When I was at school, in 70s, they had a morris minor. Every new year of 15 year olds took it apart, engine, gear box, body, everything. Put it all back together and got it running again so we could all have driving lessons round the school grounds.
Why Are Young People Not Learning Trades/Skills?
- Thread starter bluebell
- Start date
Pistonbroke
Member
Same here, you learned metal work and wood work. Now it's Design and Technology,the actual making of the thing doesn't get that many marks
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
Our engineering science class room was above a garage , there was a pristine Morris 1300 , I think there was a class along the lines of motor vehicle technology, the lads who did that got to put the fear of God into the teacher driving that down the school driveway
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
We had building studies at school , very practical , built little walls , stripped doors and painted , made electric lighting circuits, had a proper stores we took turns at store person booking
Out tools etc its was brilliant ! Im probably o ly one in that class that didnt end up a trades man in building industry ….gone now .
Out tools etc its was brilliant ! Im probably o ly one in that class that didnt end up a trades man in building industry ….gone now .
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
Did you find your school almost geared to supply local industry?
our careers talk for what it was … teacher “ do you help your dad fix his car “
Me “ he doesn’t have a car “
Teacher “ do you fix your bike”
Me “ yes of course why”
Teacher “ shipyard for you then”
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I think looking back the building studies was down to one teacher who ex trades man who probably fought to keep it longer than it normally would have been kept for , the gardening had long since gone …… the wood work and metal work was bit crap , i felt i was last generation to get anything practical taught …. Alot depends on the teachers as well …
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
That’s true, we had a metalwork teacher who was an incredibly patient man even with the most disruptive little sh1!s , he always treated us well and always had a smile
The woodwork teacher was an utter barsteward and ruled by fear
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Good teachers can make a hell of a difference to folks lives. .
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Probably not enough vocational teachers to around and i doubt they get enough support to be the best teachers they could be .
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
Must admit I wasn’t one for school, every report would say the same “ David can do it but doesn’t seem interested “
I learned far more as an apprentice, I suppose you are seeing why you need geometry or maths or physics in a hands on way
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
They aren’t mutually exclusive.
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
Maybe it’s time for a career change.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Highest paid and need least amount of tools , but its very technical these days , lot to take in !
- Location
- People's Republic of South Yorkshire
To late for that, plus use contractors a lot now and spend lot more time with family.
I do school runs and take kid to sports 4 nights week.
That time is worth more than money..
A comment was made yesterday about how pale and feeble the (teenage) kids were getting off the school bus locally.
Also heard that the school is dealing with unbelievable amounts of depression/ personality disorder and such issues.
I've no idea how these people will ever cope in the real world or heaven forbid we end up in a war.
Also heard that the school is dealing with unbelievable amounts of depression/ personality disorder and such issues.
I've no idea how these people will ever cope in the real world or heaven forbid we end up in a war.
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
Prior to the expansion of the Universities a typical working class student wouldn’t have thought about going to University they’d either leave school at 16 or maybe hang on til 18 but not go to University. 120 kids started at Grammar school with me all bright enough to pass the 11. At 16 80 left either for jobs or maybe so form of college/vocational course. At 18 only 25 went onto University. Twenty percent of those that started. I’d hazard a guess that in the Comprehensives etc it would have been a lot less than 20 percent probably closer to 5%. Public schools would have had a much higher percentage rate. Going to University in the 70’s and ‘80’s wasn’t because we were the elite it was because it was expected of us. The Cowmans son or the Postman’s daughter wouldn’t have thought about it no matter how intelligent they were. A lot of very intelligent people would have slipped through the net obviously they’d have made excellent tradesmen but don’t believe that the people achieving degrees in times previously were some form of cream of intelligentsia they were just the ones who believed they could go to University. My school would be able to put one kid into Oxbridge every other year now they are able to put seven in most years. My children’s level one public school has failed to put anyone into Oxbridge for a couple of years probably because there’s a lot more kids to choose from when up until the 2000’s they’d regularly put a dozen in. A University education never really has been a measure of much there has always been a place at one for anyone who wanted to go to one. Two from our school went to the University of Salford and both ended up as CEOs of Asda. From memory I reckon one did Engineering which has no relevance to retail. Nope I’m of the opinion anyone who wants should have the opportunity to go to a University.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
The very last thing modern school lever would do is go down a pit.. if they were still open I am not sure who would be working there.Thatcher.
Not many jobs around mining after she finished them off around you
- Location
- People's Republic of South Yorkshire
I agree all should go who wants to.
The problem is lot of kids who don't want to or not academic minded drop out of education with no qualifications or skills.
Where as when I went to comp those kids would have been separated off into a class to learn trades and just focus on maths and English, so left school and got a job.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Did you work down the pit ?Not many jobs around mining after she finished them off around you
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
Plenty it would be a lot more mechanised. Our neighbours were Nottinghamshire miners they reckoned they got more dust harvesting or planting potatoes down the fen than they ever got down t’ pit.