to think there are an awful lot of skills lacking in the next generation if this is anything to go by?

[Toodamnnosy]

Went to a year 10 parents meeting at a selective academic grammar school in an affulent area:-

3 things that were said to the group as the whole that made me think the above:

They are finding that there are a substantial number of pupils who:

1. don't know how to use a landline telephone (e.g. don't realise if pick up that's the same as pressing green button on mobile)

2. don't know where the address goes on an envelope (e.g. often put where the stamp should go)

3. have never travelled without a parent/adult and do not know how to catch a train/bus (this is a small town with good public transport)

AIBU to think if you have got to 14/15 years of age without being shown, used any of these things, then god help you when you leave home - if ever!

I'm bot from a good area and am very poor. I could do those things. Might e because mummy didn't do everything for us and we didn't have mobiles

I'm not*

I obviously can not type on a phone either

YANBU if it's more than one or two examples.

I can't remember the last time I lifted a receiver on a telephone.

This cannot be true, surely??? Kids aren't possibly this clueless?

Well, it just goes to show that posh grammar schools...er...something or other. My 15 year old has been able to do those things for years. I'm surprised some kids can't.

I am not particularly surprised- How many people actually use a landline anymore? For actual conversation.

I don't know of many people who bother writing a letter any more either.

If your parents have a car, why bother with trains and buses?

The school were explaining what things the children learn from doing Work Experience because they have never done these things before!?!

They also said that:

the children are surprised the working day is 9-5 - I've just asked my 6 year old what are normal "office" hours and he said 9-5 although alot of places are now 24 hours!

it's the first time they've had to think about what they wear and the impression it gives to other people.

One child talking about their experience said 'it was awful I had to get up at 7 work 9-5, have my dinner, and then I was in bed, it was so exhausting I don't think the working in an office is for me. all day sat at a computer was so tiring'.

You'd think so, wouldn't you? Yet it comes so easily when you're ignoring the children...

What odd examples!!

It would be interesting to see what the parents couldn't do that a teenager could do in their sleep and would be relevant for a modern life.

But I think they are relevant to modern life - yes emails are used in the office, but so are letters.

If you can't answer the office phone, or make a call out on the office phone you are going to find that you have a rather large personal mobile phone bill for work calls.

If you can't get yourself to and from work, you are going to find that your job options are very limited.

The landline thing - well, actually, I do get this. We don't have a landline at the mo - we have had in the past and DS therefore understands how it works - but its not that ridiculous to not have one at all. You can function perfectly well without it.

Public transport - that's what happens when you drive kids everywhere. The address thing - just weird! I will give you that

The getting up for work thing - not surprised at all, in fact isn't that what work experience is for?

I don't think it quite adds up to a lost generation though!

But school starts at 8.30 - are these children arriving for school late every day? My dc leaves home at 7am to get to school, she uses public transport. We could take her, she prefers the independence of making her own way there.

We have a landline but it's cordless, so it works exactly like a mobile. The only fixed reciever telephone I ever use is at work, so I do get that.

And I guess people who go everywhere by car probably wouldn't train their DCs to use public transport.

I guess that's what work experience is for. I remember the utter crisis on my first week at work when I was asked to send a fax.

Got to say my first job was in a factory at the age of 17 just after my a-levels and awaiting results.

Got home from first day at work with huge respect for my parents. I was knackerd and FINALLY understood what they went through.

However by 17 I had travelled alone and abroad and bought my own tickets so knew all that stuff.

It was the sheer effort of hard work that got me - I had no idea.

at sending a fax Dilys. I remember I used to have to fax reference requests to Oz and I used to be so amazed when they came back an hour later. Simpler times

We get the kids at school (secondary) to put their reports in an envelope and address it to their parents. There are definitely some who don't know where to put the address. Quite a few don't know their post code. I suppose I learned addressing envelopes from writing thank you letters when I was a child.

This certainly isn't typical of 'the next generation', probably just those at that selective (posh and well off) school and similar schools.

I read about some research that found that old older people enjoy hearing about/reading negative stories about young people, because young people have a higher status in society as youth is revered, so people enjoy hearing negative things about young people to boost their own self esteem.

Just saying.

Anyone else remember sending telex? :(

I agree about the driving them everywhere thing.
My dds primary school has sent out a letter saying that they expect parents to stay with their children in the playground until the bell goes.
Surely at 8 years plus you should be able to leave your child alone with their friends in the playground. I walked to school without any adults by this age.
How on earth do they expect year 7 kids to feel comfortable walking/using public transport if they don't want parents to wave them off before they get into the playground.

It is also a lot of things those parents would be unable to do that a 16 yo would/could do in their sleep and are relevant eg.:

1. Texting and using a smartphone
2. Downloading and finding info on-line

There is nothing like a first job to be thrown in the deep end and having a steep learning curve ...

Arf at Andrew and thanks for making me feel a bit younger!

lurking we have been instructed to be OFF site before the bell goes! It's equally impossible because sometimes you've only just got them on site when it goes, and other times they're having a bad morning and won't let you go (or that might only be DH - DD has practically shoved me out of the playground this week) but seems a bit more sensible in principle.

My self esteem is fine - thanks vegetariandumpling.

At the meeting I was shocked, I did come home and check that all points that the school said were an issue that my dc could do.

Thank god they could.

What shocked me the most wasn't that they said some or a few of the kids couldn't do these things, but that a substantial number of them couldn't.