Grammar, punctuation and syntax irritations

[Brendan]

Good Education

- Academic achievement to good level in a selection of varied subjects

- Ability to communicate in at least 1 other language

- Understanding of group dynamics and what social structure and dynamics exist ouside of the school environment

- Support to develop physically and mentally in at least one sport and support in participating competitively

- Support in developing in at least one artistic/musical pursuit

- Realistic introduction to various career options

Bad Education

- Thinking it?s all about learning from text books and ticking boxes.

[Moos]

I like your list, Brendan.

- Understanding of group dynamics and what social structure and dynamics exist ouside of the school environment

I left off the social-development type stuff from my list, because I got tangled up between civic understanding (understanding of rights/responsibilities and how the system works) and moral/ethical education, which is a bit trickier. How do you differentiate between what you should learn at home and what at school?

I also wondered about teaching children how to cook, is that essential?

[Brendan]

Hmm I don?t know. It is tricky. I recon some things are not essential but pretty dam useful.

We got taught how to do things like change the oil in a car and hang a door. I don?t think these were essential but they have certainly come in handy.

Although knowing how to feed yourself is probably a bit more useful.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I think 'k's are pretty essential.

[Brendan]

Bollocs

[Michael Palaeologus]

Tony LS said "Thats in MeHico!"

I knew that! :-$

[Asset]

I remember being taught how to change a plug and make an apple crumble. I don't think they do that anymore.

[Brendan]

Although to be honest, even if I had been taught how to cook at school I still would have spent my early twenties living of nothing but beans and McDs.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

So what about learning about how our society works and how we can challenge the powerful?

Or how to live a life that could be sustainable, how to grow food, how to build your own house, how to make alcohol to run your car - useful stuff like that?

What is education?

Is it the preparation of a child to tackle the future as an adult?

Or is it teaching us to behave, be quiet, be small, be obedient and play our little role as a cog in someone elses machine?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I'm all for learning how to make alcohol.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

haha - I've got a really good book called 'It's a Gas' about making alcohol for cars.

[SteveT]

A good education will leave you with enough life skills to enable you to survive, and maintain your lifestyle, without falling into debt.

[mockney piers]

It's a bit patronising to your average punter to say that their time in school was a brainwashing and that's why they're in the rat race. Compare today's rat race with a literate and largely skilled population to any time prior to the 20th century and I know when I'd rather live.

To be honest, if government is going to pay for education you can't expect them to teach you how to bring a government down; well, not unless you're teaching our youths in the army how to bring someone else's government down.

I'm afraid for 60 million of us to survive on this island we're going to have to play a something of a cog no matter what your politics are, ain't enough wealth, land or food to go round love. Fine if you finally get your AK, but personally I'll take my chances with, you know, a job and stuff.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

You may wish you had taken the AK in a few years, Dear.

Or at least a few how to build your own house and scavenge for food classes.

Not being a pessimist or anything, but the end of capitalism is nigh - bring on anarchy (we know it will really be a military dictatorship - but we can all dream).

*Edited for grammar, punctuation and syntax irritations

[Asset]

Thank gawd my mum lives on her own bit of land with her own water supply and wood burning stoves. I'll be there come the revolution (sadly it's in Scotland, shame it's not say, Tuscany but beggars can't be choosers).

[Brendan]

Thank god Africa isn't going anywhere and AKs are pretty easy to come by there.

[Floating Onion]

Not grammar, but one that I've seen a lot recently that drives me up the wall:

"for all intensive purposes"

Grrrrr!!!!!

[mockney piers]

Hello stranger!!

reminds me http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,134089,page=1

[Floating Onion]

Tell me about it!

Good thread, I missed that one.

[Brendan]

Am I being incorrect in pointing out that people seem to say try and when what they should be saying is try to?

As in, ?We are going to try and get to the station on time.?

Surely trying implies an attempt not a certainty.

So if you aren?t certain of the outcome you are going to ??try to get to the station on time.?

If you are certain of the outcome you are just, ?...going to get to the station on time.?

[Jeremy]

ChavWivaLawDegree Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Or how to live a life that could be sustainable,

> how to grow food, how to build your own house, how

> to make alcohol to run your car - useful stuff

> like that?

I'm interested now. Perhaps you could explain the scenario you have in mind, whereby we'd all be forced to resort to primitive survival skills? Are you thinking about the collapse of the economy? World-wide war? Revolution?

[Brendan]

The ideas behind my suggestions were more about building character, competence and respect for self and others. Not about building little people to fit into the socio political environment we deem appropriate at the moment.

Ideologies, conformist or non, be dammed! They have no place in education.

If children are given a good strong character and robust abilities they will be able to build a world that works for them.

[Asset]

slither instead of sliver is one that annoys me. e.g., I'll cut a slither of cheese - TWIT

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Sadly Roy Jay the Comedian with the prison(arrows) outfit and white gloves who encouraged us to "slither" died last week.

[mockney piers]

"I'm interested now. Perhaps you could explain the scenario you have in mind, whereby we'd all be forced to resort to primitive survival skills? Are you thinking about the collapse of the economy? World-wide war? Revolution?"

In fairness I was in Guatemala recently and got to see first hand what drastic climate change can do to a large and healthy civilisation comprising thousands of cities, the largest of which had populations in the many hundreds of thousands, intensive farming and a service oriented population, far more populous, vibrant and sophisticated than England in the 10th century I can tell you.

Then the rainfall in the region lowered drastically and permanently (historical rather than geological permanence, ie still a quarter of pre mayan collapse levels) and the sub Yucutan Mayan world collapsed into famine, pestilence, plague and death in a staggeringly short space of time, the jungle soon reclaiming millions of Acres.

The Black death killed 1 in 4 Europeans 300 years later and it took almost 2 centuries for France to have nearly as much farmland as it did pre-plague.

Don't think it can't happen to us, nemesis always follows hubris. As the Chinese say, may you live in interesting times!