Education

[Louis the fly]

When I was at school I never realised the importance of education. The schools I attended from ages 5 to 15 had one major priority, the teaching of religion. I and all the other children were educated to a basic level to provide the next generation of labourers.
In our UK education system there are two very distinct and different types of education, the private fee paying schools and the state schools, the gulf between them is enormous. It cannot be a coincidence that all those who rise to the top of the tree have been educated in the private system. For some children their life is mapped out by their parents from birth, private tuition followed by Eton, Cambridge or Oxford. It is not only the finest education they receive but also the contacts they make at college and university which ensures the continuity of the old school tie and old boys club.
When politicians talk of levelling up education must be top of the list to close the attainment gap. It will be far harder for children today than for us. A new industrial revolution with computer skills, robotics and artificial intelligence is their future.
A whole new world.

[vic mcclymont]

Louis, in Scotland the schools I attend from primary to secondary, started with a brief ceremony, then education *3 r's.
Secondary education, included if my memory is correct two formal periods of 40 minutes each per week on religion. The rest of the time maths, History, music, and technical education.
School is the foundation block as no matter where you go or what you do there are always opportunities to learn.

Vic

[Ivan Cloherty]

(1) When I was at school I never realised the importance of education. The schools I attended from ages 5 to 15 had one major priority, the teaching of religion.

(2) It will be far harder for children today than for us. A new industrial revolution with computer skills, robotics and artificial intelligence is their future.
A whole new world.

#1 So Right Louis, we were always taught we had a friend in Jesus, but my other friends never beat me with a round black ebony ruler.

#2 Don't think it's any harder for them Louis, different maybe, we had the Luftwaffe, they have the pandemic, we had he times table, they have a calculator. We had to deal with £ s d/yards, feet and inches they have something divisible by 10, but still need a calculator.

[Captain Kong]

When I was 11 years old I could hardly read or write. During the war a lot of schools were closed, including mine, A lot of schools were bombed and Pupils and Staff killed.
Sometimes we were half timers, school in the mornings one week and school in the afternoons next. more than 60 kids to a class.
We had no writing books , just a slate and a piece of chalk., to save paper, as we used to collect paper for war effort. Teachers were old retired teachers called back into work, with no interest in the job. as most of our teachers were conscripted into the Services.
Many times I didnt know which school to go to, so we would play hooky, no one missed us, no one cared,
We never had an 11PLUS EXAM. when I went to a secondary school at 11, I aske d the teacher could I have some Homework, He said NO, I am not wasting my time marking home work when you leave school you will all go into the cotton mills, so you do not need to read or write stood by a machine,

So I left school as thick as the day I started, So I went to sea and
educated myself. Our generation were penalised in later years because of our lack of education,, but those ignorant people had never experienced a War, In an air raid shelter, cold and damp being bombed night after night.and no school to go to.
So even with a lousy start in school life due to WW2 I didnt do too bad.

[j.sabourn]

I don’t consider myself badly educated I could read and write when I left school , and that is where the real learning starts. From then on in it is up to yourself .everyone today cries out about freedom of choice , it Is there for everyone, and if you don’t use it you only have yourself to blame. It is not someone else’s responsibility to nurture you through your life cycle as some believe today If you want to drop out then accept the responsibility’s of your own actions , and don’t cry about it like a big whoose. What I have seen the result of what some so called educated people of today , they are miles astern of those who have accepted life for what it is. JS.

[John Arton]

I blame my lack of education on the fact that in the year prior to my sitting O levels we moved to a new purpose built school that amalgamated three schools, my boys only grammar, a girls only grammar and a mixed grammar, so all of a sudden we were surrounded by mini skirted school girls flashing their knickers, having to have swimming lessons with nubile school girls in swimsuits, bleddy distracting trying to study for maths, English, history, geography etc.
Rgds
J.A.

[Ivan Cloherty]

, bleddy distracting trying to study for maths, English, history, geography etc.
Rgds
J.A.

Not totally wasted John, especially geography, you learnt where the lee of Bum Island was! always useful when navigating in the dark.

[John Gill]

Not conversant in either stellar or solar navigation and have visited a few islands in my travels, never encountered the one in question. There must be a navigator or two aboard here who might enlighten me. Sounds an interesting place.

[Keith Tindell]

Think you must have been very close to it John, many times, kt

[Ivan Cloherty]

There must be a navigator or two aboard here who might enlighten me. Sounds an interesting place.

John, some you can see on the horizon without binoculars, probably best to steer clear of the windward side, there may be imminent gales; mind you the lee side may have a large cave, when upon entering you may never be seen again, best to tell your shipmates if you are venturing ashore into the unknown.