Why have they started calling high schools colleges?

[all new Phil]

Pretty self explanatory really... why the hell do most high schools these days refer to themselves as colleges? My old high school is now an "arts college" - no it's not, it's a frigging school. I'm all for investment in schools and all that, but do gimmicks like this really work?

Another local school is now a "sports college" - they obviously decided that because it's full of chavs. My niece's school is also the same - the only notable difference from before being that their dining area has screens with Sky Sports News on them.

What is everyone's experience of schools these days? Have they changed much from when you were there? TV paints a pretty grim picture of what they are like, but I'm not sure I believe it - I don't believe for a second that they are half as bad as is made out.

[Dr Lobster*]

i believe it's because the school leaving age is increasing to 18 (by 2013, iirc) and now schools have to offer more vocational courses in their post 16 programme. and, i guess most people associate a college more vocational/training type qualifications.

[itsrobert]

I happened to be talking to a neighbour/friend about this earlier this week. She's a teacher at my old high school, which is now a 'media arts college', and taught me when I was there. She said that it's just another gimmick by the government which enables schools to get more funding. If they choose to become a specialist college, they get a chunk of extra funding from the government to finance it.

In terms of my old school, the focus has been put on media studies and the arts and the proper academic subjects like history, modern languages and science, have been left to rot. Thank God I got out of there in the nick of time.

I asked her about behaviour, as we constantly hear about how bad today's youths are. She said that it's not much worse than when I started there 11 years ago but the difference now is that teachers are struggling to cope with the misbehaviour now because they feel powerless (loss of powers, rise in litigation from parents, etc.) and disaffected because of constant government interference.

The biggest change has been in primary school, in my opinion. I started a teacher training course but saw the light and got out of it. I taught a Year 4 class (aged 7 and 8) for 4 weeks and was astonished at the level of misbehaviour. Those kids were acting just like secondary school pupils did when I was at school. They thought nothing of swearing, fighting and being generally offensive. The parents were just as bad. I completely understand how teachers feel these days - I felt completely powerless, too. At university, they told us not to shout, definitely not to touch the kids in ANY way, even if a 4-year-old was crying (I can't say the odd hug from teachers when I was that age scarred me for life...) and that we were not to single out individuals for negative behaviour but must constantly reward and prasie those being good in the hope that the others would catch on and behave themselves. The education system is, to be honest, a disgrace.

[Gavin Scott]

Back in the early 90s my college turned to a "University College" - which was all about funding (as has been confirmed by the messages above).

On the plus side - I can say I went to Uni - even though it was a college when I signed up.

[Alexia]

I did my degree at an "art college" which is now a "university college." It didn't have its own degree awarding powers so we had to have our certificates issued by (and therefore emblazoned with the logo of) a nearby university. Pathetic.

And then, the year after I leave, it gets DAP!! Can I trade my certificate in?

[Mr Q]

My old high school has long been called a "Secondary College". Lots of high schools renamed themselves in that vein here during the late 1980s/early 1990s, thanks to some directive from a previous government who thought it was a good idea. Politicians like renaming things - it's just one way to make them look like they're doing something. </cynical>

[itsrobert]

My old high school has long been called a "Secondary College". Lots of high schools renamed themselves in that vein here during the late 1980s/early 1990s, thanks to some directive from a previous government who thought it was a good idea. Politicians like renaming things - it's just one way to make them look like they're doing something. </cynical>

Very true. It's the same with all these policies that come out - Every Child Matters was one such policy published a few years ago which aimed to draw communities closer together so children wouldn't 'fall through the cracks' (it was the result of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry). So, did children not matter before? :roll:

[Chie]

Good GOD this has to be the most irritating Americanism EVER :roll:

If you live in the UK, they are not "high schools", they are 'secondary schools'. :roll:

[Sput]

I suspect the three high schools in my home town would beg to differ.

[Pete]

If you live in the UK, they are not "high schools", they are 'secondary schools'. :roll:

the first, middle and high system within Northumberland also begs to differ

[itsrobert]

Good GOD this has to be the most irritating Americanism EVER :roll:

If you live in the UK, they are not "high schools", they are 'secondary schools'. :roll:

Where have you got that from? The secondary school I went to was officially called a 'high school' from at least the 1980s. Primary/secondary is just the level of schooling. Post-18 education is divided into Further Education and Higher Education - that does not mean every institution has to be named as such; instead, they are called universities or colleges.