Tweedledee Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I am absolutely gobsmacked at the vast intellect and standard of education of some of my 17 year old pupils. Had 3 new ones in the last week. On the 1st lesson, before actually driving, we talk about positioning - parking less than 30 centimetres from the kerb and a normal driving position of about 1 metre from the kerb. So I know that we are both singing from the same hymn sheet, I ask them to span a metre with their arms. One lad said, "this road is about a metre wide", another spanned about six inches, a girl said "I'm no good with numbers, but isn't it the same as a mile?" !!! They were all deadly serious. What are they teaching these kids? A metre is THE standard unit of measurement for EVERYTHING in the universe!!! Actually they probably know exactly what a Planck length is, because they are as thick as a plank!!! My rant for the day. +Ibbo, M., Sheila and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckstar Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 And your letting them loose in a car!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zidder Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 My son has 11 GCSE's - 4 A levels and a degree, he cant spell, or do basic percentage's, but he has a job earning 70K a year just goes to show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philjay Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 A man after my own heart there Pete. I frequently shake my head in despair these days when confronted with the yoof of today and modern attitudes not just from teens but I have come across this lack of knowledge/reason in many folk of the younger generations. I think we have the internet to thank for a lot of this attitude. Why do you need to remember/know these things when all I need to know is what search engine to use to find the answerl I suspect quiz shows will dissapear in the next decade because of this. Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eddy Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 But the road is 1 metre wide Pete, at least the middle overtaking 'lane' on my motorbike is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 And I get to try and work with 1250 of these little darlings every day The issue is not so much the education they receive at school (or not ours anyway) but more the lack of an education they get at home. When I was growing up my dad would often sit down with me on a Sunday afternoon, when the shops were shut and the 3 channels on TV weren't showing much of interest, and go through such things as trigonometry. This is at an age of less than 10. On a Saturday afternoon we would perhaps go to the park but more often we would be fixing something about the house or down the scrap yard getting parts to repair the car. Compare this with the woman who lived next door to Jude who said that she didn't read to her kid because that's what school was for and why should she potty train him, at 5 years old!!!! We have so many kids at our school who are so far behind what you might hope for and mostly I think because parents now would rather dump them in front of the TV or games box thingy whilst they themselves sit on a laptop playing candycrush or whatever it's called. Unfortunately I can't see it improving anytime soon with some of the stupid ideas the government have regarding schooling and the hoops we have to jump through that have nothing at all to do with actually teaching kids. Add that to the fact that we no longer prepare them for the outside world, yes they might leave with a degree or two from Uni but they have bugger all common sense or life skills because we no longer prepare them for the real world. And that Pete is how to do a rant BAZ, Orion and Tweedledee 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 And your letting them loose in a car!!!! Ha ha! Ironic spelling error [emoji6] Orion 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 My son has 11 GCSE's - 4 A levels and a degree, he cant spell, or do basic percentage's, but he has a job earning 70K a year just goes to show What does your son do? Also how can I get involved?! [emoji23] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ibbo Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 so thats why they want to drive on my side of the road then what you really want is a soapbox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 My daughter has similar qualifications, but i can say fortunately she can add up and do percentages and has a good dose of common sense. I have to add though the common sense comes from parents and the teaching came from a very good school, unfortunately I had to go to work to pay for it as the schools around here are awful. Just as well she can do those things as she is a doctor, just think if she did not know measurements and percentages shudder to think what quantities of drugs she would give you I cringe at some of the teaching methods and some of the absolute rubbish i sometimes hear from teachers who should know better. Perhaps they have to tow the line with all the rules etc, i dont know. i cringe even more when i hear some of the parents, and i have assume Darwin was wrong Sheila Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 so thats why they want to drive on my side of the road then what you really want is a soapbox got one of my own thanks +Ibbo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I can beat that.... One of my daughters friends at the age of 16 just out the blue while we were discussing the Earth commented on what do people do when they reach the end of the world. No lie she thought you fell of the end, just like the old sailors thought 500 years ago. I was totally gobsmacked. Tweedledee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xanthic Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 To be fair, never have people had more distractions in their lives or as much useless information thrown at them. It's not surprising that many don't seem to have picked up anything useful. Have a look on youtube for the opening scenes of the film "Idiocracy". That might explain a few things Also, don't forget that 50% of the population are below average intelligence catman161 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werisit Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 And I've got to rely on them to pay my pension! