Today school system

[Sebastiaan56]

Teaching is a stressful, woefully paid job. They deserve more thanks.
I'll thank mine.

So are most service professions, Nursing is another example. High levels of ed required treated like manure. Another example of our governments leading by demonstrating how to do it,

Sebastiaan

[bitingmidge]

Kids are miserable because they have to waste so much time at school when they could be off earning a living.

Give 'em some competition to get out into the workplace at 15 instead of wasting their lives stooging around till the end of year 12 and you'd be surprised at how the demeanour would change.

I'm not anti-education, but I am anti and education system that for no good reason keeps kids who don't want to learn in it's clutches for waaaayyy too long.

In our family, two sons-in-law provide stark examples of how this doesn't work. Neither are particularly academically inclined, both are in their late 20's.

One left school at 15 and did an apprenticeship, he's had twelve years work experience in his trade since finishing his time, including a swag as a supervisor, and is now experienced and ready to take the plunge into his own business.

The other, who is no less skilled or intelligent, was offered an apprenticeship, but was "forced" to go back to school to complete year 12. Not wanting to be there, he wasted two years, and left with an attitude that made it difficult to find meaningful work.

He's currently in his second year of an adult apprenticeship, and is going great guns, having a real direction to follow for the first time, just ten years behind where he could have been if it wasn't for this insane pressure to continue up a dry gully.

It's not helping literacy rates, I've never seen anyone who was taught to read in year 12!

Education is a sentence for those that do not see it as a priviledge.

Cheers,

P

[Bleedin Thumb]

If it wasn't for my teachers I would have been a drop out, no hoper, druggie, scumbag, criminal.

.

It was the teachers that made me a drop out, no hoper, druggie..... I blame the scumbag, criminal part on me mum!

[silentC]

having a real direction to follow for the first time

That was always my problem. Could've done anything really, but couldn't decide. At 16 I decided I would leave school and go and work for my Dad, maybe take on an apprenticeship as a sheetmetal worker. Then my uncle, who is only 9 years older than me, talked me into staying at school and doing the HSC. Because I wasn't really committed to anything, I just stayed because that was the easiest thing to do. I put nothing into my studies and scraped through by the skin of my teeth. I spent the next 7 years working various semi-skilled jobs, mostly in the building industry.Then one day I met a girl and her flat mate worked for a bank as an IT person (it wasn't called IT then though). She told me how much he earned, so I thought "that's the job for me". I applied for a job with one of the banks and they trained me up as a programmer. Of course I gave them the flick after a few years (8) and went out contracting.

The point of all this is that I hadn't a clue what I wanted to do back then. Staying at school just prolonged the decision. I just couldn't get excited about anything academic. None of the trades grabbed me. I think I was meant to be rich, except someone forgot to give me the money.

So here I am, not really qualified to do anything, well OK I have a degree in IT but that's worth less than a sparky's ticket! If this job ever dries up, I have no idea what I would do but it would probably not involve me sitting on my backside all day. But then the missus would have to go out to work and we'd be better off because if the two of us each made half what I earn now, we'd save thousands of dollars in tax each month.

Now, there's a thought....

[Gingermick]

Well I went to school, then uni, did the first two years of a B engineering then decided that I'd like a break. So I decided to take on a very hard lifestyle. It taught me heaps about myself and led me to serious trouble, both legally and physically.
It only took a fall from 8m onto my head on concrete to jolt me out of it and I decided that being a productive member of society was not only acheivable but laudable (to myself)
Though it sheets me a bit when I think that I coulda bin earning what I get now 10 years ago.

[Gingermick]

we'd save thousands of dollars in tax each month..

Making a saving on tax and not paying as much aren't exactly the same thing though are they

[silentC]

Well, we would both get the tax free threshold, and some of the bit that I earn that she would be earning instead is taxed at the top marginal rate. So if I could cut that bit out of my pay and have her earning it and paying tax at the lower rate, we would be better off.

[Gingermick]

Now, I just rushed in there thinking something and blurted it out without giving it full thought. I must be one of those idiots with really high IQ then

but more likely the dill who doesn't read the whole bloomin question or statement whatever it may be.

