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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to seriously question whether these teens actually go to a good school?

81 replies

MyNameIsKenAdams · 21/02/2014 21:45

Great Ofsted rating. Faith school. Aged 13-15. Some examples,
Not knowing which set they are in
Not knowing which sets are higher than others (have some sort of bizarre letter rating system)
Thinking it takes six hours to cook a chicken
Not knowing what I.C.T stands for even though they take classes in it
One of them (15) saying they want to be a Police Person when they grow up
One of them (15) saying the Harry Potter books are too complicated
Being unable to locate eastern Asia on a map

Plus more that I couldnt list

I dont hang around a lot of teens so ive no real idea but I am genuinely baffled at the lack of concrete knowledge between them.

Aibu or just expecting too much?

OP posts:

BackforGood · 22/02/2014 13:58

Am completely bemused as to why teens lack of knowledge about any of those things, would worry you

Not knowing which set they are in - Clearly, it's not important to them. If they are progressing or not is important, but if they are in a higher or lower set than someone else, isn't (that's if they do set, not all schools do, and many set in some subjects only)

Not knowing which sets are higher than others (have some sort of bizarre letter rating system) - see first answer

Thinking it takes six hours to cook a chicken - why would it be important to know this ? Firstly, it could take that long in a slow cooker, secondly it's not a general knowledge I'd expect many people to have, unless they were cooking a chicken on a weekly basis, and thirdly, surely if they were about to cook a chicken, they'd read the instructions at that point in time?

Not knowing what I.C.T stands for even though they take classes in it Am a bit surprised they don't know that, but I've just checked with my 15 yr old, and she tells me it's not called that anymore, it's IT these days.

One of them (15) saying they want to be a Police Person when they grow up Don't see what's wrong with this one either - I suppose Police Officer would be more correct, but they were clearly just trying to avoid saying 'man' or 'woman' as they are aware it could be either.

One of them (15) saying the Harry Potter books are too complicated Well, if you don't like reading, then I guess they are quite involved dunno, never appealed to me, and I do like reading. It's comparable with a sports move or playing a piece of music - not complicated if you are a County player or a Grade 8 player, but pretty tricky if you always hated lessons and gave up your violin when you were 10.

Being unable to locate eastern Asia on a map Well, it's not a country as such is it. What reason would they have for needing to? I often hear of places on the news that I don't know where they are, and I'm old enough to have done Geography a LONG time ago --before half the world changed to become different countries*

Really not sure what you are trying to say in this thread.

insancerre · 22/02/2014 14:05

lol at expecting to get straight answers from teenagers
fwiw I went to a very naice private grammar school and my mum used to say I was all brains and no common sense as a teenager
now I have come full circle and have plenty of common sense but no brains

edamsavestheday · 22/02/2014 17:46

I have no idea how long you cook a chicken for. I'm veggie.

Sets - meh, down to school policy, reasons for it are OK although often defeated - children do work out who is good at maths and who isn't.

ICT - I know this but suppose one might not if it's not something that occurs to you to ask.

Police person - what's so strange about a teen trying to be polite?

Harry Potter - maybe they just don't like the books. Could have done with a serious edit.

Eastern Asia - I'd look at Asia and go for the eastern part. Do you mean what used to be called the Orient?

MaddAddam · 22/02/2014 17:54

My 13yo doesn't seem to know which sets she's in. She's not very competitive. She is vegetarian and wouldn't have a clue about cooking chicken. Not sure about the rest, she is a very vague type.

My 12yo, at the same school, would know everything in minute detail, probably including the chicken even though she has never eaten one.

Both of them would enjoy discussing the gender politics of saying "police person". They'd be good on that. That's down to having a raving feminist mother though, not the school's input.

CorusKate · 22/02/2014 18:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GoldenBeagle · 22/02/2014 18:14

Not knowing which set they are in
Not knowing which sets are higher than others (have some sort of bizarre letter rating system)
How does this indicate whether or not the school is good? Maybe they are in a mixed ability tutor group and different sets for different subjects. Just because you don't understand exactly how it works doesn't mean it is 'bizarre'.

Thinking it takes six hours to cook a chicken
Some people do cook a chicken for ages in a slow cooker. Maybe they have observed this? My DC know from seeing us cook a roast at home, but V few schools cover cooking whole chickens in Food tech. Sounds like a parenting gap to me - or maybe they are vegetarian?

Not knowing what I.C.T stands for even though they take classes in it Are you sure this is what it is called in their school? It isn't in DC's. Anyway, hardly an indictment of the school

One of them (15) saying they want to be a Police Person when they grow up
God forbid that our education system should encourage anyone to join the police

One of them (15) saying the Harry Potter books are too complicated
Maybe it is him - you know, not very bright or literary. Some kids find H tedious - would that indicate a better or worse school? OMG! The school is Hogwarts isn't it????

Being unable to locate Eastern Asia on a map
Shocking. Turn Left from Platform 9 3/4

(If I were to ask DC to locate e Asia, rather than actual countries, they might struggle).

How old are your kids?