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Thanks for all your comments. I don't think I'm being too pedantic expecting them to have a basic understanding of at least very roughly what a metre is, before they get in the car. To be fair, I must also say that I get some extremely intelligent pupils who are well versed with common sense and have a good solid understanding of the world. I've even had some who can differentiate trigonometric functions whilst negotiating roundabouts! Though I don't insist on that level of ability in preparation for a driving test . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stash Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 "Also, don't forget that 50% of the population are below average intelligence" - Intelligence has nothing to do with it I have found many people today with very high IQ's have no or little common sense - so while they could design a great looking bridge it wobbled when more than a few people walked across it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 "Also, don't forget that 50% of the population are below average intelligence" - Intelligence has nothing to do with it I have found many people today with very high IQ's have no or little common sense - so while they could design a great looking bridge it wobbled when more than a few people walked across it . that is so true, they have so much head in the clouds they are no earthly good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peepshow Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Some people are intelligent idiots. And how does one go through life not knowing their twelve times tables? Eight nines are seventy five. Nine nines are eighty three. Ten nines are one hundred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xanthic Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 (edited) Common sense is knowledge and is aquired over time, it's not something you are born with. You can't really equate the two. The bridge over the Thames you mention was modified as the designers had not taken into consideration that groups of people have a tendency to subconsciously fall into lockstep; this set up a harmonic wave in the bridge and caused it to "bounce" due to it being pretty much a suspension bridge. Maybe the designers should have considered Galloping Gertie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zczJXSxnw)? That'd have been knowledge and experience though not intelligence. Richard Feynman "only" had an IQ of 125 yet is probably regarded as one of the most prominent physicists of our time. Though I have to agree with Pete - kids ought to know what a metre is by 16! "Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelongattempt to acquire it." Albert Einstein, 1954 Edited February 10, 2015 by xanthic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 "Also, don't forget that 50% of the population are below average intelligence" - Intelligence has nothing to do with it I have found many people today with very high IQ's have no or little common sense - so while they could design a great looking bridge it wobbled when more than a few people walked across it . I remember the Millenium Bridge, designed by Arup. It suffered positive feedback from the tiny movements of people walking on it which were then amplified into large wobbles. Very nice design, then they had to fit special dampers to stop the movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Though I have to agree with Pete - kids ought to know what a metre is by 16! "Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it." Albert Einstein, 1954 I would hope they know what a metre is by 5 or 6 years old. That Galloping Gertie is a classic example for all future designers to be aware of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xanthic Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Have you ever asked why they don't know what a metre is? I can remember not listening in class but I don't think I managed to get away with it for 11 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 It's not as if they don't have it easy - a meter and every multiple thereof is an absolute doddle - makes maths for everything way too easy. Bring back yards, feet, inches, fathoms, chains, pound, shillings, pence, guineas, stones, lbs, ounces, acres, hectares .....etc, and make the little beggars work hard at learning like we all did lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Have you ever asked why they don't know what a metre is? I can remember not listening in class but I don't think I managed to get away with it for 11 years I have Leigh, and the general story is that they just couldn't be bothered with school or any other form of learning in their formative years, and also didn't have any encouragement from parents. By the age of 17 they have finally realised that they have not done themselves any favours in life. I have said to some of them that they are still at a life stage where they could turn their situation around, but they have little drive or inclination for it. A shame really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Kim, Hectares are still pretty current you know 10000 square metres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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