To question what they are teaching in primary schools these days?

[wonderstuff]

DS 11 didn’t know how to make paper snowflakes! Thought it was some sort of witchcraft when I showed him 😎. DD 14 knows so it’s obviously a recent deterioration. I remember spending what felt like hours happily cutting out in primary school. It was a go to activity for wet break. Think they bung a film on now with screens in every classroom. Sad times.

@sweatervest

a lot of kids in the primary i work in can't tie shoelaces, tell you what an anagram is, recite the alphabet or 2, 3, 4 time tables. loads of them don't know when their birthday is, nor what their parents first names are. they also don't know their address or the road where they live.

lots of reception kids can't put their coat on. (and get put in a pushchair before/after school. seriously)

My son started school many years ago, he was 4 and well able to tie shoelaces. Apparently he was the only one in his year who could and velcro shoes weren't a thing back then. His teacher told me she had been a bit worried he was running some sort of racket as all the boys wanted to be his friend so desperately. She then realised that she got grumpy tying all the shoe laces on pumps and then on shoes but if you were his friend he'd do it for you.

She was actually a very lovely teacher but I think being close to retirement age she found all the shoelace tying a bit of a trial.

She said she wished parents worried less about teaching their children to read/write/count before school and concentrated on dressing themselves, using a knife and fork and even tying shoelaces.