For all young members to read..

[The_Sentry]

Rock and Roll....is dead.......

 

[Phil47uk]

Haha. This list is the nice, pleasant, candy coated, Disney version of the list I grew up under.

Are there kids out there that have not been exposed to the realities of how life works in the real world? Do kids really believe life will be an easy ride? Do they think life is like the television show, "90210?"

I thought the show "Rosanne" did a pretty good job of showing how much of the country lives, and before that, "All in the Family."

Oh don't doubt it.. There are plenty of people out there who think the world owes them a living right from day one.. Off course I blame bad parenting and a lousy education system that doesn't allow many kids to face the realities of the real world outside the school confines.
They are led to believe that if they get enough boxes ticked everything will be a bed of roses.. Big mistake.. The kids leave school and there aint no job to go too.
My take on education is that all pupils leave school at 15 and go into the outside world for a year.. Those who wish to drive fix tractors, or clean drains.. Fine. Nothing wrong with those jobs. These people are invaluable in society.. Get your skills and enjoy life..
Those who want to further their education can then return unhindered and do the courses they wish to .

Notice how some Scandinavian countries only have two exams..One when they join school and one when they leave. They don't learn to read till they are seven and from 5 to 7 go out and hands on experience the real world..
Funny how they all manage to come out the other end speaking at least a couple of languages.

The west is obsessed with exams.. You will not fail... You must not fail.. Failiure, failiure, failiure. A big negative right from the word go.

You see here in England there used to be three classes ( Not that I agree with it ).. The upper class who are born into old money.. The professional middle class ( Teachers, Doctors etc ) and the working class, who usualy went on to be plumbers..Electricians.. Street sweepers etc etc. There was no stigma attached to being working class and many Londoners for instance were a very proud people..
Nowadays however a new class has crept in.. The sub-class. This is a relatively new type who do absolutely nothing.. They are every benefit going and thinks it's their God given right to get handouts from the tax payers amongst us. They have more and more kids and get more and more handouts.. There is one couple on the news not long ago who have thirteen kids, have never worked and are recieving £30,000 a year on benefits. Their kids are led to believe the same and so the vicious circle continues, getting bigger and bigger each generation.

So what's gone wrong?? For a start there are very few apprenticeships compared to when I was at school for working class kids to learn a trade and they all leave school with an armfull of bits of paper that mean Jack crap.. No communication skills whatsoever and wonder why there is suddenly no place to go..

Here's a true one.. The ex head boy of my eldest sons school who was a bit of a pompous arse to say the least, leaves school.. Goes to university and then goes off to save the world for a year.
On his return he goes to the job center and the guy asks him what qualifiications he has.. " I have a degree in politics" he says smugly. The guy didn't even look up from his desk and said.. " Ok son now tell me something you can do that's useful"...Last I heard he was stacking shelves at some supermarket.

 

[sliding tom]

" I have a degree in politics" he says smugly. The guy didn't even look up from his desk and said.. " Ok son now tell me something you can do that's useful"...Last I heard he was stacking shelves at some supermarket.

Great 'un. I'd like to see more politicians stacking shelves at any place than messing up our societies...

 

[Nicky]

I don't think the education system is screwed up, it's poor parenting. Mom and Dad have to be involved in their kids' education. Learning is not just what goes on in a classroom, it's what goes on 24 hours a day in a child's life. Parents have to know what their kids are doing at school, with their friends, at their summer jobs. Mom and Dad must set expectations and participate in their childrens' lives. Otherwise, they are letting other adults or even teenagers raise their kids, with no idea of what behaviors are being embraced by their children. Just my opinion...

 

[River]

<snip>Otherwise, they are letting other adults or even teenagers raise their kids, with no idea of what behaviors are being embraced by their children.<snip>

I agree and feel it's, unfortunately, primarily the latter!

 

[Phil47uk]

I don't think the education system is screwed up, it's poor parenting. Mom and Dad have to be involved in their kids' education. Learning is not just what goes on in a classroom, it's what goes on 24 hours a day in a child's life. Parents have to know what their kids are doing at school, with their friends, at their summer jobs. Mom and Dad must set expectations and participate in their childrens' lives. Otherwise, they are letting other adults or even teenagers raise their kids, with no idea of what behaviors are being embraced by their children. Just my opinion...

