That'll Teach 'Em

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 19 Apr 2006, 09:23

Anyone watching this? Its' about some modern teenagers (girls and boys), who are actually very bright, who go to a 1950's style grammar school (?) for a term to try to disprove the myth that in todays schools, girls outperform boys in most subjects.
I only saw most of last nights and that was the first time I'd seen it, but I wouldnt last there. I dont wish to suggest I was a troublemaker at school (I wasn't) though occasionally I would say stuff out of turn or be rude/stubborn I'll admit as I wasnt thinking.
No its not that, its the constant SHOUTING, the fact that most pupils didn't seem to be shown RESPECT (IMO) by the teachers, giving out rather pointless punishments for talking out of line or whatever, like balancing a book on your head or running round a tree. (!)
Get this, because one guy didnt do the top button up on his school shirt, he kept having to change into his pyjamas within a 2 minute time limit (about 6 or 7 times).
And anyway, how the fivepenny fig does the experiment prove that old chestnut "GCSE's are easier"? Let nme remind you, these are bright students who have been predicted top GCSE grades, and they're given 12 weeks to sit O-Levels when they obviously havent been taught the syllabus properly, when of course it should really be 2 years (I think, same as GCSE's).
I really hope it doesn't lead to gloating "In my day it was harder" type stuff but I doubt it

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 19 Apr 2006, 10:11

Just reading this, I'll have to totally agree that i wouldnt last there either. I have a big problem when people start abusing their powers, like power-hungry teachers or whatever...
I treat other people with respect, talking to a 10 year old in the same way as I talk to a 30 year old.

I think everyone here has known teachers who treat you like they're king/queen, and you should thank your lucky stars they're even willing to teach YOU ... and who are always threatening with punishments and low grades etc...
I didnt take well to those teachers. I actually made one of those teachers cry early this year, which certainly wasnt my intention, but she being a big fat stuck-up bitch and all, didnt bother me all that much either.

But these shouting things, like the army, or this kind of BS school, or those obsessive weight-instructors, or some Kung Fu instructors etc... I dont take that shit. You want me to button up my shirt? Cool, just ask me. Dont shout at me like I'm a fucking dog or I'll behave like a dog and start barking and biting back.

I really think treating people like that, is very very bad. You dont make a flower grow bigger and stronger by stepping on it. And especially with kids, it sets a bad example when a teacher is abusing those with less power, and bullying them to do certain things. I dont think thats the way we would like to be treated, and it's not the way we would like our kids to be treated. So dont.

If I ever found out a teacher was barking at my kid for small shit (a teacher has a right to be upset with a kid if he does REALLY stupid shit, obviously) , I'd go and have a word with that teacher.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 19 Apr 2006, 10:51

Yeah, as far as I could see the kids in the programme were doing some shit, but it was what today be regarded as small, and the 1950's style was mean, degrading and OTT, IMHO. The teachers could shout and say what they wanted but all the kids can say is "Yes miss/sir" How is that fair?

Respect is surely a two way thing.

One thing the girls did was phone home because they were homesick, and they had to wash the boys underwear.

If the guy wants the kid to button his shirt, he should fecking ASK him politely, not get him knackered by making him change clothes 8 times

But thats looking at it with hindsight, today people are given the carrot rather than the stick (good thing IMO) and treated like human beings, but I bet lots of parents may say "It never hurt us" (or they may say the opposite).

There was also a bit where the kids got the piss taken out of them as they couldnt do long division (4366 divided by 12 or something like that).
I don't remember LONG division as such, but I'm sure I did short division (f that is a word) at primary school and algebra and trigonometery (sp?) at secondary school. I bloody hated it

I wasnt that bad at maths though TBH.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 19 Apr 2006, 11:08

I wasnt bad at maths either, but I'm sure that if I would be given the exact same assignments now, as I had them 15 years ago, I'd be clueless cause I'd forgotten all the formulas and such.

Why were the girls forced to wash the boys underwear?

Like I said, I believe in respect, no matter what the age-difference might be. I think the people thinking this kind of behaviour towards their child is going to be helpfull, have the wrong idea about raising kids.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 19 Apr 2006, 11:14

They washed the boys underwear because they'd broken into the headmistress's office and used the phone I think (incidentally, I think the phone looked rather anachronistic for 1950's but there you go).

I agree about Maths BTW, I've probably forgotten all the formulas too.
I did A/S Level French 3 years after GCSE French and found it OK, not too hard, A Level French was a shock

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 19 Apr 2006, 11:27

My french has always been shockingly bad. Hell... I bet I even fail french kissing...

If only England had won the war(s) with France, they wouldnt be speaking that stupid french language and Tom wouldnt be gloating about his french-subs-only DVDs...

Math sucks anyway. You'll never use it again in your life. I know it's just excersises to train the brain and stuff, but still... it never really interested me. I got good grades for it, but as soon as the test was over, I'd forget all about the formulas and shit.

Well... the girls did deserve punishment for breaking an entry... although washing the guys underwear is pretty disrespectfull towards them. I would have given them a different punishment. Then again, I would have just let them use the phone in the first place, instead of being an uptight ass about it...

It kinda reminds me of that Kung Fu show, where a group of people were sent of to some remote country to pretend they were getting 'real' martial arts training...
Some reality show, I forgot it's name. I LOVE martial arts, but I wouldnt 'survive' there. All the excersises seemed pretty easy to me, but the pretentious teachers and the bullshit they were talking, and the attitude that you, as a contender, had to apply in order for them to treat you like a normal person, were all way OTT.
I cant stand those teachers who have seen a couple of martial arts movies and take it as reality. Idiots.