LESSON 10 • LOOKING AT OTHER SCHOOLS

UNIT 4

LET’S CHANGE OUR SCHOOLS

“Nea Pedagogiki”

1.1	Read a short extract from “Nea Pedagogiki” (Nikos Kazantzakis, “Anafora ston Greco”) in which the author gives an account of his school experiences at the end of the 19th century. What do you think the ‘new’ teaching approach was all about?

Στην Τετάρτη Τάξη βασίλευε και κυβερνούσε ο Διευθυντής του Δημοτικού. Μας είχε έρθει
σπουδασμένος από την Αθήνα κι είχε φέρει, λέει, μαζί του τη Νέα Παιδαγωγική. Θαρρούσαμε
πως θα ’ταν καμία νέα γυναίκα και την έλεγαν Παιδαγωγική· μα όταν τον αντικρίσαμε για πρώτη
φορά ήταν ολομόναχος· η Παιδαγωγική έλλειπε, θα ’ταν σπίτι. Κρατούσε ένα στριφτό βούρδουλα,
μας έβαλε στη γραμμή κι άρχισε να βγάζει λόγο. Έπρεπε, λέει, ό,τι μαθαίναμε να το βλέπαμε
και να το αγγίζαμε ή να το ζωγραφίζαμε σ’ ένα χαρτί γεμάτο κουκκίδες. Και τα μάτι

1.2	How did the teacher apply this ‘new’ approach in his classes?

1.3	Compare Kazantzakis’ classroom reality with yours. How have things changed since then?

1.4	Interview your parents or grandparents about their school life. Ask them about the following aspects: school subjects, discipline, books and materials, classrooms, dress code, length of the school day and school year, etc. Share your findings in class.

In this Unit you will:

read about school life
listen to students from another country talk about
their school
talk about schools of the past and schools of today
write a report about your school
participate in a debate

At the end of this Unit, you should be able to:

give advice
express obligation, necessity, prohibition and
possibility
ask for, give and refuse permission
compare and contrast schools
make suggestions
define people and things and offer details

LESSON 10 • LOOKING AT OTHER SCHOOLS

Lesson 10

A school is…

A school is not just a building; it is much more. What makes up a school? Fill in the blanks in the
picture below with your ideas.

A completely different experience

This is an extract from Joan Benoit’s high school journal. Read it and answer the following questions.

1.	The writer talks about two of the schools she went to. How did she feel about each one?
2.	What was the impact of each school building on the writer?
3.	How did the students’ behaviour change in the new school? Why?
4.	What does the writer say about rules in both schools?
5.	Why was the headmaster right in trusting the students?

As an adult I can understand my junior high school teachers, but it was hard to be
their student. The building was overcrowded – we were still waiting for the new high
school to open – dark, old and depressing. We didn’t have any extracurricular activities
to enjoy after school, so we all came and went at the same hours. We did everything
together, day after day. We were a jumpy, bored mob – it was no wonder that they
needed so many rules to keep us in line.
Going into high school was a completely different experience. Suddenly, we had
choices to make; nobody was telling us where to be and what to do all the time. The
headmaster of the school felt that we should be given more control of our time in
school. The high school offered a series of mini-courses in English and Social Studies
from which we could pick and choose. In free periods we could elect to swim, study
in the library, sit out on a sunny hillside, eat, or do anything else that didn’t involve
leaving campus, disturbing classes, or breaking rules.
People told the headmaster he was wrong. They said high school kids would tear
the building apart unless they were kept under the strictest discipline. Here the town
had spent a fortune to build a new school and he was going to let it be destroyed.
But they underestimated us. We were grateful for the building and for the freedom
to experiment with it. We understood that Mr. Raynolds was depending on us to
behave like responsible people …

From: ‘MVP’ by Joan Benoit

UNIT 4

LESSON 10 • LOOKING AT OTHER SCHOOLS

Mini project: My school now and then

3.1	Research the history of your school building and make a poster showing the changes it has gone through over the years.

3.2	Write a journal entry about how your school makes you feel.

A school from Finland

4.1	You are participating in a video conference with the Strömberg school in Finland. Listen to some of the students talk about their school life. As you listen, complete the text below with the relevant information.

This text will be replaced

The Strömberg School

Relationships
Students all know each other.
They call their teachers by
(1)……………………………… .
They (2)………………………… with
their teachers and other students.

Subjects / Activities
Students don’t have to
(3)………………………. much.
They learn by doing things.
(4) ……………………… and maths
are taught in the classroom.
There are also
(5)………………………… for
magazine-making, handicrafts,
music, drama and science.

Facilities
There is a library for studying.
Students can grow vegetables
in the school garden. There are
special rooms for (6)………………
with sofas for reading and chess
tables. There is a cafeteria where
hot meals are served. There is a
gym and a large (7)
……………………………… where
the students play football.

Responsibilities
The students have to do lots of
(8)………………….. like taking care
of the garden, the aquarium,
helping in the kitchen and
recycling.

Local community
The school is open to the local
community. For example, parents
visit the school to talk about their
jobs.

4.2	After the video conference, your teacher asked you to make a presentation of the similarities and differences between the Finnish school and your own. Make a diagram like the one below and fill in the information you have about the two schools.

The Strömberg School Both schools My school

4.3	Now use your notes to talk about the two schools. The expressions in the box will help you.

UNIT 3

LESSON 10 • LOOKING AT OTHER SCHOOLS

Language focus

5.1	Look at the examples and match the verbs in bold with their use.

1. You must always be on time for class.
2. You mustn’t use a calculator during the maths test.
3. You have to hand in your homework by the deadline.
4. You don’t have to wake up early. It’s a holiday tomorrow.

……
……
……
……

These verbs are called modal verbs. They are used to express:

a. prohibition
b. lack of necessity
c. obligation / necessity

5.2

Read the following sentences and match the halves. What is the difference in meaning?

1. You mustn’t speak during the test …	a. if you don’t want to.
2. You don’t have to speak in front of the class…	b. because this is not allowed.

5.3	Read the examples below with two other modal verbs: should and ought to. Tick the sentence on the right that has the same meaning as the sentence in bold and complete the rule in the box.

	a. It’s a good idea for you to sleep earlier.
	or…
	b. You must sleep earlier. It is a rule.

	a. She must take a break. It’s a rule.
	or…
	b. The right thing is for her to take a break.

Should and ought to are followed by
………………………… and are used to
give …………………………………….

UNIT 4

LESSON 10 • LOOKING AT OTHER SCHOOLS

5.4	Read the following sentences. Is there a difference in meaning? • You mustn’t be late for classes. The teacher will not let you in. • You shouldn’t be late. You’ll miss the beginning of the film.

5.5	Read the dialogue below and complete the rule.

Grammar Reference, pp. 171-172

had better (not) + bare infinitive
is another way to give..……………

School rules

6.1	The children in this class are misbehaving. What rules are they breaking? Make a list.

SCHOOL RULES

e.g. Students mustn’t eat in the classroom.
• ……………………………………………………
• ……………………………………………………
• ……………………………………………………
• ……………………………………………………

• ……………………………………………………
• ……………………………………………………
• ……………………………………………………
• ……………………………………………………

6.2	Why do you think the students are acting like this? How can their behaviour change? Suggest ideas.

UNIT 4