Empirical analysis of school attainment/progression in Cameroon.

In Cameroon, only 1/3 of children progress to secondary education. This paper estimates a sequential model of school attainment to investigate the role played by family background and individual characteristics in keeping children at school up to the end of secondary school. Using data of the 2001 Cameroon Household survey, we find that while parental wealth has no effect on the probability to enter primary school. It is however a good predictor of completing primary and secondary education. The lack of schools supply reduces school progression, particularly the lack of secondary schools hinders primary school entry. Finally, we find that male children are more likely to stay at school up to the end of secondary education.Schooling; Sequential

Identifying the educational and social needs of children with specific speech and language difficulties on entry to secondary school

Movement from KS2 to KS3 creates a number of challenges for pupils. For children with additional learning needs the change of academic pace, social contacts and, typically, school may pose additional problems. This change may be particularly problematic for children with specific speech and language difficulties (SSLD). This study examines the ways in which parents, pupils and teachers appraise this transition prior to secondary transfer (Year 6) and during the first year of secondary school (Yr7) for a cohort of children with a history of specific language impairment. The use of comparison groups provides the opportunity to discriminate between factors related to a) change of school b) special educational needs generally and c) language difficulties specifically. Children with SSLD were initially identified in Year 3 (N=69), with the majority of pupils in mainstream settings. In Year 6 (mean age 10; 3) children were assessed on a range of language literacy and cognitive measures and the views of their parents’ and teachers’ about needs, curriculum differentiation and support established. Teachers were also asked to consider the difficulties that the children might experience on entry to secondary school. During Year 7 data were collected from form tutors, SENCOs and secondary subject specialists. Perceptions of need are compared with level of need as evidenced by standardised assessments. A critical analysis of the ways in which these children’s needs are addressed in the secondary school system is provided and the paper outlines current strengths and gaps in provision

How integrated working facilitated the transition of children from primary to secondary school (Sharing our experience, Practitioner-led research 2008-2009; PLR0809/014)

This research focuses upon the impact that the transition from primary to secondary school may have on adopted children, and the role schools could play in supporting adopted children during this time. Questionnaires were sent to adopted children and their adoptive parents: 20 parents and 11 children returned questionnaires. The questionnaires focused on attitudes towards the transition from primary to secondary school, the needs of adopted children compared to other children and the role of schools in supporting adopted children. Following the questionnaires, a focus group was held with six adoptive parents and then interviews with four secondary school teachers. The interviews and focus groups had seven key areas: • sharing information • curriculum issues • the perceived needs of adopted children • the transition process • pastoral support • homework • training for schools. Both parents and children alike felt that adopted children have additional educational needs, particularly around issues of self-organization. However, adoptive parents were often unclear about who to talk to in their child’s school, and how to ensure that information about their child’s adoption was subsequently passed on to all appropriate members of staff. Equally, schools were generally keen to support adopted children, but often had poor channels of communication for ensuring staff were well informed. Additionally, some teachers revealed a lack of awareness regarding the needs of adopted children and the types of support that might be useful. However, where school staff had worked closely with parents and other agencies, such as the Educational Psychology Service and the Post-Adoption Service, parents and pupils reported helpful outcomes. This would suggest that working with other agencies may be particularly useful in enabling schools to gain a better understanding of the needs of adopted children, and allow them to take a more proactive approach in offering support to these children. Caroline Feltham King Hampshire Educational Psychology Service 200

Health-related quality of life is low in secondary school children in Fiji

The health and wellbeing of children in lower-income countries is the focus of much international effort, yet there has been very little direct measurement of this. Objective. The current objective was to study the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a general population of secondary school children in Fiji, a low middle-income country in the Pacific. Methods. Self-reported HRQoL was measured by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 in 8947 school children (aged 12–18 years) from 18 secondary schools on Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji. HRQoL in Fiji was compared to that of school-aged children in 13 high- and upper middle-income countries. Results. The school children in Fiji had lower HRQoL than the children in the 13 comparison countries, with consistently lower physical, emotional, social, and school functioning and wellbeing. HRQoL was particularly low amongst girls and Indigenous Fijians. Conclusions. These findings raise concerns about the general functioning and wellbeing of school children in Fiji. The consistently low HRQoL across all core domains suggests pervasive underlying determinants. Investigation of the potential determinants in Fiji and validation of the current results in Fiji and other lower-income countries are important avenues for future research

What makes a successful transition from primary to secondary school?

