[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by CharlieOsborne

Oh and regards to the curtains thing: this is the internet age, if someone needs to take down curtains im sure their is a website which will teach them in like 5 minutes.

Given that the person had to ask online how to do it: it begs the question, 'Were they simply too lazy to go search online for the answer" - or were they simply wanting someone else do do the hard work, and just tell them.

I'd say that was precisely an example of how they could seek the answer themselves.

[Scarlett.]

To be honest it depends on the teachers, my history/geography teacher was passionate about both subjects, he didn't just stand there and explain stuff, he used pictures, videos films, took us on trips. Compare that to say...our maths teacher, he spent most of his time chatting to the "popular ones" in the class about our nights out, he took half of the year off, he never paid any attention to the rest of the class ect.

Saying all that, I prefered learning stuff by myself after I left school

[Stacey.]

Well if we're not taught about it, how are we meant to know?

[arista]

Originally Posted by Stacey.

Well if we're not taught about it, how are we meant to know?

I guess you Google it

[Stacey.]

Originally Posted by arista

I guess you Google it

When I Google something it's normally hard to find/the language they use is way out of my vocabulary

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by Stacey.

When I Google something it's normally hard to find/the language they use is way out of my vocabulary

Well there is one person who can sort that out. Read: books, magazines, online articles - and not forum guff - proper reading whereby you come across a word, a phrase, and think, "What does that mean" - and you go look it up.

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Stacey.

When I Google something it's normally hard to find/the language they use is way out of my vocabulary

90% of the dictionary is out of your vocabulary

[Doogle]

Originally Posted by Smithy

90% of the dictionary is out of your vocabulary

[Stacey.]

Originally Posted by Smithy

90% of the dictionary is out of your vocabulary

Why do you quote me in like every thread?

[BB_Eye]

Originally Posted by Smithy

90% of the dictionary is out of your vocabulary

I think you'd be overachieving if you had so much as 10% of the dictionary in your vocabulary. There are 600,000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary (and it's growing). Most of us will only ever use around 6,000 in our lifetime.

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by Stacey.

Well if we're not taught about it, how are we meant to know?

Learn it by yourself, don't depend on others to teach you everything

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by Stacey.

Well if we're not taught about it how are we meant to know?

Here's a novel thought - do it yourself. I didn't know how to operate anything other than a very very basic computer at work, didn't know anything about the internet 15 years ago, new buggar all, nothing about Windows, MS, digital cameras, uploading, downloading - knew not a thing: I went, bought a pc and taught myself.

[arista]

"I think the media doesn't help. People don't aspire to be scientists or pioneers any more, they want to be famous or attractive. "


Sure many are trying to get in the Fame Game
a few aspire to become pioneers though.


Life In The Fast Lane.

[bananarama]

Originally Posted by Pyramid*

In the past few days: I've read comments on FB, on the internet etc: not just unbelievable questions: but genuine shock at realising some of the very basics within the country that we live: a few examples:-

The Queen is married? Who to?
Duke of Edinburgh: does that mean he's from Scotland?
Where's the Queen Mum?
Diana had a title before she met Charles?
Princess Ann was married before?

I've read on here and on other forums, teens (and older), not knowing how to cook basic things, simple meals, not knowing how to use a standard non electric tin opener, people asking how to measure curtains (ie; they like the size of the ones that are up but don't know how to measure them!!!!) - I have to say: I am left completely and utterly astounded at some of the lack of everyday knowledge.

I have to wonder what it is schools teach these days.

It appears very little about the country we live in, the history of it, and very little about basic cooking, basic everyday life skills.

Unbelievable.

I agree with most of your observations.....Especially the last part about basic skills......Personally I don't think it matters if kids know about Royalty history........Very boring to most and mostly pointless....

However like you say basic skills are under valued in the education system.To much time spent on pointless academic stuff that will never be needed and only taught so as some can go to universiaty simply for the status symbol of being at university.......Rather than being educated with something usefull......

A lot more go to university true.......But do most deserve to be there when they can't even boil an egg......I think not......

Universities should be for the scientist, chemists doctors etc.....Not for pshcho babble and other pointless obscure subjects which can be taught at your local education evening classess or while walking the dog in the park.....

Kids need to taught how to cook how to do basic handman jobs and repairs. More importantly how to behave like resposible human being that don't abuse fellow human beings with drug taking and binge drinking episodes....

[BB_Eye]

Originally Posted by bananarama

I agree with most of your observations.....Especially the last part about basic skills......Personally I don't think it matters if kids know about Royalty history........Very boring to most and mostly pointless....

