"Less foreign languages, less subjects, less lessons" . What is it? It is not the manifesto of a students' protest but the "revolutionary" reform of High School which our Ministry of Education is planning to enact by the next school year! Help! It's a nightmare. They want to "improve" the quality of Italians' education by reducing the number of lessons per week, by reducing the number of subjects they study, by reducing their English or French lessons, by drastically reducing the study of Latin. Apart from totally disagreeing with the absurd philosophy of cutting & reducing to improve (what?!?), I'm really and selfishly worried for myself. I'm even desperate.I'll try to explain what is going to happen to me. I'll have less lessons to give each class but more classes = I'll have to teach how to understand written and spoken English, how to write and speak in English, the grammar of the English language and maybe even some literature in only two 45-50 - minute lessons a week. Then, instead of 6 classes (more than 120 students) I'll have 9 (more than 160) and I'll have to correct their written homework and classwork! And all this for the same miserable wage? And what about the facts that Italians are among the worst in Europe at foreign languages? They will be even worse, who cares?
I'm furious. I want to move somewhere else. If I could, I'd go on self -exile ... anywhere else. I'm really ashamed of what is happening in my country. I'm not only thinking about our education system, of course.
As you can understand, after reading about the future horrible changes expecting me, I needed to read something totally different. I tried to concentrate on my beautiful "Wives and Daughters" but went on thinking about school and couldn't concentrate. So I started surfing the Net and reading my favourite blogs and discovered:
1. A new picture of Richard Armitage as Lucas North (below )
2. A new article about upcoming series 8 of Spooks
3. BBC finally officially announcing the date for ep.1 series 8 of Spooks: 4th November!
4. An excellent review of Emma ep. 3 by Judy
5. Several clips of the new Emma on Utube (thanks cat4fab!)
Am I feeling better? Not so much but I do love and appreciate all these things (and people since RA is a person - a very kind talented handsome man - and Judy is a great bloggy mate of mine) and they help me go on . They are the "who" and "what" that help me to survive the everyday "inferno". Do you know? My philosophy. Calvino's words. I really need them tonight:
"The inferno of the living is not something that will be; if there is one, it is what is already here, the inferno where we live every day, that we form by being together. There are two ways to escape suffering it. The first is easy for many: accept the inferno and become such a part of it that you can no longer see it. The second is risky and demands constant vigilance and apprehension: seek and learn to recognize who and what, in the midst of inferno,are not inferno, then make them endure,give them space."
Oh, dear!!! I totally understand you, Maria Grazia. I went through something just like this when the "reforma" started in my high school, I was desperate. Fortunately, they changed this a bit a few years later. It's absurd, ridiculous, lots of more work for you, less learning for the students, and of course everybody will expect your pupils to know as much English as they do now that they have more hours a week.
ReplyDeleteMuchos besos, dear friend!
@Elvira
ReplyDeleteGracias, querida!I know you have been through all this already. I'm so angry because I really love my job and want to do it at my best. They will make it impossible!Abrazos.
What bad news for you. It is crazy to think that education will improve with fewer classes...we all don't believe that for a minute! Hope the situation improves and that the powers that be come to their collective senses.
ReplyDeleteDo whatever necessary to keep spirits up--the pic of RA should help, I think :)
And I do like the philosophy: "seek and learn to recognize who and what, in the midst of inferno, are not inferno, then make them endure,give them space."
The stuff we write about, share thoughts and experiences about, enjoy with our intellect and emotion, will endure. Keep heart.
@JaneGS
ReplyDeleteI'm sure of that, Jane. I've discovered so many interesting people in the blogosphere. Just like you. Thanks for your kind words.
P.S. No hope the powers you mention can recover their collective senses.
Sorry to hear all this, Maria - it sounds terrible. I'm sorry to hear you say there is no chance of a rethink from the powers-that-be.
ReplyDeleteI work in local newspapers, which are having tough times at the moment because of the recession, and I've definitely found it is important to have hobbies and interests to take me away from all the worrying for a bit!
Thanks very much for the kind words about me and my reviews of 'Emma'. You're a great bloggy mate too.:) Judy
@costumedramas
ReplyDeleteI really love your blog and your reviews, Judy. I'm glad to find such wonderful people in the blogosphere. Thanks for sympathizing. Big Hug!