IT'S easy to criticise or sneer at many of the so-called initiatives we've had in our schools over the past twenty years.
After all those of us in our "middle years" have been able to watch a whole generation of children go through the education system and out of the other end.
And we are puzzled about why they seem to lack so much when it comes to basics like the ability to spell (without using a spell check) and do mental arithmetic without using a calculator.
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Admittedly they might be able to do things with a computer that their parents can only dream about.
And they will argue with some force that many "adults" boast about long division and algebra because it is a defensive diversion to cover their own woeful lack of skill with a calculator.
But literacy deficiencies aren't really the fault of our young people.
They were just unfortunate enough to be chosen as guinea pigs for a revolutionary' educational initiative.
It was a new way of teaching reading and writing which is now judged to have been so unsuccessful that politicians are talking about reverting to the system which fell out of favour in the fifties and sixties.
Awful as this monumental failure has proved to be however it mustn't be allowed to stop us continuing to experiment with new ideas in our schools.
Innovation is essential if our youngsters are to keep ahead of their peers in the rest of the world.
There are many good things happening. Real efforts are being made, for example, to make science and engineering genuinely practical and appealing to boys and girls.
Foreign languages which will be really useful to the next generation, like Chinese, are increasingly being taught rather than old world' tongues like German. And today's boys learn basic domestic science skills whereas 40 years ago only girls did that while boys were expected to do woodwork.
Another good idea is the "wake and shake" start to the day being launched in Our Lady and St John Catholic Arts College in Blackburn as this newspaper reported yesterday.
In many primary schools across the county pupils already get active by dancing to upbeat music before morning classes.
Now at Our Lady about 200 year-seven youngsters are to spend ten minutes dancing en masse to tracks like Village People's YMCA before class.
You don't have to be a consultant physician to realise that such a mini workout will energise them and get blood flowing round their body, and to the brain.
What a sensible way to stimulate children in a 100 per cent natural fashion without them having to resort to swigging fizzy drinks full of chemicals and E numbers or, worse still, popping pills or other drugs.
There is just one reservation I have however about this otherwise excellent idea. None of the teachers should be allowed to take part by dancing to YMCA in front of their pupils.
That would be just too embarrassing for the young ones.
l If you feel happy, annoyed or bemused about this or any other subject in the news this week let us know by either joining the debate at www.lancashiretelegraph. co.uk/news, e-mailing lt_letters@lancashire. newsquest.co.uk or writing to the Editor, Lancashire Telegraph, High Street, Blackburn BB1 1HT
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