I agree with the poor parenting big time, but I'll also stick to the education system being screwed. At least here in the UK it is.
It has become such a nanny state that you wouldn't believe it and of course this does the kids no favours at all in preparing for the real world.
I could could sight a good example only today in school, but it's too long winded to into now.
The other problem is that whereas many years ago you had professionals going into teaching, many of today teachers are institutionalized. By that I mean they go from school..Into college.. Maybe to university..But then where do they go? ... Straight back into school. They have never left education. You can tell these types quite easily in the staff rooms I visit during a week. They talk the same way amongst adults as they do in front of the class..
Mainstream education on the whole doesn't like professionals. They know too much and often upset the apple cart, plus they need to pay them more on the sliding payscale..
I have seen it time and time again within education over here.
What they want are people with the right boxes ticked and jump at the right time and follow directives to a T.

Buggered if it matters if they have any communication skills, or have the slightest ability to inspire, which to me is what teaching is all about.

 

[River]

Phil, that reminds me of the old saw "those who can, do. those who can't, teach."

 

[Phil47uk]

Phil, that reminds me of the old saw "those who can, do. those who can't, teach."

Very true these days.. It never used to be like that. You got lots of professionals in teaching once upon a time. People who could inspire kids with their skills and stories of their professional career.. Not today... They all read it from a Government directive and that gets changed every year or so, because the silly buggers get it all wrong.

There are a few old buggers left thank heavens. One guy I know is a brass teacher and is ex conductor of the Royal Coldstream Guards..Fantastic player and the kids love him to bits.

 

[River]

Very true these days.. It never used to be like that. You got lots of professionals in teaching once upon a time. People who could inspire kids with their skills and stories of their professional career.. Not today... They all read it from a Government directive.

I'm not a blindly anti-organized-labor sort but in the US, anyway, I lay much of the blame for that at their feet. There are too many obstacles before a professional/expert with the time and desire to teach to get into the "club", many if not most of them placed there by the teachers' union.

 

[Jawsh]

Rock and Roll....is dead.......

Not in my mind!

*straps on guitar and runs around like Angus*

 

[Phil47uk]

I'm not a blindly anti-organized-labor sort but in the US, anyway, I lay much of the blame for that at their feet. There are too many obstacles before a professional/expert with the time and desire to teach to get into the "club", many if not most of them placed there by the teachers' union.

Most professionals go into teaching in middle age, as the money is good and with a little luck they may be able to pass some of their skills on.
You are right about the obstacles.. Police clearances... Bits of paper..More bits of paper..Off course the other unfortunate thing is that many kids don't have the patience to see it through.. They want to be instant successes over night.
Practice..What's that? A sign of the times I'm afraid.
However saying that, there are also some lovely kids out there who put their heart and soul into their playing and will of course end up being tomorrows musos. And you never know..Teachers.

 

[geochem1st]

Teaching is a 'calling', much like being a Doctor or Nurse. It's not for everybody and just 'anybody' shouldn't be doing it. What's forced some of the changes in the quality of education, is the kid explosion some area's have been experiencing. Especially here in Charlotte, so the demand for Teachers goes up, and many wind up teaching who shouldn't.

I don't believe in the 'tenure' system as well. There is no other profession that has this. Add to that the PhD's in the Ivory Towers at the Board of Education, who develop curriculum, have no idea what the market (Private Sector) needs or how to instill creativity... thinking out of the box.

 

[Phil47uk]

Teaching is a 'calling', much like being a Doctor or Nurse. It's not for everybody and just 'anybody' shouldn't be doing it. What's forced some of the changes in the quality of education, is the kid explosion some area's have been experiencing. Especially here in Charlotte, so the demand for Teachers goes up, and many wind up teaching who shouldn't.

I don't believe in the 'tenure' system as well. There is no other profession that has this. Add to that the PhD's in the Ivory Towers at the Board of Education, who develop curriculum, have no idea what the market (Private Sector) needs or how to instill creativity... thinking out of the box.

Bullseye...

 

[Nicky]

Upon obtaining my doctorate in music, I was employed as a teacher in a Texas school district. I taught marching band, concert band, jazz band, orchestra, gave private lessons and was paid the princely sum of $700 per month (net take home). Coached the girls soccer team for an extra $1,500 per year. To make ends meet, I gigged until 2:00AM, then had to be at school at 6:30AM for marching band or sectional rehearsals. Needless to say, this career lasted all of one year. Went to work for my dad's insurance firm at three times my teacher salary. My God...I was rich! That was 31 years ago. Yes, I regret that I abandoned my passion so quickly, but with a car payment, and a mortgage, and a new marriage, and kids...it just was not possible. I believe that's why I am so obsessed with music now that I have time (and money) to do it for fun.