[silentC]

Join the club!

[wheelinround]

Nah I don't buy that socio economic stuff (besides a lack of funding for most public schools) the "vibe" of the school is dependant on the internal culture that prevails. This has more to do with the management of the school and the attitude of the teachers just like any other work place.

Kids can be just as miserable going to Toff's Grammar, its just that the grammar school has better resources and attracts better staff I guess.

I think it is wrong to tar all public schools in low socio-economic areas with the same brush, some I'm sure are fantastic, vibrant and fun places producing well ballance young adults - I wish my parents sent me to one of them.


EDIT and Bob - Thank a teacher..... thats taking things too far!

Late last year the media did a round up of school bank accounts totalling close to $10 million the largest wasn't a toff school but government selective followed by many public.
So why aren't the kids getting the benifits of the funds the intrest alone could be used .
Why are parents still being sucked in by calls for donations, fetes (this is great morale and community booster).

Life after school is what you make it after all Australia is a free country..........

[SPIRIT]

Nah I don't buy that socio economic stuff (besides a lack of funding for most public schools) the "vibe" of the school is dependant on the internal culture that prevails. This has more to do with the management of the school and the attitude of the teachers just like any other work place.

Kids can be just as miserable going to Toff's Grammar, its just that the grammar school has better resources and attracts better staff I guess.

I think it is wrong to tar all public schools in low socio-economic areas with the same brush, some I'm sure are fantastic, vibrant and fun places producing well ballance young adults - I wish my parents sent me to one of them. EDIT and Bob - Thank a teacher..... thats taking things too far!

When my little girl was heading of to high school ,we spent a bit of time picking a school that would best fit well with my kids ,we looked at Privit schools ,luckerly we found a great public school that fitted all our needs .The history of this schools is that they cranked down on the school, like 0 tolerance,the teacher were also put though the same thing by the head marster.My little angle is stait A's kid with cutting wit that pisses some people off , so no bad kid's they all were kicked out ,the bar set a bit hight acerdemicly ,Great for me but all them bad kid were do they go ?to the lower eco area ,worse your kid is more it is going cost to get them the best education you can get for you child

[SPIRIT]

l hated some parts of school ,as many of you all know l cant spell
l sucked it up until l got a motor mechinic apprentiship.There l met a great man, Ram by name and nature he would say ,, He was the first person to show me that l wasn't dumb ,from then on it was hard to stop me,

The school system still has trouble dealing with anyone that fits outside the square


somebody has to teach life skills at schools waiting until they leave school to learn this skill is dangeress

[Bleedin Thumb]

Late last year the media did a round up of school bank accounts totalling close to $10 million the largest wasn't a toff school but government selective followed by many public.
So why aren't the kids getting the benifits of the funds the intrest alone could be used .
Why are parents still being sucked in by calls for donations, fetes (this is great morale and community booster).

Life after school is what you make it after all Australia is a free country..........

Bit of a hard one that...just because a school has funds in the bank doesn't mean that the funds aren't allocated to future upgrades but on the other hand they do like to cry poor but when you do work for them suddenly more funds miraculously become available.

If you want to really see whats going on go for a wander through a private school like Kings or Cranbrook and smell the money.

Not only do these schools charge the parents ..(I'm guessing here) $10k? a term but they also get more money from the government (your tax) than is allocated to public schools.........

However as I said before just because a school is well resourced doesn't mean the kids are any happier, mind you the promise of the Ferrari upon graduation may just put a smile on your face

[SPIRIT]

However as I said before just because a school is well resourced doesn't mean the kids are any happier, mind you the promise of the Ferrari upon graduation may just put a smile on your face

are you telling me that you would be just has happy to sit on a old car seat and watch telly or a nice recliner that can give you massage and waaaarrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (sorry got side tracked )to your body heat

crap

[Bleedin Thumb]

Hate to tell you this little secret Spirit.......money doesn't have anything to do with happiness.

Except perhaps that if you believe money buys you happiness then you will be unhappy if you don't have enough...with enough always being any amount more than you what you have...