User:Shaywah/sandbox/Article two

Aspects of Education in London
As of 1972, children in England are required to go to school until they are at least 16 years old. This was an increase from the original age which was between 14 or 15 in 1947. Many parents make their decisions on what school their children will attend based on what social class they are in, as that is how the school system is structured in England. Education can be seen "...as a personal and social investment..." As a basic right, parents are allowed to have more freedom in what schools they choose for their children as a result of the 1870 Elementary Education Act instituted in England. However, due to the lack of a strong relationship between parent and teacher, many parents are taking their children out of schools to teach them at home. School corporations in England do their best to monitor curriculum in schools and other important aspects. Supposedly better parent-teacher relationships are expected to improve and enhance their child's grades. According to a two year study conducted in a nursery and two elementary schools in London, the difficulties found in communicating or having any communication at all between parent and teacher seems to be the biggest issue. One study suggested that in order to improve communication a parent-teacher-association system or 'PTA' would need to be established. Mothers are more likely to be the ones involved in their children's learning outside of school, even if they are single. This can include anything from helping with homework to volunteering in their classrooms. As was the case of a London school in Manor Park, however, mothers rarely saw the children's teachers "...unless there was a 'problem'."

Teachers in London
It wasn't always easy for women to become leaders in London's educational system. In 1870, they were first allowed to become "representatives" of school systems in their area thanks to the establishment of the Education Act. According to one article about the history of the development of the school systems pertaining to women as its leaders: "For 120 years, Inner London was England’s largest education authority."' Because of the high cost of living in London, this is believed to be responsible for some London teachers quitting their jobs, as they couldn't afford housing, particularly teachers who are in their twenties or thirties. This concerns the schooling district, as London has the highest rate of expected incoming secondary students at 5% higher rate than other cities in England at 23%. This has resulted in a lack of teachers in the London area.

ESOL and Foreign Language Education
Of a study done in South London, succeeding in [English as a second or foreign language|ESOL classes]] (English for speakers of Other Languages) helps immigrant women to integrate better and form stronger connections with others with similar experiences, backgrounds, beliefs, etc. According to one study, a particular ESOL class was offered at a community center and was free until Level 2, which enabled immigrants to have basic English skills to get poor minimum wage jobs. If these students wanted to get better jobs, they must continue to the next ESOL level. In many instances, immigrants are seen as a drain on society and unable to add to the necessities of the city. As is the case with one refugee family living in London, according to one study done, the grandmother refuses to speak English to her grandchildren, but instead teaches them her native tongue Bangla when visiting them. She does this by reading books to them and through other engaging activities. This study also stresses the importance of the parent or teacher making learning fun and interactive for young children so that they stay engaged and get more out of the material. Another study done on children from Bangladesh studying and living in East London showed that those with siblings tend to rely on the older ones to help them with their studies, especially if the parents are unfamiliar with English. Some of these older siblings would incorporate playtime into learning to have a better chance of keeping the younger sibling engaged. According to one recorded conversation from this study, an ESOL student stated the importance of the teacher showing interest in the material in order for them to better understand and learn the new language. Another study done between the 1950's and 1960's by the Froebel College in London stresses how teachers reach kids better by incorporating learning into playtime, as that is the best opportunity for them to learn since they develop as a result of play. One London study observed natives between the ages of 11-16 learning French and saw how the different aspects of the learning process determine how well they did in learning and engaging in the new language. Many of these children were scared to try to speak in this language in the classroom for fear of incorrect pronunciation or incorrect usage of a word word or phrase. What seemed to be the most helpful for these children to pick up on the language was the amount of expression and spontaneity used by the teacher to help the children understand through tone and gestures what she was saying. This helped the children want to communicate with the teacher, even if they didn't know what words to use.

Prejudices
One study conducted of young Jamaican girls that were either born in London or moved there at some point in their life tended to display social difficulties in school because of their race and gender. These girls tend to be more headstrong and straightforward, which their boy peers saw as a threat to potential future relationships, as they did not want to be the less-dominant spouse of a potential relationship. Another reason to why these girls seemed to be discriminated against was simply because they were not boys, which according to one person from this study suggests that boys are more trustworthy. In the classroom, they didn't appear to be hard workers, but proved otherwise through their studies, conforming to the stereotype put on them that they weren't good students. Bullying in London schools takes on a few different forms: "...physical, verbal and cyber bullying." Lots of bullying takes places as a result of sexual orientation, but also includes social status, religion, and other reasons. Some bullying, if not addressed properly, can lead to depression and suicide. A London school study found that bullying took place between boys and girls who were in classrooms of kids their own age. Of the 771 students polled, London, England students scored 2% higher rates of being cyber bullied at 8%, ranking the highest compared to "...Poland (6%), Germany (5%), Spain (4%), Greece (4%), and Italy (2%)..."

Technology in the Classroom
The subject of geography saw a decline in effectiveness in schools in London, which the Greater London Authority (GLA) sought to change with their 2013 program. This two year grant of £150,000 enabled teachers to have access to better tools, activity ideas and other resources to help kids get more hands-on experience with the subject of geography to make it more interesting and give these students a better chance at learning the material. One focus group of children ranging from ages 2-5 were recorded to have better comprehension of the material, while children in an observed secondary school understood better the importance of the subject. According to one study, higher education students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees were said to find online class content online very helpful. This content includes lecture notes, online quizzes, and other helpful features. It wasn't until after WWII that England began building libraries throughout the country. These were intended to encourage reading as an activity outside of school and also an aid to schools to help children have access to academic resources.