TGIF
We have made it to the end of the week and we have survived. I feel a little as though I have been through the wringer, but I’m still here. I think we may be just about out of the woods, but I’m saying that very quietly incase something goes wrong at the last minute. Of course nothing is sure until we have the report card in out hot little hands, but by the skin of her teeth it looks as though my daughter has probably passed the year. There is one exam still to come back, which could blow us out of the water, but she thinks it went OK (so thanks for the positive maths vibes all those who sent them our way!).
I can’t relax yet. Not till I know for sure. But there is a little light at the end of the tunnel, which I couldn’t see a couple of days ago.
Thanks to all of you who commented – you are all correct of course. The system is bonkers and puts kids under WAY TOO MUCH PRESSURE, WAY TOO SOON. I think there is a time and a place for a good dose of academic pressure, but going on for years is just too much. I mean, they’re kids. They should enjoy life and not have premature frown lines from worrying (ditto their mothers!).
That said, in defense of the Swiss system, I should say that we have one of the best education systems in the world. We beat most developed countries hands down on the quality of education the kids receive. The apprenticeship system is second to none and is in no way thought to be a less valuable way than the gymnasium followed by university. It’s sometimes hard for us Anglo-Saxons to adjust to a system where university really isn’t seen as the be all and end all. I recently read a report of a study that had been carried out which showed that someone who completes an apprenticeship here as a chemistry or physics lab technician has knowledge equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree in science. Which is pretty impressive really.
More to the point, about 99% of teenagers complete a solid comprehensive education which fits them for the job market. Youth unemployment is next to non-existent and people take a pride in what they do.
So it’s not all bad. But it sure is stressful sometimes!
I think I now need to sit down and have a nice cup of tea….or even something a little stronger. This week I’ve earned it!
Helen
July 8th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
I hope you and your daughter can now put your feet up and enjoy a sunny weekend together. I`m sure you`ll get the news you want…
July 9th, 2011 at 3:50 am
Just reading about your “Zeugnis anxiety” makes my stomach go funny as I remember it well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your daughter. How many more years to go?
July 9th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
That kind of pressure makes my tummy go all flippy too. I remember one year after final exams I was so exhausted I fell asleep in the tub!
July 10th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
I’m just not sure I think education should be geared up for the job market! I want children to have a well rounded general education – to learn about art as well as science, literature as well as maths. To make thinking people, not automatons who are single mindedly fixated on a career. I had a boyfriend who was a doctor and I kid you not, he was verging on stupid in many ways.He had no general knowledge or cultural information to share. All he could do was cram facts into his head better than others – then recall them. He could not think for himself at all – it drove me mad! People fixate on the ‘hard’ subjects yet it is the so called soft subjects that make our life bearable. What would life be without music, theatre, or films. Art in general? Yet all this creativity is discouraged and spoken about disparagingly. I don’t think a 15 year old should be trained up as a lab technician and have to spend his whole life in the field, based on decisions made when they were so young. Besides, many people blossom later and are no less academic in later life than the children who pass the test; it is a ridiculous notion to believe that at 15 you can pin point the ‘best’ brains. In my view education should be available for all, the information available not for just an elite. That is why I don’t want the grammar school system back in the UK, despite having been part of it. What needs to improve is the standard for all and not just for a few. I want people to get educated to benefit them and in turn society. Not to just become work drones but to be better people.
July 13th, 2011 at 8:26 am
Go for something stronger, definitely! Congratulations to your daughter on working so hard.