To think the past is being misrepresented on here?

[ChilliLips]

Not all the time obviously but didn’t want a waffly title.

I feel like lately I’m seeing a lot of posts describing a past I don’t recognise. Apparently schools used to be relaxed, have no rules, fewer demands. Whereas I’m sure I remember uniform inspections, SATS, end of year tests, mocks, weekly spelling tests at primary, Saturday detentions, and don’t forget the worst punishment of all - the CHAIR!

I have also seen a few posts saying conditions now are much worse resulting in poorer mental/physical health, hence a spike in disability. But again - can this be true? The world wars wounded, no antenatal tests, jobs like coal mining, loads of smoking/drinking, polio and measles… I’m sure there were a lot of people disabled with conditions they wouldn’t have now.

And finally that everyone was wealthy and lived in massive houses. Nobody I know who grew up in the 50s/60s have tales of luxury, I’ve heard all sorts of horrors including ice on the inside of windows, smog in the air, kids sleeping 4 to a room.

Particularly interested in answers from those alive then! I’m mid 30s.

One of mine had to take RE at GCSE plus at least one language and of course maths and English

My other two at a different school only had Maths and English as compulsory but couldn’t do any more than three non facilitating subjects.

But then you have to wait for the parts, and that can take several weeks, from experience. Sometimes you can't even get a technician to come and look at it for a couple of weeks. I have a lot of people to wash for and it's a bit of a disaster when a key laundry appliance isn't there.

I currently do have two clothes dryers, which I've never had before. We got a new one the same day the last one broke, then figured we could fix it ourselves (belt needed replacing). It's great to have a back up.

Ps.
When I did my Olevels in the early 80s we also had to do maths & english obv plus RS and at one language plus one science subject ( chem, bio or physics )
So quite similar restrictions

We did metalwork, woodwork, environmental science, cooking and needlework. All of which we could take at Olevel. Subjects not seen that much these days I think Whilst other new ones are now available.

I had to do RE in the late 80s/early 90s but it was done as an extra subject for everyone. Only English was compulsory otherwise.

Maths?

I never had the option to do all those subjects myself but my children have options along those lines and psychology, design technology in different disciplines, computing, more languages, dance and more. I could only have dreamed of that.

Not compulsory. Was also not in the UK at the time.

Yes we had technical drawing which is the same as design and technology now. We had the usual art and drama as well. I didn’t think our school was that different to others tbh.
Maybe it was

We didn't have drama. The only arty subject was just that, 'art'. One of mine did clothing design, which involved so many diverse types of clothing and costume design. I'd never have had the interest but didn't have the option anyway.

Did you have music?

No we didn't. I did do music but it was by an external provider and I did it by post. It was a special arrangement made by the school since they didn't offer the subject.

Gosh. Music by post sounds really weird.
I thought my sons doing music practice by zoom during covid was unusual but by post completely tops that !

I actually found it really hard, or at least some aspects of it. I found composition difficult and really didn't have anyone to ask advice of at hand. It was my lowest mark at 67% and I know it's because I struggled alone with that bit. I should probably have gone to a different school where it was offered.

I think it's swings and roundabouts really. As a child in the late 60s ,I envied my friend her chopper bike! She envied me my own bedroom. School was good and we learnt French at 9. Now more children have phones and are quick on the Internet. Times change and whereas you would be either factory fodder or clever and work In a bank . now more chance at uni or to become an influencer or whatever

Everything is relative of course, but if you compare life now to how it was in the late 90s/00s/10s, then things are worse now than they used to be. If you compare life in the 50s to Victorian times, people had it better in the 50s. Victorians lived better than people during the middle ages. Etc.

Although Uni was free for us whereas now it costs a fortune, the maintenance isn’t enough to cover the high rents these days and students pay 9% interest on the loan !

Most people didn't go to university though. Those were the days that you could leave school at 15 and get an office job.

I think every generation has had it's challenges and every generation has it's perks.

I'm gen X and I think that's tough in some ways. First generation to get student loans and have to repay them while expected to save for pensions, our own children's university education, and generally having to have two parents working to survive. "The sandwich generation." I think those in my generation who are already grandparents also tend to feel they need to give a lot more support to their children than we ever got from our parents. Of course there's always going to be exceptions in every generation too.

I'm 60.

Buying a home was no easier in the 60s. Most people rented. It became much easier in the 70s with the deregulation of the mortgage market. Home buying was MUCH easier in the 80s - 00s but has become progressively harder because of the growth in population, home grown and immigration. Basic supply and demand.

Life in the 70s was much less affluent for many. Ice on the inside of windows every winter, poor quality food, things such as clothes, white goods, furniture were much more expensive. No ready meals, no microwaves, much less imported food. No McDonalds. We had a chippy and when I was 12, a Chinese takeaway ( very exotic). Music came on vinyl or the radio. There were 2 TV channels when I was a child and 4 when I was at uni.

As a child I had one pair of shoes at a time, never more. Clothes came from jumble sales until I started working weekends at 13 and could buy a few things myself.Holidays were a week in Torquay/Weymouth if you were lucky. I first went abroad (Spain) when I was 18.

I was lucky and went to a grammar school, then won a place at university, but only 10% of people went, and fewer women. We FOUGHT to get in. I got a grant which covered my halls room and half my bus ticket. Nothing for books, clothes, food, and there were no student loans, the banks simply wouldn't lend to you if you didn't have a job. So as a student, you either had wealthy parents who supported you, or you worked in a bar or shop. Or you dropped out. I worked 5 nights a week in a pub while studying.

Discrimination was widespread. If you weren't a healthy white male, life could be pretty awful. Fewer jobs needed a degree, much more training was available, plus night school etc. Our school got a computer when I was about 14. The IBM PC arrived when I was 22. The internet didn't exist. Phones were on street corners not in your pocket. 😁

Gen x here too but pre student loans.
The oldest gen xs were born in 65 so would be young grandparents so maybe more capable of help at 59.

My parents left their country to move here so I have no idea really if older generations helped out much. Everyone I knew was the same. The older generations were left behind so I suppose I have never experienced either way of working.

People left school if they wanted as soon as they turned 16 ( on the day in fact ) and didn’t even have to take their Olevels but not at 15 in the UK.

I was born in 62. Both parents worked. Lived in a council flat until my parents bought it.
I can remember having limited food available at home. Only having heating in the living room.

'The past' - was hugely diverse!

I can remember playing out with friends. I can remember letting ourselves in after school when parents were at work. Lots of things felt better then than they do for my grandchildren now. There was never any choice of what to eat - meals were what was on offer with nothing else in the cupboard if you didn’t like it.

I remember ice forming on the inside of my bedroom window, but I wouldn't describe it as a 'horror'. Getting up in a cold room was mildly uncomfortable, but it was warm in bed, it was warm downstairs and it wasn't common then for kids to spend huge amounts of their waking time in their rooms.

I battle over this with my 3DC all in their 20s. Perception is all. The message they get from social media is that everything is terrible and unfair and getting worse.

The biggest change is surely information and constant connection. Constant entertainment. Constant surveillance. Constant advertising from whoever it is trying to sell you something by making you feel you need the thing.

I think the best thing we had back in the day (I am 60) is a sense of hope and possibility. We are much more cynical now. And we could move out at 18!

This is my experience. Happy haylcon days of singing? drama, art and poetry at primary school. Then almost unlimited freedom at secondary, smoking tolerated from yr9 up really. In the pub from yr 11. Saturday job at 14- different world.