Why can't teachers give Honest Academic Reports?

i would do the same. Although I retired after 22 years, my reasons were not the same as yours, but you could say that I felt my views were incompatible with the Education Departments!

I couldn't agree more. Congratulations on having the hindsight to see this, (as many don't).

I can understand completely where you are coming from. I was a teacher for 22 years before retiring. Had I been teaching now in certain schools, I would have been in the same position as you. I can see that people want kids to have confidence with higher grades, but this is so unrealistic, & in my mind, does not prepare the students for further education.

It's not the kids fault in this cases. The schools should know that this doesn't work. As a parent I want to see the real grade, that way I know what my daughter needs help on.

A lot of these students are going to be caught out with our National LAN tests. These are a state wide exam, used in other states too, that was onlly given to years 3,5 & 7. This year for the first time, it was given to year 9, & my daughter was in the trial group (results not available yet). So next year my step son will have it the same exam.

These methods were very fashionable for many year. In fact, it was largely your suggested method of assessment that was aroud when I was teaching. Most parents don't like it & don't want it.

I might add that schools seem to me to teach failure. If a student fails the first or second time, that reinforces the idea of quitting before achieving success. Perhaps the child needs to be given the chance to succeed by learning from failures and continuing to work it out until successful.

Getting moderated grades really doesn't help that person when he/she gets an A when the grade should of been a lot lower. We had a school district do this, and those kids went and failed the SAT's all because they honestly thought they could pass it. Kids that had high GPA's in school failing the SAT's isn't good. What made it bad was it wasn't just a few, it was every single person from that school district. Luckily the school district fixed this, so if a child got a A, that person honestly worked his/her butt off for it.

It's like this. There is a huge perception, largely justified, that parents are not being told honestly how their child is really doing. They want to know in the earlier years of schooling, so that if the child has learning problems, they can seek extra outside help. Too many parents find out, for instance when their child is 14 years, that they have significant learning problems, & by then it is difficult to address (and the child is uncooperative). I understand about moderation. That largely doesn't happen until years 11 & 12 here, although, in the better schools, it can occur as early as year 8. My step sons school doesn't moderate; they don't even do tests, let alone exams. I have seen his work, & there is no way he is even doing year 8 work. Thus, the idea of moderation, if it existed, which it doesn't, wouldn't apply in his situation anyway. Unfortunately many teachers greatly fear parent reaction, which can be very unreasonable. I understand that, being an ex teacher myself. If you read response number 1, you will see the extent of what I am referring to (although our situation is a little different in the set up). Unfortunately, until my step son is recognised by the system as needing specialised help, he will not get any. And he wont be recognised as needing help if he is getting A', or even "C"s. For a child who barely knows half his tables, & can't divide, at age 13.5, this is not good. Before any other My Lotter decides to make assumptions here, no, I can't do much about it as we do not have access fulltime, & certainly can't change his schools, as his Mother has the greater say over my step sons education.

Then there really isn't much you can do - except to tutor him yourself or engage some decent private tutors for him.

I expect you are mostly correct. In south Australia, the teachers have a fair bit of influence over policy issues, such as the standard of work set & how to report it.

It is the reason home schooling is becoming more popular here too. My friend, who home schools her 6 children, has the eldest doing year 12 now. The girl is getting straight "A"'s in all subject, which includes the hard ones, such as double maths, physics & chemistry.

It is great to hear from someone in a position to know exactly what I am talking about. I agree 100% with your reasons. I looked up your profile. Where do you come from?

A lot of parents don't want honesty. They just want to believe their child is doing well, and are not realistic.