Did you enjoy your schooling days?

[GabbyLoggon]

I went to about 7 schools only really liked 2 of them.
I was a late starter due to illness; and
that may have prejudiced my view of schooling.

I think one to one tuition might have helped me; but no such thing in my day.

On the whole I think schools have improved greatly since my days; but not all people in my age group would agree with me. Nil desperandum epidural.

How old are you if you don't mind me asking? I'm 35 now and loved school . Not sure if that's a bit odd or not!

Only went to 3 schools, moved when I was 8yrs old so 2 primary and one secondary.

What was it you disliked? The teachers, the learning, peers? Everything?

I had pretty good teachers and nice classmates, maybe you were unlucky or I was lucky?

I loved school ... still do

I was only in 2 schools, infants and juniors were same school.. didn't need to apply for junior.. but now.. its a different story... then onto secondary school, then sixth form college now uni/ and home based learning and I loved them all!

I went to loads of different schools as my father moved around the country with work. I bloody hated school, always being bullied for my accent and newness, never feeling like I fitted in. I still, 20 years later, have nightmares about it all and even now I suffer with feelings of inadequacy. I would never, ever put my DD through the same and was going to home ed. DH talked me into trying our small, local primary and she loves it. Should she change her mind though, HE is always an option.

When I walked into DD's primary for the first time last year, the smell nearly gave me a panic attack. It was awful.

I loved my primary school, had a year out travelling (father teaching abroad) and went to 3 different schools that year, a bit scary at times but basically quite enjoyed. Loved secondary school too, but left at 16 and went to local C of FE and loathed it...it was huge, anonymous, I couldn't understand maths anymore (after being a bit of a star at it in my small girls school) and my parents split up.

What is your age group, Gabby? And whereabouts in the UK (or world) were you at school?

I am should we say mature(thats cheesy).....I went to school in north midlands. Part of my unhappyness would be due to heath and shyness. One severe school had capital punishment. I get corrected on the terminology Because I joke it does not mean it was not serious.I enjoy writing about it. The main thing is I am still around telling the tale. And, after all, it made me what I am today it can help to write about our pasts Dou you agree/

I hated it. Went to 3 schools.

Loved learning, hated school. Not the teachers really, the kids. Although in my day teachers were either clueless or ignoring what was going on.

I'm no training to be a teacher. Schools seem better and more clued up.

I'm 'mature' too! Went to rural primary school in the 60's. We were all told then that we would look back on our school days as 'The best years of our lives'.
Not true! Thankfully. I remember being happy at home, but there was always an under current of fear at school. Teachers, vicars, doctors, any educated people were still well respected by 'ordinary' people who would have left school at 14. So even our parents and grandparents were in awe of these people. If things went wrong at school nobody would question/doubt a teachers word. I can still remember my DDad addressing my junior school headmaster as 'Sir'. It is true that if you were punished at school you wouldn't mention it at home incase you got another whack!

Having said that most of my teachers were OK. A few were even kind, but even they wouldn't think twice about smacking a naughty child, or hitting them on the hand with a ruler. The HT of course was judge and jury over all. Many boys including DB were canned for quite trivial things. In my school girls were very rarely beaten in this way. Probably because teachers could reduce them to tears easier. Or maybe they were not as naughty as the boys.

Having said that there was very little bullying amoungst the DC in school, and no classroom disruption......nobody dare!

I think the main fear for me was not being punished for being naughty(I was well behaved), but being humiliated, and sometimes smacked for poor work, even when I had tried really hard to do my best.
The weekly spelling test used to fill me with terror......when the marks were read out I felt physically sick. I was slow to learn to read and a very poor speller. I should not have been surprised when three of my six DC turned out to be dyslexic. In my day there was no excuse you were just 'thick', and you were often humiliated in front of your classmates.

At least my DC have been spared that. Teachers are much more aware in the main. But spelling test results are still 'made public' because children mark each others tests. Stars are only given for full marks, so there are no end of term certificates for poor spellers. This still doesn't seem fair to me!

I went to about 10 schools, and don't underestimate the impact of having been to so many. I would like my DC to go to one primary and one secondary.

I remember really liking the one I went to from age 7-10. It was private, very small classes, strict teachers and I was top of the class. After that, it all went downhill. We went to live in the States for a year, I was in a class with 13 year olds and at age 10 there's something of a difference. I tried to run away so we moved house so I could go to a different school but was equally miserable there.

When we moved back I went to boarding school and then local comprehensive but had lost my confidence by then.

DS (6) adores school, is doing very well and has a great circle of friends. His behaviour (at school.....very different story at home) is also exemplary. He has won achievement and sporting trophies.