This report presents the findings of a sub-study on transitions undertaken as part of the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education 3-14 (EPPSE 3-14 project) a major longitudinal study investigating the influence of pre-school, primary and secondary school on children’s cognitive and social/behavioural development in England. The transitions sub-study of more than 500 children and families sheds light on current transition practices and highlights what helps and hinders a successful transition. It takes into account the influence of child and family background characteristics such as socio-economic status (SES) and gender. It suggests how the transition experience could be improved to enhance the smooth continuity between primary and secondary school. By adopting a mixed methods approach, the study investigated the issues related to transition for four distinctive groups: Local Authorities, children, parents and schools. Officers in six Local Authorities were asked about the way transition was dealt with in their Authority. Children in their first term at secondary school completed a questionnaire on their thoughts and experiences of transition, and the study also sought their parents’ opinions in order to illustrate the whole family’s experience. Finally, there were twelve case studies selected from the respondents of the questionnaire because of their positive experiences of transition. These involved interviews with the children and their primary and secondary teachers. This provided further details of the systems in place that support the transition processes between school phases. The sample was drawn from children and families in the wider EPPSE project. 1190 children from the EPPSE sample made a transition at the end of the 2005-06 academic year. Responses were received from 550 children (a 46% response rate) and 569 parents (a 48% response rate) from across England drawn from 6 Local Authorities (Shire County, Inner London borough, Midlands/Metropolitan region, East Anglia area, and two authorities in the North East). Children were recruited to the case studies using stratified selection to get a balanced mix by region, gender, socio-economic status (SES) and ethnicity. A wide range of data, already available from the main EPPSE study was used to complement the analyses

Influences on students’ attainment and progress in Key Stage 3: academic outcomes in English, Maths and Science in Year 9

The Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Project (EPPSE) has investigated the academic and social-behavioural development of approximately 3,000 children from the age of 3+ years since 1997. This Research Brief focuses on the relationships between a range of individual student, family, home, pre-, primary and secondary school characteristics and students\u27 academic attainment in English, maths and science in Year 9 at secondary school (age 14). It compares the latest findings with those found for students\u27 attainment at younger ages. It also highlights the influences of secondary school on students\u27 attainment in the core curriculum areas and studies their academic progress across Key Stage 3 between the ages of 11 and 14

Education for all and for life? : An introduction into primary school education in Senegal

Generally, school participation in Senegal has achieved a lot of progress in recent years. However, several problems remain to be tackled for further improvement. Still, too many children never attend a school. An even more severe problem is the high rate of drop outs, especially when it comes to the transition from primary to secondary school. Here, the national grade six exam, higher costs of schooling and still limited availability of secondary schools are the main barriers. As a result, only a fraction of children completes the ten years of compulsory schooling which is considered necessary to have superior job perspectives. Another issue regarding absenteeism or incomplete formal schooling is the popularity of Quranic education in Senegal. Many parents prioritize religious (esp. Quranic) studies and do not want their children to attend a formal school. In many cases, those who try to combine formal and religious schooling sooner or later have to decide on whether to drop one or the other. Despite the existence of differences between rural and urban milieus no substantial gender disparity can be observed at the primary school level. At the secondary school level, however, girls’ education perspectives worsen so that completion of ten years of schooling is even less likely for girls than for boys. While the quantity of enrolled children has undoubtedly risen during the past years, the development of school quality is more ambiguous. Many school buildings are in a bad condition and pedagogical material is often lacking or hardly usable. After the summer holidays many school facilities face damages due to heavy rainfalls which lead to delayed starts and many schools cannot afford the maintenance costs. The quality of classes itself suffers from too big class sizes, multigrade classes and irregular attendance of pupils. In summary it can be stated that primary school education in Senegal has achieved some noticeable improvements. However, high drop out rates and rivalry with Quranic schooling lead to a low percentage of students with completed secondary education or higher. Since it is expected that formal schooling only pays off in economic terms after at least ten years of education, the achievement of a higher share of students with completed secondary school should be a reasonable task. The purpose of further study will thus be to shed more light on some of the reasons preventing school enrollment and completion. One task will consist in identifying the reasons why many children are never enrolled in school. The research project will proceed with a household survey in the region of Saint-Louis. This region nearly reflects average educational figures of the whole country and is very diverse regarding geographical conditions, population density and economic activity of the population. Data from this survey will allow to disentangle the role of supply and demand sides. According to our expectations and impressions gained from the qualitative field work, even in areas where public schools are available and accessible, not all children are enrolled in school. For this group, parents might not see the benefit of attending formal school or might favor rival activities such as work or attendance of a religious school. A related question is whether school enrollment then depends primarily on household characteristics. Families of a certain educational level and of specific professions could be more prone to sending their children to school. On the other hand, there seems to be heterogeneity within households. We will have to study why some children attend school while their siblings do not. Reasons for the higher drop out rates of girls will also be subject to further study

