The situation when I went to high school was that no one was qualified to teacher upper school computer science, so we simply didn't have the option of studying it. Students didn't have the chance to study computers again until university. I would have much preferred the opportunity to study programming, even if the teacher was unqualified in that area.
With this kind of situation, even if parents attempted to "do something about it", the department can't just pull a computing teacher out of no where. There simply aren't enough teachers in the pool to fill the number of positions. It's all too easy to be mad at the teachers, but what is really failing you is the system, and the only way to fix that is change at the upper levels, not by going after individual teachers. You want more qualified teachers? increase the pay an work conditions and you'll attract many more people to the field
(NOTE: I'm drawing a distinction between an incompetent teacher: one who simply isn't any good at teaching, and an unqualified teacher: Someone who knows how to teach, has two degrees, but may be teaching out of their field of expertise)
Unfortunately, the situation of being taught by a teacher who hasn't got a background in the subject they're teaching is all too common these days. I'm an Australian school teacher in the government system and am seeing this happen in many learning areas (in particular, science, maths and technical subjects). The fact is, the system is starting to fail because the working conditions and salaries are so poor (comparatively) that people with the necessary backgrounds are attracted to better jobs in other fields. I can imagine it would be frustrating being taught by a teacher who doesn't know the subject, but often it is a choice between this teacher and none at all.
Adding things like harassment via blogs or litigation to the mix is only going to make the situation worse for teachers, the education system and, ultimately, the students. Of course teachers must be accountable for their work but, currently, the system is stretching them so far that many are saying the job isn't worth it any more. Imagine you are a fully qualified teacher in your own discipline, forced to teach a subject you know nothing about (because there's nobody else to do it) and then publicly humiliated for your lack of expertise on someone's blog.
I believe everyone has a right to a free and good education and that the Australian system isn't necessarily providing this in all areas, but subjecting teachers and schools to this kind of ridicule can actually cause a lot more harm than you realise. Not just to the individuals concerned, but to the system and future students.
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With this kind of situation, even if parents attempted to "do something about it", the department can't just pull a computing teacher out of no where. There simply aren't enough teachers in the pool to fill the number of positions. It's all too easy to be mad at the teachers, but what is really failing you is the system, and the only way to fix that is change at the upper levels, not by going after individual teachers. You want more qualified teachers? increase the pay an work conditions and you'll attract many more people to the field
(NOTE: I'm drawing a distinction between an incompetent teacher: one who simply isn't any good at teaching, and an unqualified teacher: Someone who knows how to teach, has two degrees, but may be teaching out of their field of expertise)
Unfortunately, the situation of being taught by a teacher who hasn't got a background in the subject they're teaching is all too common these days. I'm an Australian school teacher in the government system and am seeing this happen in many learning areas (in particular, science, maths and technical subjects). The fact is, the system is starting to fail because the working conditions and salaries are so poor (comparatively) that people with the necessary backgrounds are attracted to better jobs in other fields. I can imagine it would be frustrating being taught by a teacher who doesn't know the subject, but often it is a choice between this teacher and none at all. Adding things like harassment via blogs or litigation to the mix is only going to make the situation worse for teachers, the education system and, ultimately, the students. Of course teachers must be accountable for their work but, currently, the system is stretching them so far that many are saying the job isn't worth it any more. Imagine you are a fully qualified teacher in your own discipline, forced to teach a subject you know nothing about (because there's nobody else to do it) and then publicly humiliated for your lack of expertise on someone's blog. I believe everyone has a right to a free and good education and that the Australian system isn't necessarily providing this in all areas, but subjecting teachers and schools to this kind of ridicule can actually cause a lot more harm than you realise. Not just to the individuals concerned, but to the system and future students.