However like you say basic skills are under valued in the education system.To much time spent on pointless academic stuff that will never be needed and only taught so as some can go to universiaty simply for the status symbol of being at university.......Rather than being educated with something usefull......

A lot more go to university true.......But do most deserve to be there when they can't even boil an egg......I think not......

Universities should be for the scientist, chemists doctors etc.....Not for pshcho babble and other pointless obscure subjects which can be taught at your local education evening classess or while walking the dog in the park.....

Kids need to taught how to cook how to do basic handman jobs and repairs. More importantly how to behave like resposible human being that don't abuse fellow human beings with drug taking and binge drinking episodes....

Jesus wept

[patsylimerick]

Originally Posted by BB_Eye

Jesus wept

Was it the kiss on the balcony that moved Him?

[bananarama]

Originally Posted by BB_Eye

Jesus wept

Two word reply.......How intellectual......Definitely a university candidate. Well done....

[Livia]

Originally Posted by bananarama

Two word reply.......How intellectual......Definitely a university candidate. Well done....

Actually... those two words "Jesus wept" are the shortest verse in the Bible. I thought it was quite a good answer. But I guess you'd have to understand it to find it amusing.

Standards of education are dreadful. My parents used to read to me, buy me books, encourage me to read, but parents don't seem to do that now which is why most people I meet under twenty can barely spell, let alone punctuate or use grammar. What's more neither schools nor parents seem to teach children about who they are, what their culture is, where they come from historically (that's, like, learning about kinds and queens and stuff...) and consequently we're losing our national identity and soaking up a kind of mid-Atlantic sub-culture.

[BB_Eye]

Originally Posted by bananarama

Two word reply.......How intellectual......Definitely a university candidate. Well done....

Sorry, but how am I expected to better dignify a misspelt, mispunctuated rant on what is why Britain's education system needs to teach people less about our language, literature and philosophy and more about how to become a semi-literate management consultant?

[BB_Eye]

There is no getting around the fact that the UK's education system is failing. People leave school not knowing who we fought in the Second World War, the official state religion of Great Britain, who Napoleon is and unable to find Britain on a world map. Plus the country's literacy rate is in decline. This should be a national scandal.

The problem is the powers that be are so short-sightedly utilitarian and see no value in things that won't make you a quick buck, they think that since most children won't grow up to be historians, philologists or archaeologists, then there is no point in teaching them anything more than the most elementary general knowledge (if that) and anything more than that is a luxury. Just look at how little people care that the coalition government is doing everything in its power to dismantle this institution.

Education is there to teach people to read, write and think.

[joeysteele]

Mary Queen of Scots, my historical heroine is in fact in my view a very strong and relevant part of English Royal family history
She was a direct descendant of the Tudor dynasty, she therefore had a strong claim to the English throne, much more so than Elizabeth 1.

She was in my view, wrongly imprisoned and tried due to Elizabeth 1 and she was then murdered by Elizabeth 1.
Her strong relevance to English Royal Family history is further borne out by the fact her son James V1 of Scotland became James 1 of England after Elizabeth 1 death.

I do agree though that some things seem to have been withdrawn from Education that are important. How anyone can understand a culture or what formed a Nation without being taught its full History is hard to work out.

[Vicky.]

I have never changed my own curtains

-Feels ashamed-

But yeah, I agree mostly with what you are saying, although I really dont think royal history is of that much importance tbh

[Jords]

I think people are just getting lazy, rather than being thick..

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by Jords

I think people are just getting lazy, rather than being thick..

90% of the time this I reckon!

Anyway I agree a lot with what Pyramid says. However there is a hint of snobbery in it too.

Yes.. Knowledge is power. However there is something better than Knowledge and that is actually "doing something". Sure you can get that smarty pants know it all who can memorise god knows what from Royal history to Chinese history to whatever. But some of these people can't really "do" anything.

I think possibly the education system is fine. Maybe they should teach more "life" skills though. The main thing wrong with the education system is that there is no discipline.

[patsylimerick]

Originally Posted by Beastie

90% of the time this I reckon!

Anyway I agree a lot with what Pyramid says. However there is a hint of snobbery in it too.

Yes.. Knowledge is power. However there is something better than Knowledge and that is actually "doing something". Sure you can get that smarty pants know it all who can memorise god knows what from Royal history to Chinese history to whatever. But some of these people can't really "do" anything.

I think possibly the education system is fine. Maybe they should teach more "life" skills though. The main thing wrong with the education system is that there is no discipline.

They can pass it on; and/or write it down. More value in that than in the deepest depths of the European Central Bank.