vague question. A hard to spot question requiring a one sentence answer. Son had actually answered it but forgot to upload a photo of the one line answer. Unsurprisingly not a mention of the story he had submitted. If I wasn’t already convinced about the failures of mainstream education then this has finally clinched the deal. Well stuff school. I’ve assessed his work as brilliant and he will be getting a reward for it.

Maybe it’s time to mothball our countries factory farming educational approach…

56 thoughts on “Mothballed”

  6. I know what you mean. My son was diagnosed by his school with a small motor skills dysfunction. We were told he would never learn to write by hand and that he would need lots of remedial tutelage. Eventually we ended up pulling him out of school and homeschooling him. You know what? He can write in printing and cursive today has a master’s degree in English as a second language and is teaching overseas. The school system is not always right.

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      1. Actually that was the main comment about my son from one of his teachers at conference….”Joe just walks to the beat of his own drum and doesn’t seem to be aware that anyone else is even marching.”

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  8. Awe, I’m so sorry. It’s so dissapointing that he doesn’t get that acknowledgement that he deserves. At least he has an amazing dad that recognizes his brilliance. He is so fortunate for that.

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  9. Sorry, but is the purpose of school system: “Try to find anything to put the pupils down as far as possible. Don’t ever say anything positive… NEVER!” I ask myself if there are only top children at that school who always reach 100%. I cannot imagine that your son is the only one who has not completed the test 100%.

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  10. That he’s even trying to give it all he’s got with all the negative feedback he’s gotten… he’s a fantastic young man! He should be proud of his efforts no matter what the Idjits at his school say.

    Both of my girls had teachers that just needed to retire. They were negative about everything and obviously unhappy in their jobs and taking it out on the students. A teacher I follow was very very disillusioned with the way schools are being run in UK. It seems your system is just as broken as ours!

    Homeschooling it shall be and Hawklad will get to show off that brilliant mind!💌💌

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  12. Gary, I have been rather busy and missed your post about your son and hospital. (????) This is so disheartening. You are so right to be proud and to expect more feedback on your son’s achievement than this teacher provides. It’s really disappointing to say the least. For what it’s worth, I am so pleased and happy for him. I think you nailed it when you described education as “factory farming”. Unfortunately that about sums it up everywhere I know of. I think you both deserve a huge award! God bless.

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  15. I’m actually really furious about that. All that work and good work too … fuming 😤

    That teacher must lead a very bitter and and sad life, to only ever focus on the negative and the things that are missing.

    You tell him how amazing he is … it’ll mean more coming from you anyway.

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  17. I think if we all change our keep our focus on the new technologies, all of the crap will be mothballed. Grand observations here! Thank you kindly. From a 58 year old new off grid homesteader. #GardensRULE #SolarROCKS ❤️🦋🌀☀️💦🌱

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