Todays Education

[Captain Kong]

Thankls for that Rob, Now I understand it.
Cheers
Brian in Boltonistan.

[John Arton]

The decline in teachers ability I believe started in the 60's and 70's when the standards were dropped for entrants into the teacher training colleges.
After the war many of the teachers we had were ex. servicemen and women who knew how to control a classroom. Then the P.C. brigade started creeping in banning caning and parents been able to smack their children. This coupled with the growth of single parent families and the growth of the benefit culture led to children having little discipline at home and teachers who could not instil that in class, mostly because they had no knowledge of how to or because they were unable to because of the P.C. brigade.
With the lowering of entry standards came people entering the profession whose own lifestyle were chaotic.
Before I met my wife I was going out with a teacher who taught in a local scondary school. She used to try her best but could not control most of her class at all. There was on girl in her class whose proud boast was that she had sha**ed every workman on the site (the school was being refurbished and extended at the time) except one, who used to hide in a cupboard whenever the bell for end of class rang.
Nearly all the teachers at that school were having affairs with each other despite being married. I used to play badminton with my girlfriend at the school after hours with the other teachers and what went on in the changing rooms and swimming pool of that school at night would make thee Playboy Mansion seem like a vicars tea party.
I took my girlfriend down to see her friends who had gone to teachers training college with her. This was in a town situated 50 miles north of London ( I will not name it for fear of upsetting people). We stayed with one of her friends who was "married" to a head teacher and who herself was a teacher having gone through training as a mature student. They lived in a permament state of strife where as one of them lived in one half of the house whilst the other lived in the other half. As their religion did not allow divorce they and there children lived in this permament state of strife. Their personal habits were also pretty rough, so how could you expect them to be able to teach and give a good example to their pupils when it was common knowledge of their domestic state.
One day we went to meet another of her college friends and imagine my suprise that when knocking on her door it was opened by a Hells Angel. This girl lived with a group of Hells Angels and openly admitted to being their "plaything". So given that background, how the heck could she be expected to set a good example and be a leader for he pupils, let alone teach them.
Call me an old fart but I do think that the lack of education in our kids today is not solely due to the Goverment and \\p.c. brigade fiddling with the education system but also there was a generation of teachers (and may still be), who were ill equipted to teach as they themselves had poor morals etc. as well as being inadequetley trained. The teachers of today do work extremley hard and I hope that their standard of training has improved but I fear that they are hidebound by stupid regulations and by goverment meddling in the education system in their misguided attempts to improve standards.
My opinion anyway.
rgds
Captain John Arton (ret'd)

[Jim Brady]

The School Inspector went into a school in Liverpool,he asked this kid "Who knocked down the walls of Jericho". Were'nt me was the answer.the inspector turned to the teacher and said.did you hear that I asked that boy who knocked down the walls of Jericho and he replied it was'nt him,the teacher said,well if he said it was'nt him I believe him because he is a good boy.The inspector went to the head master,I asked a boy, who knocked down the walls of Jericho,he said it was'nt him,when I put this to the teacher the teacher said he believed him.The headmaster said,well I know both the teacher and the boy and they are both very honest ,if the boy said he did'nt do it and the teacher does'nt think he did it then I'm afraid I must agree with them both.
Is this why kids are thick!!!!
Regards.
Jim.B.

[alf corbyn]

and i was told that it was done with a trumpet. alf

---------- Post added at 11:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:51 AM ----------

one of my teachers had lived in india when she was young and the stories she tolsd got me interested in other countries and places. thats probably why i joined the MN. alf

[Tony Wilding]

I dont know how teachers cope, so many restrictions now. teaching methods changed, not for the better, it went downhill when calculators were allowed in school. when u see some younger generation on tv quiz shows who cant answer simple general knowledge questions, dont think they teach the same things any more, i asked a 12 year old for the capitol city of India, he did not know , said he had not been taught that. was because of my love of geography i went to sea.

[Keith at Tregenna]

A chap that I research was born in 1896, he attended a local school (Barry Dock). It is said that he apparently jumped out of a school window when he was 12 and ran away to sea, it is further noted that he reappeared 2 years later and his mum was contacted as he needed a pair of shoes. Facts show he was more likely to have been 14.

He is then noted as served in the Royal Naval Reserve throughout WWI on the Dover Patrol.

Not enough for young Jim as he also signed up with the CANADIAN OVER-SEAS
EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. This proved in a recently found ATTESTATION PAPER.

Between wars evidently spent some time as a sheep farmer in Australia.

"Jim did, apparantly, work as a sheep farmer for a while but suspect he may have worked for someone. I know in one of his stories he said he had tried to be a landlubber but the sea kept calling to him and he had to go back to it. Seems a bit sketchy but wonder if he had perhaps worked for his father"?

June 1926 Jim married at St. James’s Church, Croydon, Sydney, Australia.

Records show that the bridegroom emigrated to Australia some years ago and is now a prominent shipping merchant at Sydney.

