Is it really 'old fashioned' to teach basic knowledge, facts and figures?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....ll-TV-advert-dog.html

Today's school children may be brilliant when it comes to operating the latest electronic devices etc. but when it comes to all round general knowledge they sometimes tend to be lacking in many ways.

Are they not taught, or perhaps even their teachers are lacking in some way?

[pa___ul3]

I'll give you that one AOG! A schoolboy error as some may say!!
Doc, I've known what the capital of Tasmania was for years (I'm 32), but I'm a geek with capital cities... but general knowledge is 'general' and current affairs is all part of that, so you may want to be aware that Katie Price has recently broken up with her Argentinian boyfriend!

[daffy654]

I think you are doing many children an injustice here AOG.
I have a 14 year old son who is learning disabled, I bet he could out perform anyone on this website in a history, science or maths quiz.
Some of the fault lies with the teachers, some with the children who don't want to learn and some with parents who couldn't care less whether their children learn or not.

[jno]

aog is under no obligation whatever to list solutions to problems he talks about; nobody is.

[andy-hughes]

Actually AOG, I only remembered your 'sexist / sexiest' keyboard slip because it happened today - anything after a night's sleep is lost for ever. i certainly would never dream of collecting your slips on my PC, and i hope you would extend me the same courtesy?

Unless of course we pool our seources and obtain a planet-sized hard-drive which we can share, and soon fill with our mutual mutterings, correct, and less-correct as totter towards senility together :-)

And no - i didn't notice the smileys, apologies.

[andy-hughes]

As WE totter ... see, its happening to me already!!!!

[DTCwordfan]

On both, actually AOG, - I want to hear your views and especially on the "Should we be concerned."

I am beginning to think that you know that your "action plan/ideas" will come under fire for being very right wing......and that you are reticent to share them.

Am I wrong?

Prove it.

As to here, I would propose that all teachers sit the equivalent of "TOEFL" that is a pre-requsite for many overseas students coming into the UK academic system. Part of their qualification for the subjects that they teach would include "basic knowledge questions" and also minimum standards for grammar (and maths functionality for sciences).

As to the students themselves, some knowledge quizzes within the school context could be devised (and not questions about who is dating whom). I do agree with the premise that there is a need for knowledge and then that intelligence combines with the factual base......intelligence without knowledge risks some major dysfunctionality and can be highly dangerous.

[DTCwordfan]

jno - there is no obligation as you rightly say. However, his reasoning would be welcomed and I think may show his intention behind the topic. Is it stirring of the pot for the sake of it, or what is the nature of his concern and how does he see the way out of it. Far more meaningful......

[anotheoldgit]

cazzz1975

/// general knowledge and intellect is down to the individual, Im sure there were children in school in the 40's, 50's and 60's who didnt care about capital cities and prime ministers, ///

I can go back even further than that, and for starters our lessons started first of all with a knowledge of the 3Rs,

Reading, consisted of simple basic reading and went on to reading poetry, Shakespeare, and other English literary greats.

Writing, started by writing the words of the alphabet, on to writing one's name, and forward to full essays written in cursive writing ie thin lines for upward strokes to thick lines on the downward strokes.

Arithmetic & Maths, first by counting using a counting frame (abacus), dried peas or beans and on to algebra, logarithms, fractions, decimals, equations, geometry and trigonometry.

On top of the 3Rs, we also had to acquire a firm knowledge of Geography, i.e countries of the world, their capitals, mountain ranges, and what that particular country produced.

History, Kings and Queens of England, yes England not Britain, a good knowledge of the ages from the 'Stone Age' through to modern history.

Science, chemistry, physics & formulas,

A Foreign Language, Art,Woodwork and Metalwork, and finally Religious Studies.

How did we cram it all in? longer school hours, not so many holidays, no inset days, or trips round the supermarkets and Alton Towers, maybe?

[anotheoldgit]

ChuckFickens

You try offering them the odd coppers, to save them giving you a handful of change, that really gets them flustered.

[anotheoldgit]

daffy654

Good for you daffy, you have got to be congratulated, and well done your son, I hope he goes on to carve out a good career for himself.

[emmie]

AOG, you only do it to fox them though, you sly thing...

[anotheoldgit]

jno

/// aog is under no obligation whatever to list solutions to problems he talks about; nobody is.///

Thanks for that, yes i just post what I think is both controversial and topical at the same time, if at all possible.

I don't profess to know the answers, and I don't expect other to also.

[pa___ul3]

AOG, it seems like my school days weren't too different from yours! I never paid too much interest in history though, never really grabbed me, so I'd never be too hot on monarchs or PM's, I reckon I'd have you on geography though! I also opted to learn a second foreign language, we also done home economics (yup, even the chaps!), music and of course PE.
If anything has changed, I'd say it is only that I think there maybe more emphasis on passing tests nowadays, it's not as general now as the National Curriculum is a tailored guide towards the exams. So if something is not going to come up in the exams.. i.e. who was on the thrown during the Napoleonic Wars.. then the kids won't know.. and, in all fairness, not knowing that is not likely to affect their employability!

[DTCwordfan]

So would you advocate going back to this - or wherein lies the balance?

I agree on the social side (history and geography especially) but language should feature higher in the mix and perhaps downgrade RK given its lesser importance - however comparative religion.......

We also had Greek and Latin thrown into the mix....6.25 hrs a day three days a week and 4.25 hrs a day also three days a week. Yes Saturday am classes...

and some 2 hrs of homework a night.

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

Blimey did I do it again today?

I apologise, I remember someone picking me up for making that mistake several days ago, and I thought it was that what you were referring to, must watch out for that one.

[jno]

it's a Thatcherite thing, I think, pa__ul, where everyone is encouraged to see things in terms of money: parents have just become like other consumers - they pay their taxes, so they demand a certain number of A levels for their kids in return; and teachers have become the shopkeepers who are supposed to dish them out.

[emmie]

wasn't it Stuart Rose former boss of M&S who said that many British youngsters were unemployable, due to the lack of the basics in their education, which seems odd seeing how long they spend at school?
Spelling seems to be a bugbear for many, is it because they rely so much on text speak.

[anotheoldgit]

pa___ul3

Forgot about sports, PE and Music. regarding 'home economics' we left that to the girls, who in those days really knew how to cook, but that was before the days of ready meals, (oh dear I'm in trouble again) :0)

Interesting to know how you would 'have me on geography' though?

/// . i.e. who was on the thrown during the Napoleonic Wars.. then the kids won't know.. and, in all fairness, not knowing that is not likely to affect their employability! ///

Regarding who was on the Throne during the Napoleonic wars, it was very well covered in that excellent BBC4 TV programme, 'Elegance and Decadence: The Age of the Regency'