Cultural differences Scotland and England

[CauleyMacGlochlin]

So surprised to see on a recent thread that in England secondary school pupils are often not allowed out of school for lunch until 6th form, which Google tells me means 16-18. I'm gobsmacked. I've never heard of anything like this in Scotland and I've lived all over the country (grew up in Glasgow and moved around in adulthood)

I also recently discovered that English school pupils can't leave education at 16. They have to stay in education til 18 unless they have an apprenticeship.

Got me thinking about cultural differences between the countries that I've maybe been oblivious all this time. Any others?

I wasn’t aware of the zero tolerance for having a drink before driving in Scotland before a couple of months ago

Lots of schools don't actually have sixth forms
We have mix of six form colleges and technical colleges in my town and the technical colleges offer a huge variety of of course,s
I was told on a thread last week that most students do six years athigh h school in Scotland?

Yes, forgot about this one too

They don't have square sausage down here. And shops shut early and open late on Sundays.

They have their own governments which make their own rules. In England you can leave school at 16 I you have a job, an apprenticeship or join the armed forces

These are legal differences rather than cultural differences, I think.

Cultural differences are things like Scots being more likely to make their own soup.

Sunday lunch is a much bigger thing in England.

@x2boys

I don't know the statistics on that (and it may well have changed now) but when I went to school (I'm late 30s now) I would say at least half of the kids in my year left at 16 and the rest stayed on.

But you can go to university after your 5th year. I was accepted unconditionally to university but chose to stay on for a 6th year simply because all of my friends were staying on. I just pissed about for the last year really.

No square sausage?! <faints>

I've been told by English people that if you leave school at 16 you have to be in some other kind of education til 18. College I suppose.

This made me laugh. Are we more likely to make soup? Do you mean rather than buying it in a tin?

I suppose it struck me as cultural because I think if you suggested to anyone I know that secondary school pupils can't leave the school grounds at lunchtime they'd be utterly baffled and not see the reason why. I don't know how they keep them locked in the grounds in England. There'd have been a riot at my school.

I'm not quite sure what you're saying here? Are you suggesting people in England think it is ok to have a drink and then drive?

Maybe more a language than cultural difference, but when queuing in Scotland it's normal for the cashier or whoever to call 'first here please'. I've never heard that in England (at least not in the SW where I've lived for over a decade).

No square sausage, no macaroni pies, no plain bread.

There is no primary 7, all year 7s go to secondary schools .

The legal alcohol limit for driving is higher in England than Scotland.

Yes, lots like my son go to college (he is doing T levels in IT) This is the theory but in practice it doesn't always work out like that. My friend's son has been out of education since 16 and is only just now starting an apprenticeship at 18.

I know many people who will have one drink then drive....I would with a meal. But not in Scotland.

I used to buy square sausage in Iceland when I lived in England.

@SummerDays2020

I'm not quite sure what you're saying here? Are you suggesting people in England think it is ok to have a drink and then drive?

I have had friends as well as previous boyfriends from England who would have a drink and then drive a few hours later, not realising that you can't do that in Scotland.

The limit is so low that people don't drink and drive at all whereas English people (that I've known) will have a drink or drink with their meal and drive some hours later

the limits are different, England is drink drive limit is higher.

I struggle with the lack of potato scones here 😂 - I mean they do have them branded 'potato cakes' in a few shops but nowhere near as ubiquitous as in Scotland.

I used to buy Scottish Plain bread in Asda in England.

Ooh I like this one. What do they shout?

Just 'next please/next here please'. But I've never heard the word first used in the context of calling someone from the front of a queue!

From what I hear school playgrounds tend to be open in Scotland? Ours tend to be locked behind gates.

I have to say I wouldn't want my 11 yo wandering the streets at lunchtime. I prefer her to stay at school and do clubs, go to the library, hang out with her friends in the garden etc. Her favourite thing at the moment is to do colouring in the Learning support centre.