Respect?

[beenee]

Is it just me or is there absolutely no due respect given to lecturers and proferssors at uni and college by students? Where I come from, we daren't even call teachers by their first names (regardles of your age or academic level). I still cant bring myself to do it. Am I the only one who calls my tutors, Dr./ Mr. lastname. (nooo. I dont know a Mr. Lastname - sheesh). My point is that it's worrying, and the worst bit is that this trend seems to start when kids are studying for their Gcse's. Teachers should be MOST deserving of respect.

[froggequene]

I think that when we go to Uni and college that the academic staff assume that they are dealing with adults and treat their students as such. I think whether you call your tutor/lecturer by their first name very much depends on your relationship with them and whether or not they wish to be addressed by their first name. But again because of the pressure and the work at college/uni tutors/lecturers/professors need to be approachable, a student may imagine that Dave is more sympathetic and approachable then Mr D Lastname. The informality at college/uni level does not necessarily mean there is a lack of respect. I couldn't possibly comment on the British educational system but I would imagine that this new informality which is filtering downward may be a part of this need to be seen as approachable, adolescence can be bl**dy hard for some people and it doesn't help to have major exams in the middle of it, it helps to have a few friendly faces around even if they are adults.

[Waterwolf]

As a current university student myself, I think the problem is less a lack of respect for teachers than a lack of respect for learning. Most of the people I encounter at uni seem to be here for the lifestyle, and the studying is incidental. That kind of attitude is bound to show itself in the way they deal with staff. I'd agree with froggequene on names: calling someone by their first name doesn't make you disrepsectful, it's how you behave towards them that counts.

[ravenhair]

I absolutely agree with froggequene - there's a lot more to respect than calling someone Mr Lastname. The thing that was so brilliant about uni was realizing that you were on some sort of equal footing with your lecturers. Just as you respected them and their intellect, they respected you and were genuinely interested in hearing your ideas and fostering your own intellect. That was so far removed from my experience of school which seemed to be governed by meaningless rules and petty nonsense. It was a welcome into the adult world.

[beenee]

Ok, Im beginning to get what this is all about. Thanks for sharing!

[magpie]

As a lecturer, I've always found that respect has to be earned by both parties. Where I work, everybody is on first name terms, from the students to the principal. Perhaps one of the reasons why there is a lack of respect in education today generally, is the failure of this (and previous governments) to provide adequate funding and true equal opportunities in the educational system