Earlier this week I was sorting out a pile of papers and files in the room we ambitiously call our office. It is the smallest bedroom and contains a bookcase and a desk, where we all dump stuff which gets forgotten about until one of us (me) has a tidy up and throws most of it away. I found the following poem, amongst a lot of school-related detritus, which I remember scribbling down a couple of years ago during a never-ending invigilation session. The inspiration came from something my son once said to me when he was at school, about feeling like a battery chicken. Having spent last term with our students doing wall to wall assessments, and who are now preparing for next term and wall to wall exams, I think this posting is probably timely. Especially in light of the recent vote of no confidence awarded to our Minister for Education.
I want my child to be free range
To experience a host of new things
I want him to learn for his interest
Not have the state clip his wings.
Some kids refuse to be moulded –
They’ve seen the warning signs –
They’re doomed to fail,
They’re proper pests
Fidgeting, chatting and larking about…
…While the battery chicks sit their tests.
But these kids have something
That the others lack
A sense of singularity –
They refuse to follow the pack.
Light distraction’s healthy
A joke or two just fine
Children learn in many ways
Not sitting exams all the time.
Let’s not bother quite so much
About levels and being graded,
Mock exams; the marking, the testing,
Leaves teachers feeling jaded.
Name, rank and number, our fathers gave
In order for us to be free
But our kids aren’t allowed to think for themselves
With this processing for bureaucracy.
Assessing and checking and following graphs
And measuring year upon year
The homogenisation of eager young minds
Keeps the education dept open, I fear.
A – C grades win big prizes
Not only for students – the schools!
Our kids are used as pawns in a game –
Inflate the league tables –
That’s rules!
We teach them how to pass
Any number of things
But are they learning for life?
Or is it all gone in an instant,
As soon as the papers are sent
To AQA, Ed Excel – whatever
To run through a scanner,
Be multiple-choiced
A 25% chance of success.
Oh, let our children be free range!
Please give them a looser rein
To be individuals,
Unique, thoughtful beings
Not churned out to be all the same.
picture from techcentral.ie
Cynical… me?
© jennypellett 2013
charactersfromthekitchen 
Really enjoyed this. What a joy it would be to go back to teaching what is useful and possibly significant instead of mindlessly ploughing through the endless controlled assignments. One of which this year was to compare a scene from Macbeth with the ghastly poem by Browning, the Laboratory. All I can ask is why? A detailed understanding of Macbeth might have been enlightening and the insight last a life time. Gradgrind lives unfortunately.
Yes, I agree with all your points. Significant and insightful is what we want. We wouldn’t expect someone to bake a cake with only the recipe and no ingredients, would we!
I could not agree more!! Love this!
Thank you!
It’s becoming increasingly true that we are in the business of creating an illusion of education rather than teaching our students to question…everything. Love your phrase ‘free range children.’ :>)
It seems perhaps that this is a global thing then- not just specific to the UK – but at least you don’t have to put up with our Education Minister!
Wish we could hit a button and send your poem to “Memo All” as a timely reminder of what education could get back to. Loved it!
Now there’s a thought. There must be a button somewhere….!
What a great poem and I agree with the other comments if only these points could be understood by the ‘decision makers’.
Thanks. Trouble is, the decision makers don’t listen to what’s going on at the coal face.
Love this poem Jenny and I totally agree…very inventive title too. What is going on in our schools today? Very worrying indeed.
Thanks for clicking through Sherri – and yes, it is very worrying – thank goodness our kids are through the system.
It’s great to have these links Jenny, I need to read more of your wonderful blog, you have some great articles, real gems hidden here. Love the subjects you raise.
Thank you so much Sherri – I really appreciate the time you have taken to trawl through my archives. Blogging is great, isn’t it?!
Yes it is, and I intend to trawl through your archives again as soon as time permits 🙂 x
Bravo, Jenny!
Thanks Jill!