School 1950s vs 2012

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Lew_Merrick_PE:
I don't know about the UK today (I started school in an Anglican Priory school while my father was assigned in "England"), but I do know about American schools. My wife was a Director of the local School District for eight years. When she first stood for election, I calculated the official per-student funding rate from 1970 through 1996. Using the official figures for inflation, the $1575/pupil funding of 1970 would have been $16,2XX in 1996. The actual funding rate in 1996 was $4855/pupil.

When I graduated high school in 1970, I had taken courses in: physics (3 years), chemistry (2 years), mathematics (3 years -- geometry, algebra, trigonometry/spherical trigonometry, analysis (now called "statistics"), integral calculus, and (introduction to) differential equations), as well as the standard "required" courses. My daughters graduated in 1998 & 2001 respectively. Their senior year mathematics class was my 7th grade mathematics class. Only one semester of "physics" (taught by an art teacher) was offered. Only one semester of "chemistry" (taught by a history teacher) was offered. (The history teacher denied that the: War of the Roses and Seven Years War (called the French & Indian War here in the U.S.) ever happened!)

When I was a school-child, teachers earned about 50% more than factory skilled labor. The "draw" for them was tuition-free attendance for them and their children at any State college or university. A newly minted teacher today earns less than a janitor at Boeing -- and has to pay for the paper & printing needed in their classroom. A teacher of 30 years experience earns about the same as a newly-minted engineer does at a major corporation -- and is typically 25 years out of date in their field.

As a junior in high school I was given career counseling. Everybody who had a C average or higher was "advised" to go into teaching. The "selling point" (made multiple times during the "counseling") was that you got 3-1/2 months of "vacation" every year. The real problem (IMO) is that many of my peers took them up on that offer...

DaveH:
I went to school in the 50's it wasn't too bad - look how I turned out :lol: :lol: :lol:

It was strict - when standing in line, single file there was no talking or you got a whack - it taught self discipline. If you were cheeky to a bigger kid than you he would give you a whack - taught you respect. Did you go home (and cry like a little baby like they do today) and tell your parents - heck no you would get another one. :)

In those days parents sided with the school and the teacher, if you got in trouble with the police your parents would side with the police.
Did kids get whacked for no reason - no they didn't - you did wrong now face your punishment.

All we have now is slobs breeding more slobs. :bang: :bang: :bang:
:beer:
DaveH

RotarySMP:
1950's? I got caned at school in 1986 :)

NZ only axed corporal punishment in about 1989.

Being caned taught me a good lesson in pushing the limits. I deserved it and only needed to be caned once.

In the 1950's my Dad good caned regularly for not rote learning the lines of poems. I think that is absurd!

My Dad only hit me once. I can't remember what it was for, but I do remember that I deserved it. My Mum used to smack the backside regulary for various misdemeanors. But lets be honest, she hit like a girl :) I do not consider my parents in any way violent, nothing left a scar either emotionally or physically.

I am sure there are kids who com from violent families, where violence in the school authority is then counter productive.

I have never hit my own kids. Took a bit of practice to perfect the right balance of cold scorn and scary anger, used sparingly, to be able to make it clear to them when they cross a limit.

lordedmond:
well my secondary school was a bit violent from the staff and pupils

it was the norm to be caned once a week ( sometimes you had a choice line or cane the cane won every time ) you got canes for anything from bad spelling to fighting in class.

the weapon of choice was it seemed dependant of the teacher in question one used a thick leather strap another a cane made from basket cane, another a broom handle and the PE teacher used a plimsole ( trainer )

the one we all avoided at all costs was the headmaster he was a nasty piece of work and enjoyed dishing out the cane ( he would have been up for abuse / GBH ect nowadays his favourite trick was to make you wash your hands to his satisfaction before caning :loco:

I hasten to say it was a boys only school with all male staff , a bit poor on the academic side but we did have metal work and woodwork ( our choice ) I think we had four lathes in the metal work shop there drumond round beds and little john

but boy was the school one for all and all for one no one from the more academic schools ( grammer ) messed with any pupil else the whole school took it personally usually with the local police involved, in all I think the attitude there gave one a good grounding for life after school

Stuart

Deko:
I often wonder how my generation managed to turn out fairly good after all the punishment we got at school , when (according to all the "experts") we should all by psychopaths. :loco: I also wonder how all the blokes i worked with in the 50s & 60s who fought in the second world war, where there were 1000s killed every day (not half a dozen a week as today) managed to get through life without counseling, :bow: but getting back to schooling, i beg, plead, and beg again for all shools PLEASE DO NOT ENCOURAGE ANY MORE LAWYERS. They are taking responsibility away from everyone for there own actions and safety, and in the process messing up everything. If there were only half a dozen left in the world, it would be six too many. Rant over !!! :med:

Cheers Dek. :coffee:

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