Records show: His bride told her family that she was going out to Australia to marry Jim. Think she hadn't even seen him for a couple of years and sailed out with her cousin, Kitty, who was also her bridesmaid. She went out on the Largo. That's the romantic bit:

1937-1938 A keen artist, the captain held during an exhibition of his work in the county hall, London. He was also the author of several books.

He also apparantly wrote a book called "The Facility of a Ship".

He also wrote to the schools that adopted ships and made photo albums and drew maps etc, he also took back samples. British Adopt a Ship.

He was sadly lost 25th November 1939.

Barry and District News report:
Friday 1st December 1939
Tragedy on the high Seas
Barry Victim

News has reached Barry of the death on Saturday of Captain James Edward Luen, who was washed overboard from his ship off the coast of Nova Scotia. Captain “Jim” Luen as he was known to his large circle of friends in Barry, was the fourth son of Mrs. R. Luen of the cold Knap hotel, Barry and was a native of the town. Attended high street school before going to sea at an early age. During the last war he served for the duration with the Dover Patrol.

A keen artist, captain Leun held during 1937-1938 an exhibition of his work in the county hall, London. He was also the author of several books.

During the last voyage he saved the lives of two people, by performing an operation of the wireless instructions of a doctor in another ship.

He married in Sydney, Australia. Miss Violet Makepeace, fourth daughter of Mr. C. A. Makepeace, J P of Harbour Road, Barry and is survived by his widow and two daughters. The little missus Mary and June Leun, his mother Mrs. R. Leun and brothers. Merss Clive, Dudley, Brindley and Sidney Leun and Mrs. W. Herbert, Mrs. Davey and Mrs. N. Owen (sisters).

Apparently a young Jim Luen, walked out of school one day and was not heard of for two years until he came of a ship in Cardiff. Like so many had made what was known as a pier head jump.

Apart from noting the achievements of this relatively young man, under the title re: education, this chap bunked out of school and his every success must have come from the University of Life and the education that he did receive in his virtual childhood.

Kids to day should not all be tarred with the same brush, but how many with a relatively modern education, will go on to achieve so much.

LINK: ss-tregenna.co.uk

K.

[happy daze john in oz]

Working in the uni system here I have seen the students who apply for teacher traing courses. It is little wonder things are so bad, most are far left leaning with the attitude that they will change the world. They are generaly the scruffiest looking students and the most extreme.Many are of the opinion that the 'children must be allowed to express their feelings'. Yes, sure but waht do they learn under such a system?

[robpage]

The School Inspector went into a school in Liverpool,he asked this kid "Who knocked down the walls of Jericho"...................

I was thinking about this one Jim , and came to the conclusion that

the Sun headline would be , " Anti local goverment protest by the musicians union kills 10,000 "
The Guardian " Jewish Fanatics destroy a town in religious frenzy "
The telegraph " Local disturbances in the middle east by Jewish outsiders cause disruption in Jericho "
The Daily Mail " Left Wing protesters in Jericho exposed by Jewish leaders in a open city policy "

And the late lamented News of the World would aave been " Gottcha Jerico Rebels "

[Capt Bill Davies]

I see the question of standards of examination in our schools has raised its head again with schools shopping around for the easiest exam boards available. Almost like shipowners shopping for 'jurisdiction'.

We all know much of what our youngsters are taxed with when up for their studies and much is 'course assessment'/ 'modules' and all that jazz. This is a good one and no doubt much abused.
Children/students can now type in to 'Google' etc what they want to know do a 'cut and paste' and produce work that would really impress you. The down side is of course they have no 'in depth' knowledge in what they are talking about. I recall some years ago after retiring I was asked to sit on a panel to assess students who were looking for funding to progress their studies. One produced a PP slide with was 'awash' with Integral Calculus (area under the curve etc) and without going to deep into it went on to show himself as having no knowledge of the 'Limits' illustrated on the power Point slide. Other panellists advised that the PP presentation had the fingerprints of a certain Uni Reader all over it.

Brgds

Bill

[j.sabourn]

Bill, I really do not know about schooling methods nowadays, only that some of the youngsters I see hanging around the streets need a good kick up the backside. Everyone nowadays seems to want to make excuses for some of them. I left school at 15 and there was never any of the softly softly approach that some of the western worlds trick cyclists come out with. On the other hand there are plenty of kids otherwise inclined. I sometimes volunteer to go as a timekeeper or judge for a G.L. Speak Up programme where 13 and 14 year olds have to speak for 3 minutes on a subject of their choice, and some of them are excellent, I couldnt do it, maybe the computer has assisted them in this case. I can remember when they allowed slide rules into examinations which was a big thing, as I never had one I wouldnt know how to use, and had to go to I suppose now considered old fashioned log tables. However my education which really started after leaving school was mostly self taught and asking questions. My daughter and Daughter in law are both teachers so hear some stories I would never repeat. I think they have a hard time, and the law being as it is have little control over. I believe the old examination rules were the best, of course people fail, thats the idea to see if they are suited for whatever they are trying to do. I dont know what the answer is, but certainly prefer the old methods. Cheers John Sabourn