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To be fair, Tribesman, the concept rory is explaining is not entirely wrong per se, although the little fact that such a society is equivalent to a jungle -- and that the "weaker" alternative is far more humane and, dare I say it, civilized -- is left unmentioned.
But if one gets into detail and sociological theories then the weaknesses of the "Britannia Empire" [/anime reference and still relevant, ha!] type of society would also come up in a very, very long list.
I just thought it was a funny example , especially given brunel seniors work to make tunnelling safer . Whats also funny is that he mentioned increase in wages and chose an example of a job that at the time was very very well paid .Quote:
To be fair, Tribesman, the concept rory is explaining is not entirely wrong per se
I suppose it could be viewed be an example of faults in British education delivered by someone who apperently got a good enough education to try medicine as a career .:laugh4:
While your best and brightest are fighting with the other nations not in the martial sense but marital. They are finding like minds and hard workers whom they marry.Quote:
Originally Posted by Adrian II
It is non-intellectual mass slaughter. The intellectuals get to be ex-pats going from one juicy job to another regardless of nation... they have the oppourtunity to be free flowing labour and reap the benefits.
“But this had been going on for decades - check your grandparents schoolbooks, you'll be shocked at the amount of dry facts they had to memorise. Are we stupider now then we were back then? I don't think so. Like one of my teachers said, today's youth may not be able to point out the Nile on a map anymore, but there's no denial that they can build a website in half an evening. Sheer magic to him.”
You mean the ones with a computer at home…
I don’t think we are stupider, I think we know less… And to know cut and paste is not very important.
My point of view is all about a global policy: Rich and powerful families sent their kids to school where you learn facts and how to analyse them.
Ordinary families sent their kids where they will learn skills (officially) and develop their personality.
And the result is the powerful families will keep the power and the others will be happy to get benefits and low salaries: And they will think of themselves as the ones who trick the system…
Now, is the British system so bad? I had to say yes.
When I arrived in England I applied for a job as teacher. For that, you have to do a kind of day of presence in a school before to go for the training.
It is a good thing to do. I was absolutely shock by the unruly pupils roaming the classroom, the teachers spending their time in “please can you sit down, please shut-up, please calm down” basic discipline instead of teaching… Never forget the “please”. Pupils were less polite.
Contain of the teaching didn’t impressed me at all. Moral judgement on historical fact (was Cromwell evil?).
I am amazed by the ignorance of my nephews and nieces, and step-daughter on major subjects, not speaking of foreign languages.
My step-daughter came with a mother when I was working in Serbia, and had to go to a school in this country. She learned the language in 3 months, read Cyrillic alphabet in four, skills I never obtained, too lazy…
She learned there basic geometry, calculation, biology, all things she re-learn in England two years after. So, the Eastern countries having still the old structure (the same we had 40 years ago) are in fact more advance than ours.
Now, I don’t care of what a teenager think. I don’t think his/her opinion is as valuable as the teacher is.
School is to build free citizens, able to be responsible adults, able to make their opinions on facts, to think by themselves, not to produce workers.
As such, English system is probably what the tendency in Western Europe is: don’t traumatise ours dears kids (no competitions), no exams (no frustrations) don’t run (health and safety)…
The problem i found with the school system was that it was completely focused on getting good exam results, it even says it in the article where the people defending the school quote their recent exam results to avoid discussing their lacking teaching. Basically when i was at school i considered myself to be one of the more 'intelligent' people compared to the idiotic chavs who just pissed about in lessons but in the exams i was pretty much average in my results (but then again i don't remember revising very hard so it could have been all my fault :oops: ). Teachers rarely strayed from the curriculum because how is the knowledge of all the major rivers in europe going to help in an exam about soil erosion? most of the stuff i know and consider useful to me i learned either at home in my own free time or after i finished school
students aren't taught knowledge that can further their intellect and make them better people, they're taught the best methods to pass exams and make the school look respectable with a whole load of A*s, As and Bs
Everyone should asprie to something greatQuote:
Originally Posted by PanzerJaeger
While you're right about a certain group of people, the top 10-20% of the intellectual masses, there are a lot of people who fall in 'the gap', at least here. A nice desk job pays less than a decent factory job, so if you don't get the opportunity to grow or become an ex-pat, you'll never get to be part of the intellectual elite.Quote:
Originally Posted by Papewaio
I know more people scraping to get by with uni degrees than factory workers. I know more young factory workers with their own houses (even new houses, something ridiculously expensive here) than young uni graduates. Perhaps the uni people will make more money in time, but they've lost 4-7 years of earning money (not even counting the money spent on education), years in which housing prices have increased and years where the treath of the biological clock was relatively low.