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Wednesday 22 October 2008

SMARTER BY OPPRESSION

On average, past generations left school with a greater over all knowledge than school leavers of today.
They were far better prepared to face the world and had a far greater diversity of career opportunities open to them.
They came out of classes that averaged 35 to 40 students and got very little individual attention from their teachers.
They left school with an ability to count and spell, could find France on a map, make rotten egg gas and create a lever and fulcrum to shift a heavy load.
They had a healthy respect for, or a fear of their teachers.
They called their headmaster sir and had seen or heard of the punishments that he could hand out.

But then we got rights.
Parents were not allowed to punish for fear of legal ramifications.
Teachers were not allowed to raise their voice because the student counsellor said that they were intimidating
Class sizes were capped at 25 to allow for individual attention.
The ability to spell gave way to a phonetic understanding
Counting gave way to ability to use a calculator
No one cared where France was
And we will get some one else to shift that heavy load.

The Police cant kick you in the arse and send you home for causing a public nuisance for fear of losing their jobs and the Courts will ask you to apologise to the owners of the 7 houses you have broken into.

Past generations probably learnt by fear of failure or the fear ramifications for not learning-----but they did learn

But we did learn something very important for success--respect--respect for ourselves, respect for others and respect for society

A little oppression didn't hurt

15 comments:

Spiky Zora Jones said...

clyde, honey..I don't know how to take this. Was that sarcasm.

Lots wrong in the school systems it seems.

lots wrong in the legal systems it seems.

I knew where France was before I went to school.

Clyde the world is changing. the old ways are going or they are already gone.

Get involved in the things you want to change...schools system need help and maybe even to be reformatted.

The thing about law is there is no justice in it...I mean that in you can have two identical cases and the punishment is different in each.

Where is the justice in that. I'll tell you...one was sentenced in the morning when the judge was cranky and the other is sentenced in the afternoon, after the judge had his 2 hour lunch and has forgotten the fight he and his wife or mistress had the night before.

sweetie...who do you think changed the way it was...those that went through the old ways...

Nice vent huh.

Bottom line...I try to get involved in the things I see that are just not right. I can't tell you the fights I've had with my son's school board. Get involvement and talk and talk and eventually...who knows.

Ciao babe.

Bo Bo said...

And if you ask a kid these days how they got to that answer their reply is;

I googled it.

Great post mate

Laura said...

When I was wee, we'd get a skelp if we were bad. We had a healthy dose of fear and respect for our parents and for the most part our teachers. I wouldn't have dreamed of behaving the way some kids do nowadays. I knew better....I knew my dad would leather me if I even contemplated it. Didn't do me the slightest bit of harm.

Growing up I saw the school systems and kids attitudes change. Teachers went from empowered to powerless in a few short years. It wasn't good to watch and it's even worse to see where that's got us.

Clyde said...

Spiky
Oh Babes, I know that the systems have been changed by people who went through the oppressive era.
I give credence to them for trying to make things better. Some of the oppressors did take things too far..
But to my mind, we have gone too far the other way.
Unfortunately, it seems that those who suffered worst at the hands of the oppressors are now the parents of very liberated children who are paying society back for the sins perpetrated upon their fathers.

Clyde said...

Hal
It is very sad---and from what I have heard about some of the teachers, teaching our current brood, they cant count or spell---and want more money to teach their over crowded 20 student class

Clyde said...

Bunny
I dont think it did us any harm.
We learned respect
I still remember getting choices--cane or gardening----I went for the quick way out every time---but my headmaster always gave me the garden job.
Yep, I think it's more than teachers, I think society has made itself powerless

UBERMOUTH said...

Great post, Clyde!
I blame the parents! Before children have even reached school age their personalities are usually set for how they will behave based on how consistent their parents were with them. If you get parents that refuse to keep their kids in line, they are certainly going to reject teachers, policemen doing it.
A well broght up, respectful child is not goin to act out at school, a ferral little bastard coming from a bad enviornment will.
Ultimately, it comes down to single parents.....women having children at a young age, unmarried, unprepared to be a proper parent-not that all fit this category- are hardly able to instill values in their off- spring when they were promiscious, binge drinking, school drop-outs who had no respect, themselves.
That's what's changed.The flip side of the sexual revolution.

Clyde said...

Uber
I agree with you about parents accepting a responsibility but I cant agree with the single parent bit
Yes, we have a public housing suburb here where there is three and four generations of single mothers in the one family, raising feral kids----and you cant blame the kids----but I have the greatest of respect for single parents who try to do the right thing and give their all in raising wonderful children---so no, not single parents, but yes to the habitually single, feral raisers

Stacy The Peanut Queen said...

Seems kids aren't afraid of anything anymore....they have no respect for anything or anyone. That's part of the problem.

I feared my teachers and my parents (Dad moreso than Mom)....I mean, I wasn't really afraid of them...but I feared making them mad at me or getting in trouble and having them punish me.

Even though I was the baby of the family and the only girl, Dad wouldn't hesitate to whip out his razor strap or go get the belt and whip me with it if I was being a brat. Looking back, I know I deserved every swat.

Anymore, you can't touch your kids withouth someone reporting you to DCF or the police....so kids push the limit and push the limit...the more they get away with, the wilder they get.

It's sad, really....because honestly? Even though these wild kids are having fun, not punishing them is not doing them any favors.

Clyde said...

Stacy
The baby and the only girl---I bet you got away with a lot---but even then, your dad got out the strap.
Bad girl---and I love a bad girl
Hey, I understand the new rules of not hitting your children, because some parents went too far for no good reason-----but no ramifications, and anyone would run wild
And they do

Jade said...

Clyde,
Above all I want to thank you for your support. I feel a lot of what you feel in this situation. I do feel that it is generational, and do not blame my parents for it just as I do not blame them for my generational "wisdom" but I do thank you for the post that you left me and love the expressions that you voice.
Changing times lead to changing thoughts.
I don't accept it but I do understand how people come to be how they are. We are lucky enough to be in the middle of changing times. Thank you again for your support.. You will definitely be a new blog that I follow up on.

Much love,
Jenn (AKA Jadedsoul)

phishez said...

Clyde, it seems that each generation thought it was great when they were kids. We see the world differently. There is much wrong with todays world that is fucked up.

But it will right itself. Eventually. The 'rights' that other people claim will infringe on others. We will demand that society fix this problem. And it will. Slowly.

But I don't think this will happen until todays children have kids of their own.

Clyde said...

Jade
You shouldnt have to even think about my support.
You should be allowed to live your life any way you want.
My next post is for you and some others I admire
Enjoy your life

Anonymous said...

Hey Clyde, thanks for stopping by my blog.

Thought I'd wander on over and check out your place.

I loved this post. It hits the nail on the head!

I have to say I'm a little insulted by Ubermouth's comment about single mothers. I'm one myself ... in every sense of the word and Boy Wonder is one of the most polite, well mannered children you could hope to meet. Complete strangers have been known to come up and tell me what a lovely boy he is. So I must be doing something right.

Granted, if he steps out of line after he's already been warned he gets a spanking. I don't have to resort to that very often now. He knows the rules.

Anyway that's my five cents worth.

Also, because it kind of covers the same topic, I think you'll enjoy this post of mine.

I'll be back to visit, if that's okay by you.

Clyde said...

Kylie
Come on over any time---but bring a beer next time.
Yep, I work with two single mothers who do a great job with their kids----and their kids are wonderful