What’s the one thing that parents, students and employers all want?

There is in fact one thing that almost everyone wants – but it is not what you might imagine.

It is something that some students do get offered in schools but some don’t. It’s simple and straightforward to offer, and could be made available to everyone. But it isn’t.

This much wanted “something” is… touch typing.

Parents know from their day to day experience that in almost every workplace the ability to type fast and accurately is valued.

Students find that when writing essays, if they can touch type they can then focus on the construction and meaning of the sentences, not on the means of getting the text onto the page.

What’s more, many businesses check applicants’ typing speed and accuracy at a job interview, no matter what the job, since in offices and factories almost everyone uses computers all day long.

So, we might ask, why don’t more schools teach touch typing?

In fact a substantial number do, but those who don’t tend to give two answers when asked why they don’t.

The first is the lack of time. Given the enormous benefit that touch typing brings in speeding up the student’s note making and essay writing, as well as the subsequent benefits at university and/or at work, it is odd that the subject is not on the national curriculum – but it isn’t. And time is at a premium.

However, taking a student up to 70 words a minute or more makes such a huge difference to the student’s performance that they recoup the time taken very quickly. On a time basis, touch typing is a good investment.

And indeed, if there really isn’t any time within the school timetable for the subject to be taught, the students can do it during lunchtime or at home.

Which brings us on to the second point. If the school can’t afford to run touch typing courses, then most schools find that many parents are willing to pay – again because they know through their jobs just how valuable touch typing is as a skill. (Indeed those who can touch type will also know just how quickly the skill can be learned by students who really want to do it).

The touch typing programme that a number of schools now use is provided online – which makes it very simple for everyone to access either within the school or at home. It is provided through an online service called ‘Type-Net’ that provides keyboard skills training for pupils and staff along with other related benefits. What’s more, it is available at a price that makes it a no-brainer, and that’s certainly what we all want.

Click here to learn more and to submit an enquiry for more information.

Type&Test Ltd
BCS Partners on the ‘e-type’ programme
PO Box 479
Huntingdon
PE28 0YB

Direct Line – 01480 861867

Sex and Sensibility

Teaching teenagers about social relationships can be hard.

To make the teaching of social relationship issues throughout the school a simpler and more consistent process, we produced a course book which links sex, social relationships and wider social issues and which can be used throughout the school with the assurance of continuity of message at each stage. The course considers wider issues such as puberty, sex, self-esteem, self-efficacy, peer pressure, notions of attraction and beauty and socialisation.

The volume includes cross-curricular links with history, sociology, art, science, and literature. incorporating, for example, Shakespeare’s “True Face of Beauty” sonnet and a mystery love letter. Indeed whether one wishes to look at branding, personality, the law, health or any other matter in this field, it is covered here.

What’s more, the book, Sex and Sensibility: a Sex and Relationships Course for Secondary Schools, is available both in photocopiable form and as a volume that can be loaded onto the school network so that only one copy is needed.

Sex and Sensibility: a Sex and Relationships Course for Secondary Schools by Shona Kerr. Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/pshe/T1760.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1760EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 754 8

Prices

  • Photocopiable report: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Both the Ring Binder and the CD £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1760emn