BackforGood · 23/02/2014 16:58

Is the OP going to come back and chat with us any more? Seems odd to post then not come back to it.

FuckingWankwings · 23/02/2014 17:02

I don't know how long it takes to cook a chicken.

I have to look it up every time, and then I promptly forget until I cook another one.

Anyway, don't different-sized chickens take different amounts of time?

What's the problem with 'Police person'? The actual term, or do you not like the idea that someone would want to be in the police force?

noblegiraffe · 23/02/2014 17:07

If the school wanted them to know what set they were in they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of setting up a bizarre letter rating system.

My geography is terrible, I seem to have a complete blank spot in my memory for maps. I can stare at a map of Europe for ages trying to learn all the countries and yet the next time I look, anything east of Poland is a mystery.

morethanpotatoprints · 23/02/2014 17:18

I think it is good they don't know what set they are in and the school have a system in place to make it difficult for them to find out. I bet they have no hang ups in terms of results.
As for reading Harry Potter, maybe at 15 they wouldn't want to read it and teenagers rarely give straight answers.
I'm not sure they will/should have learned how long it takes to cook a chicken, at school anyway.
I think parental involvement is needed to ensure a wide spread general knowledge. If it isn't on the curriculum no school will teach it, unfortunately. Teachers barely have the time to teach what is essential to pass the tests.

Tanith · 23/02/2014 18:32

Are you from Ofsted, Op? Your knowledge of secondary teaching seems about level.

Nocomet · 23/02/2014 18:38

I'm a 100% certain they know exactly what setsthey are in, reception children don't fall for circle, square, banana. They just don't want to say.

CorusKate · 23/02/2014 18:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

momb · 23/02/2014 18:48

My SD (16) tells me she doesn't like lots of books. Especially if I recommend them: apparently she 'hates all the classics'. She never read Harry Potter either. That said, she is on for an A* in English (and all subject) GCSE, writes over 1000 words a day on fan fiction, and wants to be a Maths teacher.
What teens say and what they do is very different. Aforementioned teen also tells me she can cook a chicken dinner (and has done so) at her Mum's, but would need to check the cooking instructions on the chicken before beginning.
I don't think that you need to worry about these two teens' responses before deciding whether or not the school merits the OFSTED rating.

Procrastreation · 23/02/2014 18:49

My chicken does take six hours to cook.

I use a slow cooker.

Hth.

BackforGood · 23/02/2014 22:47

Tanith

Nocomet · 23/02/2014 22:59

Exactly, primaries have all sorts of ludicrous systems to stop Pupils and parents working out the order of tables and spelling groups.

They might confuse the parents, they do not confuse the DCs. They know who is in top, middle and bottom table and they know when they disagree with the teachers decisions.

I doubt there is a year three class in the land who couldn't line up in maths or English ability order.

So I really don't think the OPs teens don't know what set they are in.

bodybooboo · 23/02/2014 23:04

mmm my teen ds tried to make hit chocolate by boiling the milk in our kettle!

my teen dd asked in awe about 'buffalow wings' on the menu and said she didn't know they had wings!

weeps silently.

bodybooboo · 23/02/2014 23:05

Tanith

WilsonFrickett · 23/02/2014 23:13

body I said exactly the same thing about buffalo wings. Except I was 27...

I'm now 43 and a food writer so despair ye not

DonnaDishwater · 23/02/2014 23:16

Whatever happened to people gaining knowledge from outside of school or work?

deakymom · 23/02/2014 23:49

my daughter is going to be 14 this year she is super competitive and knows all her sets if she is not top she knows just how far she needs to go before she gets there in primary she was asked about chicken and duly informed them the legs should be falling off (thats how you tell its cooked) she could find asia on the globe/map because she would read the blasted thing from end to end harry potter read reviewed and surpassed ICT? she probably knows the history and development of the subject she has been know to correct the teachers grading the summer holidays is a nightmare she can go a week without grades but 6 no chance i have to set her work and mark it (if i really want to make her happy i tell her to redo it)

she is mine and quirky xx

LessMissAbs · 23/02/2014 23:55

So they're not interested in cooking, are politically correct, have a complicated system of sets, correctly summarise the plot devices of JK Rowling, call information technology I.T. instead of the bizarre public sector name of I.C.T. and are aware of the political divisions, past and former, which make pointing out Eastern Asia a minefield (Asia Minor, anyone? China and the Far East?").

So what? Do they pass exams and know about the specific academic subjects which will equip them to have careers? Quite possibly, since your list of their ommissions seems to be highly personal and limited.

JessieMcJessie · 24/02/2014 04:04

Out of interest OP, which country would you point to if asked to identify "East Asia"? Just wondering, cos I live in Hong Kong and I wouldn't be sure where "East Asia" began and ended...

yangsun · 24/02/2014 07:45

The high achieving faith school where I works has a complicated system of letters (I wonder if it's the same one!) but in ks3 they are actually representing just two bands. A lot of the children don't believe this and I have heard many conversations about whether f is better than h (they are the same!) perhaps op has overheard a similar conversation.

I am sure a great many of our students would struggle with some of these questions as they are not about school things.

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