To think that the English state education is useless

[balotelli]

Having seen 2 dc go through the English state education system I have no intention of putting dc3 through it.

It taught me very little that I have used since. The vast majority of the useful info and lessons I need for my life to function and be enjoyed have been sourced from mu own initative since leaving state education.

My 2 dc have never been taught to budget, cook, parent etc at school. Everything they know on these subjects have been learnt at home from their parents.

The hours spent in the classroom were of very litttle use since leaving education. Both have jobs and have learnt well on the job and in fe but have never had to know,

how many wives Henry the 8th had, what the average rainfall in the Amazon rain forrest is, any algebra, trigonometry, physics, chemistry or biology.

While I know it is important to have a base knowledge of many subjects and an idea of what may be a passion that can spark a later carreer, I think that kids today spend way too long learning utter useless crap in school , being tested and stressed out of their developing minds for way too long and from a ridiculously early age.

There I feel better now.

Maybe not the same in England but up here pupils get Personal Social Ed classes throughout school plus they have to take Home Ec and Technical for at least 2 years in secondary.
They also do Citizenship and Enterprise stuff so they are getting life skills too.
What the OP can't see is that she and her DC will most definitely be using their knowledge daily (e.g english, maths, science, geography etc.) but not being "aware" of it.

I think it's the op whos education is lacking not the state system

Of course it is!

But disagree strongly with your main point which is: "how many wives Henry the 8th had, what the average rainfall in the Amazon rain forrest is, any algebra, trigonometry, physics, chemistry or biology= useless info".

You must stretch your mind when it's young if you want to be able to stretch it later when you really want to.
In a way, learning for enjoyment's sake aside, it doesn't matter what information you absorb as long as a good deal is absorbed. A good way to explain it to kids is to say that a brain is like a muscle. I've no idea if it really works that way but the reasoning of 'the more you put in, the more you get out' will always be very attractive (not the best situation imo).

If I were to criticise the school system it would be because of the godawful inefficiency, the lack of organisation and the time wasting, the lack of challenge and how shallow it all is, the prescriptiveness which saps natural imagination, the false encouragement and how children are underestimated all the time, which leads to all kinds of problems later, but overpraised to make up for it. But, of course, allowances will be made for that, they'll have to be made, and that's partly why the country is rotting. It's a chain reaction.

I have no problem with exams being easy. The truth is, though, that the curriculum in this country trains children to think in the most useless kind of way so that these sorts of exams do seem reasonable and hard. If you're raised inside a box you know how to hit the roof, even if it's a strain to get there. I have problems with children not knowing how to think, having no initiative, feeling they have to distinguish themselves at every opportunity, children having to sort out their own particular list of personal qualities to broadcast instead of letting them come with age because everyone has to be 'crazy' and unique, thinking that every child has some particular gift to be drawn out- the fact is that most don't.

Are you intending to home educate or use indie and/or alternative schools instead?

Depends on the school and of course the parents.

if you live near/in a catchment area where you have a large number of disaffected parents who do not promote education at home, then that makes the teachers job in the classroom an uphill struggle from the start. That is to the detriment of the child/ren who wish to learn.

We have never really gone up the consoles and televisions in bedrooms route from a young age. Now they have them they still prefer to be in the living room with us, popping upstairs for one or two programmes then come back down. We do exist on a diet of sport, quiz shows, docus, period dramas. But more importantly we discuss all the way through (havent seen a quiz show for months that hasn't gone on pause whilst we all argue over the answers). Ditto the school run - I listen to political programmes thus they get a 20 minute rant from me on what ever is topical that morning.

So I would say discussion and conversation is a primary key in education - and that begins at home. Far too many parents throw money, not time, at their children - some of the most dreaful shildren I come across are those with comfortable parents who really want their children banshed upstairs with the xbox/laptop etc and holidays seem to be all inclusive where they can again banish them to the clubs.

sigh So fucking fed up of parents who feel its my responsibility to do their job for them...

Every day children spend more time out of school than in school and that's without factoring in weekends and holidays. Therefore parents, carers etc are the main influence, educators etc. Yet why does school get the blame for everything that's 'wrong'?

So where did the OP go?

He's got to get back to his main job as Education Secretary.

YABU not least because the same subjects will be taught at private school.

Obviously I don't use 100% of what I learnt at school but it has enriched my life IMO.

You use basic arithmetic when budgeting, also percentages and fractions to work out interest rates, special offers and best prices when presented with a choice of products. You use spelling and grammar when communicating, even on MN.. Chemistry useful when cleaning eg not mixing cleaning products and then poisoning yourself with the resultant gas. Chemistry us involved in cooking as is biology (baking powder or yeast in bread eg). Biology when growing fruit and veg.

Science is even involved in entertainment physics and triginometry to help plan shots in snooker, take into account wind speed and direction when playing golf or football.

As a society we use maths and science regularly, usually without thinking of it as maths or science. History is interesting to many and even if not the study of history helps develop skills such as report writing, analysis of information including consideration of reliability of that information. Many people are required to use these skills daily.

In terms of work it obviously depends on what you end up doing but personally I have used algebra, biology, chemistry and physics at work, a lot. You always learn lot about a new job when you start but have you considered that it is what your dcs learnt at school that enabled them to achieve their post school learning.

balotelli what dies your wife have to say on this?

Oops that's long but consider what I have said OP.

Do private schools teach parenting and cooking then? I was under the impression that they taught more 'useless crap' like Latin.

Anyway, if the OP hasn't used anything learned in her state education since leaving, then what the bloody hell has she been doing with her time?

How many other state systems have you tried, OP?
I think you will find that most cover similar areas of study.

'Anyway, if the OP hasn't used anything learned in her state education since leaving, then what the bloody hell has she been doing with her time?'

Remember that disruptive Y9 that slouched at the back of the class growling 'This is all crap, this is just a fucking waste of time, education sucks'?
They grew up.

school is parental and educationalists collaboration
if you feel let down
look to yourself, you too are culpable

me thinks the op is trip-trapping away from here!!

Go live, marooned, on a desert island and take you family with you...You learn plenty of 'life skills' very quickly there

SM, I love the style of your posts, they have a haiku quality to them.

thanks! I'm a product of scottish education system

YABU and confusing academic education and life skills. One is to be taught at school, the other at home.
Because some parents can not be arsed (or, fair play, have not got the time because of work) to teach their kids some life skills it is now expected from schools to do both.
You, as a parent, have to do some educating too you know.

we both work ft
we make the time for the children education,social,emotional,inquisitive
that's our job as parents
no one is too time poor for their children through work, it is inclination that makes people lackadaisical

'thanks! I'm a product of scottish education system'

So is my father, always compares it for the better with the English system.

Wot Karma said

I recently went to see a Shakespear play and literally marvelled that my education allowed me to follow it all and get loads of the jokes and really enjoy myself

This was by no means universal I overheard the woman behind me say how hard it was to follow