Effective pre-school, primary and secondary education project (EPPSE 3-14) : influences on students' attainment and progress in key stage 3 : academic outcomes in English, maths and science in year 9

The Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Project (EPPSE) has investigated the academic and social-behavioural development of approximately 3,000 children from the age of 3+ years since 1997. This Research Brief focuses on the relationships between a range of individual student, family, home, pre-, primary and secondary school characteristics and students’ academic attainment in English, maths and science in Year 9 at secondary school (age 14). It compares the latest findings with those found for students’ attainment at younger ages. It also highlights the influences of secondary school on students’ attainment in the core curriculum areas and studies their academic progress across Key Stage 3 between the ages of 11 and 14

Managing bereavement in the classroom: a conspiracy of silence?

The ways in which teachers in British schools manage bereaved children are under-reported. This article reports the impact of students' bereavement and their subsequent management in primary and secondary school classrooms in Southeast London. Thirteen school staff working in inner-city schools took part in in-depth interviews that focused on the impact of bereaved children on the school and how teachers responded to these children. All respondents had previously had contact with a local child bereavement service that aims to provide support, advice, and consultancy to children, their parents, and teachers. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using ATLAS-ti. Three main themes were identified from analysis of interview data. Firstly, British society, culture, local communities, and the family were significant influences in these teachers' involvement with bereaved students. Secondly, school staff managed bereaved students through contact with other adults and using practical classroom measures such as "time out" cards and contact books. Lastly, teachers felt they had to be strong, even when they were distressed. Surprise was expressed at the mature reaction of secondary school students to deaths of others. The article recommends that future research needs to concentrate on finding the most effective way of supporting routinely bereaved children, their families, and teachers

Selective mechanisms for general science education : a history of the development of general science education in New Zealand, 1900-1943 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in History at Massey University

Free education has been the right of every New Zealand citizen since 1877 when free secular education was established in all state primary schools.¹ Ian Cumming and Alan Cumming, History of State Education in New Zealand 1840-1975, Wellington: Pitman, 1978, p.103. All children had to be given free education between the ages of five and fifteen, termed 'school age'. ² ibid., p. 102. Compulsory schooling was required for all children between the ages of 7 and 13 years, this was increased to 14 from 1901. Eligible children had to attend primary school for six sessions per week (choosing either a morning or afternoon session).³ ibid., p. 143. Teachers were required to deliver a prescribed curriculum consisting of: reading, writing, arithmetic, English Grammar and composition, geography, history, elementary science and drawing, object lessons, vocal music and for girls there was the additional subjects of: sewing, needlework and domestic economy. ⁴ibid., p. 102. Object Lessons were common in the nineteenth century and were first employed by the Mayos, a Protestant clergy man and his sister. The lessons involved the children looking at some object e.g. The refining of silver ore. The teacher would lead the class through a series of statements about the object such as: the ore is melted and the silver skimmed and the teacher asks the children: 'Now what is it that separates the impure substances for the silver?' to which the children respond in unison: 'The heat of the fire.' Many of these lessons ended up relating to religious education. David Layton, Science for the People: The Origins of the School Science Curriculum in England, New York: Science History Publications, 1973, pp. 23-6. The curriculum was designed to prepare candidates for the proficiency examination, which was the entry examination into post-primary school. Students sat the proficiency examination at the end of standard VI or form 2. Failure in this examination meant students had to stay at primary school until reaching the official leaving age and most primary schools had a standard VII. Within the context of this study, the various types of post-primary schools have very precise definitions which must not be confused with the contemporary use of the term 'secondary school' which denotes universal post-primary education. 'Secondary School' describes a single sex academic school primarily delivering a curriculum prescribed by external examiners, such as the University Senate. Some secondary schools developed alternative programmes for less academic students but the main focus of the school was on preparing students for external examinations. 'Technical High School' describes a co-educational fully funded state school which had to provide technical and manual instruction, and it is interesting to note that teachers were paid less in this type of school. 'Combined High School' describes a secondary school which offered a variety of academic and practical courses and was usually co- educational. 'District High School' describes a co-educational school which was an extension of a primary school, offering a practical curriculum based on the agricultural sciences. Therefore, the term 'post- primary school' encompasses a variety of schools, all of which catered for students beyond primary level and up to the age of 18 years. [From Introduction