An article appeared in the Daily Telegraph today by Christopher Middleton on the subject of Mossbourne which is described as a 1,300-pupil state-run, inner-city academy in run-down Hackney, literally a stone’s throw from some of the worst scenes of rioting last week. As an aside, perhaps Middleton could have chosen a better phrase than 'a stone's throw' - but I digress.
What brought back memories for me is that when at school I too had to wear a uniform; I too had to stand when a teacher - or any adult - entered the classroom and I too had to address teachers as either Sir (or Miss/Mrs followed by her surname). Respect for authority and adults, especially the elderly, was a 'given' and woe betide any child that forgot. The fact that my school was a boarding school gave an added benefit, in that because I was subjected to a form of discipline I would never have received at home (in that every action in the day commenced with a bell ringing) I soon came to appreciate the freedom of 'holiday time' and also to appreciate my parents and 'home life' much more.The work ethic was instilled by 2 hours 'prep' every evening, Monday to Friday, coupled with lessons on Saturday mornings.
Compared to today, my education could be classified as draconian, even Dickensian. Admittedly I wasted my school days, being too distracted by cricket (and in my later years, girls) - however when I did leave I would consider myself able to hold a reasonably intelligent conversation, was able to deal with most arithmetical problems I encountered and was deferential to those older. That is not to say that good schools do not exist today - they do, in fact the children delivering my morning newspaper have all been polite and well spoken - and in conversation with them on what they intend to do once their schooling is finished, it is interesting that not one of them is doing 'meeja studies'. I recall reading somewhere that all the areas in which rioting took place were Labour controlled; not that I am making a political point - but think about it anyway.
5 comments:
Watch them walk ! Have you observed how British children slouch, cannot walk tall, have a n ambling gait not direction, no steps. No eye contact.
They are basically asleep and hardly awake to watch the Chinese eat their breakfast and breathe their air.
They are directionless, slovenly with poor spatial awareness and an inability to walk without bumping into things/people. They lack hand/eye coordination or reflexes, and certainly lack fitness or individual poise or in the case of females elegance.
It is a Grunge Culture of Failure
Which school did you attend?
Oh Chris, you look so young and fresh-faced in Somerset you probably wouldn't have made it in my direct grant school - you would have lacked the intellectual weight. You clearly have never observed modern schools decanting into the nearby shops...you should get north and out of rural areas - try Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford - we can give you GPS coordinates so you can drive on an urban safari and meet exotic species.
After your big adventure you can write full sentences instead of cheeky-boy one-liners. BTW you didn't say which school you went to, but we can guess what debased exams you took
CP: Presuming the question is directed at me rather than TT: King Edwards School, Witley, Surrey - sister school to Christs Hospital.
TT: See above, methinks the question was directed at me. I too have noticed the deportment of the young and would tend to agree.
I leave you to sort out your differences with CP........ :)
The question was directed at WitteringWitney, so thank you for the reply. However, even if the question had been for you TomTom, I note that you did not answer it.
Yes, fresh faced and totally naive - that's me. Not a clue about the ways of the world I. Anyway, provide those GPS coordinates if you wish. I do tend to consider anything North of Bristol as 'The North' though.
And yes, the exams I took were debased. In fact, our school encouraged us to cheat to help boost their exam ratings. We were often given exams early to work on before the actual day. Such a fair system...
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