What Do They Teach Them At School These Days?

[mrs_overall]

Today I went into a local store to purchase a quarter of a metre of fabric, costing £7.50 per metre. The young man who served me carefully measured the fabric and began cutting off a 20cm piece. I pointed out that 20cm was not a quarter of a metre. He started again and began cutting a 30cm piece. Being too honest for my own good, I stopped him and told him that quarter of a metre was actually 25cm. He then said he couldn't sell me 25cm. When I asked him why, he said he was on his own and it would be too difficult for him to work out the cost. By this time I was losing the will to live so I told him he could sell me 30cm. The fabric was duly cut, bagged up and I proffered a £5 note. He handed me the wrong change and when I looked at the receipt I saw he had charged me £3.75 for half a metre. When I queried this, he was adamant that 30cm WAS half a metre. At this point, much to his alarm, I stomped around to his side of the counter where there was a fixed metal tape measure and began trying to explain measurements to him. This must have been spotted on CCTV as a brace of management types suddenly appeared and one shouted at me to move away from the till.
All I will say is that harsh words were exchanged and I am now taking my custom elsewhere.

[tonyav]

What time did the police release you, mrs ocelot ?.

[Graham-W]

Two pounds nine and sixpence a foot? Are you mad, woman. That's nearly a weeks wages!

[Tilly2]

I resent that!

[Booldawg]

lol Mrs - hoped you've calmed down now and are watching 'The Great British Sewing Bee' !

[sherrardk]

The lad is clearly in the wrong job for him, not everyone can do maths (although some people are just plain dense).

[society]

Their loss, Mrs. O.

[humbersloop]

bide your time mrs overowl, they'll have some remarkable end of roll bargains..

[mrs_overall]

There has been the odd time I have had to ask on here for help working something out as I am useless at maths, but dear lord, this lad took the biscuit

[tonyav]

Tilly2
I resent that!


Why, Yilly please don't tell me that you was his teacher.

[mrs_overall]

It;s ok for you tony (and the rest of the guys). If you take your shoes and socks off you can count to 21 ;-)

[tonyav]

Oi, thats only those in Cornwall, mrs ocelot.

[pauln90]

At the local bakers i asked for two tea cakes (rolls to most of you) at 38p each. The young lady who served me used a calculator to work out the total cost. As I gave her the exact money she said "How did you work that out so quick" I despair.

[mrs_overall]

tony....think about it....unless your surname is Bobbit lol

[factor-fiction]

mrsO- something is going wrong but i think it's far more complicated than what goes on in schools. I must remind students several times a week that there are 100cm in a metre but the majority of them look blankly when I ask a few days later to estimate a measurement. Someone claimed she was 3 metres tall. Someone else was convinced they were 0.5 metres tall.
Some 15 year olds still cannot count money or have an approximate idea of how much change they should get, can't use a calculator to calculate the cost of 6 items at £1.30 each (do I multiply or divide?) and can't read a bus timetable.
Maybe it's always been that way.

[mrs_overall]

I honestly believe the standard of education in schools is sinking lower and lower

[factor-fiction]

We regularly get questions on AB from adults who probably went to school many years ago and clearly have no idea how to work out a very simple percentage so I know the problem is not a new one

[tonyav]

mrs_overall
Question Author
tony....think about it....unless your surname is Bobbit lol

I didn't have to think about it to long Tony hides all sharp objects, mrs ocelot.

[Graham-W]

I wonder how we did so well during the industrial revolution using yards, feet and inches, stones, pounds and ounces, and costs being in pounds, shillings and pence.