President Obama’s race to the top fund encourages strategies for educational reform. Changing existing text books and subjects may, of course, help. Having better teachers would obviously improve matters. There is, however, a simple solution to class sizes and teachers’ abilities that would make a huge difference to education. That is for exciting and challenging computer programmes to be made of all compulsory school subjects with ongoing tests at different levels as part of the programme.
For the pupils a laptop would be like having a personal tutor. Children could then each learn at his or her own pace. Right from the beginning a child could learn reading and writing and maths and progress according to his or her ability.  He or she would not have to stand up and be humiliated in class because he or she could not read for instance. They could learn their addition then move onto multiplication and so on up to theorems. Children with problems would be much more quickly and privately indentified for remedial help.
Teachers would, of course, have to be trained to supervise this way of learning. If, as they trained, they completed the tests on the programmes themselves they would see for themselves any quirks or problems and these could be corrected before the programmes were released to the schools. On the plus side they would not need to prepare classes as that would already be part of the programme. All their time and attention could go into supervising and helping the students to master existing programmes, existing tests. Students could work individually for some of the time and perhaps, when necessary, in groups.
As the prepare their welcome back to elementary school or welcome back to high school speeches educationalists might just consider how they could lighten their load yet help make schoolwork more attractive and more satisfying. Added to that of course they would be giving those pupils a head start in the use of computers as a way of modern life.

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Welcome speeches have to be quite literally, warm and welcoming. You may be giving a welcome back to High school speech or even welcome to a homecoming queen speech but whatever the occasion when you say “Welcome” you should sound sincere and make your audience feel as though it is important that they are present to share it with you. Such a speech should have the promise of things to come. You may be welcoming students too a new term or guests to a fundraising dinner the result which may be a new hospital wing. You may be welcoming visitors to a fete or to the opening of a new restaurant. Whatever the occasion your speech should make those present feel a part of it. Some may know the background of the occasion. Students may, for instance, be pupils at the school for years already. Yet there may also be new pupils or those present who don’t know the background story. So your speech should say something about the school or the occasion and why they are being welcomed. You don’t have to give a long speech just a very short potted history so that all those present understand the importance of the occasion. Such a speech should be light-hearted in tone and it is even better if you can make some topical references. Obviously you should talk about why you are welcoming them and about the consequences of doing so. So whether or not you have laid out the red carpet make your audience feel as though you have laid it out especially for them.

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Australia Day is often celebrated with barbeques on beaches. That’s probably apt because the day celebrates the arrival of the first fleet in 1788. The Australian person of the year is announced and like anyone else who is the person of the year he or she is lauded with speeches given praising his or her contribution to Australia. There are those, of course, who do not think it apt that Australians should commemorate the fact that the British colonised their country and destroyed the Indigenous culture. To them the other title for the day, “Invasion Day” is much more suitable. Whatever about that there are undoubtedly many official dinners and events on the day and with them will come the need for welcome to the guests speeches and toasts to the honored guests. Whatever is said at such functions for the average Australian it’s just a public holiday and a day off work. With a glorious climate and miles of glorious beaches it’s not surprising that
they will be quite happy to forget history and wallow in the water or drink beer on Bondi.

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School may be out but educators everywhere are already preparing speeches for upcoming parent/teacher meetings in the new term. University deans are practising their welcome to the faculty speeches at the beginning of the academic year. Then of course there is the need for head teachers to say a few words in their induction speeches for new staff. Teachers everywhere have the need to give welcoming speeches to their pupils at the re-opening of school. They may be deciding on how to motivate their pupils by addressing such words of wisdom as telling them to improve their concentration or telling them to say “No” and have the courage of their convictions. They may be explaining how much good grades matter or giving the age old advice that breakfast is the way to kick start your life. No matter what age the pupils are, or how they word it, teachers will always be getting across the same message to every student “Be yourself you are special”.

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