< Prays to the ether ( atheist ) that he stays there til secondary >

"One severe school had capital punishment"

now that's mighty severe LOL I know you meant corporal punishment but it just took my fancy. Thanks for the giggle.

I went to a lot of diff schools due to all the moving about we did. Some I liked better than the others. I enjoyed all primaries but one and secondary was intimidating first year and after that I don't know I felt it was all a bit pointless. Can't really explain it. Was maybe the wrong one for me.Socially I enjoyed it but forthe rest ...

strangely I preferred the more old-fashioned ones with strict teachers.

I agree ZZZenAgain......But I wouldn't want to go back to the primary schools of the 50/60s. Some of what I experianced at school was child abuse.

Having said that we have gone too far the other way and many children have little respect for teachers or any other adult.....this is mainly a secondary problem. I hope!

You see all that smacking and humiliation didn't help my spelling.....Experienced!...And I always have a dictionary next to the computer

This is interesting - I loathed school despite trying really hard I always felt like a fish out of water - with both friends and teachers. I also went to 7 different primary schools and 2 secondary and I'm determined my dds will not move around as much as I did. I am also trying very ahrd not to prejudice my dds.

I enjoyed school. Both preparatory and secondary school. i enjoyed learning and being with my friends.

we wre always told to cherish those days but never listened no Im 26 would wish to be back in school with no cares in the world but exams.

I hate adult life its too complicated, especialy now im a mom

No, I didn't enjoy school. I went to four primary schools, the best of which was tolerable but not enjoyable.

The main thing I disliked was the content of what we were meant to be learning, which I found very slow and repetitive and utterly uninspiring. Sitting through it was almost physically painful. There were other aspects which put me off, including the crowding and noise level.

The other kids were OK and I was never bullied, but there wasn't much chance to play. And anyway, I liked to play with just a few kids instead of 30. Socially, I was much happier playing with neighbour children after school.

"we wre always told to cherish those days but never listened"

I wish adults would say this less often. I remember feeling very discouraged every time people told me these were the best days of my life. I thought, "You mean it isn't going to get any better than this? It's hardly worth carrying on then, is it?" Luckily everything has been great for me since I left school. Wish I'd known I had all this to look forward to!

NO

Loved both primary, secondary, 6th form and university.

Not for the academic aspect, although I was fine with that side, but for the social part.

Quite possibly why I don't push hard for uber-academic success for my sons, but worry more about them socially. I don't want them to be top dog, but to have good friends, which thankfully they do.

Learning was and still is good. School was horrible. College was better and Uni was great.

I never felt that there was anyone fighting my corner (quite the opposite!). I know loads of people who talk about inspiring teachers and well in 9 schools I never came across one. :(

I don't remember much of primary school but secondary school completely killed any ability I had to do anything. I went to an all girls secondary (supposedly one of the best in county) and was bullied and generally given no incentive to learn. On more than one occasion I was handed back a piece of work and told it was "too advanced"!
By the time I got to university I was a lost cause and had lost any ability I had to learn. Needless to say I didn't get my degree and suffered from severe depression.
I'm only now getting that back doing distance learning courses but I still find motivating myself a challenge.

"we wre always told to cherish those days but never listened"

I'm sorry, but I hate this phrase too. So far I'm concerned my schooldays are forgotten and they can stay that way.

Secondary school was dire and I hated it. When I went to Uni I thought I was in Heaven.

This is why I don't understand the 'he'll do well anywhere' posse. As if the raw results you leave with are everything.
They're not.
You're there for years and bloody years, so you want it to be great no?

I loved being a pupil at school.
Now I am a primary school teacher and still love my days in school. I feel really lucky to have such a brilliant job. I will add that I teach in a wonderful school with really supportive staff and parents who (in the main) work together for the benefit of the children. Maybe I wouldn't love my job quite so much were I to teach elsewhere!

Aged 2 1/4-5 at prep school - can't remember it
Aged 5-6 at state primary - lots of memories of that school, but all about the state of the building (i.e. having to wear wellies in the classroom due to leaks in portacabin) but didn't dislike it.
Aged 6-7 prep school - loved this school
Aged 7-16 independent school - hated it from 2nd year there. At 11, passed entrance exams to different school, parents wouldn't let me leave, at 12, passed entrance exams to different school, parents wouldn't let me leave, at 14, passed entrance exams to different school, parents wouldn't let me leave, at 16, I left by going to Australia - extreme but it was the only way out.

I loved Primary School (am 35) have some great memories and now I work there! . Secondary school not so much really, had a good small group of friends there but it was an all girls School and overall I found it a bit hard because I wasn't very popular and it was all very cliquey and bitchy.