You will be happy or else ....

[BrideXIII]

i wish they would bring back proper trade apprentiships, not all children are cut out for university, yet they have it held out as a lure for what they 'should' achieve, not what they might.

and we end up where they think being a plumber is 'not a proper job' and we are short of plumbers! and plenty of other trades too.

[di]

I don't really see the problem!?
Yep...ideally,teaching a child life/social skills is something that should be done at home....however,sadly,there are many kids out there who's parents neither have,nor feel the desire to pass them on to their children....& sorry to now sound cynical,but the idea of offering these parents evening classes....I wouldn't imagine any of them turning up anyway!
From what I could make from the link,I think DD's school already works along these guidelines & I couldn't be happier with the education she's getting...all round!!The old fashioned 3 "r"s haven't taken a backseat(I'm actually shocked at some of the stuff she's already learning at just 6&1/2),but the whole school has a really(almost fingers down yer throat!)happy feel about it and all the kids have a lot of respect for each other.

[BrideXIII]

I don't really see the problem!?
Yep...ideally,teaching a child life/social skills is something that should be done at home....however,sadly,there are many kids out there who's parents neither have,nor feel the desire to pass them on to their children....& sorry to now sound cynical,but the idea of offering these parents evening classes....I wouldn't imagine any of them turning up anyway!
From what I could make from the link,I think DD's school already works along these guidelines & I couldn't be happier with the education she's getting...all round!!The old fashioned 3 "r"s haven't taken a backseat(I'm actually shocked at some of the stuff she's already learning at just 6&1/2),but the whole school has a really(almost fingers down yer throat!)happy feel about it and all the kids have a lot of respect for each other.

I am glad she is doing so well.
and as an idea it has merits I don't deny that, I just don't trust that it will serve the purpose down the line.
we have had decades of the education system being 'messed 'with, and are at present living with the results.

experimental systems should be just that, until it is tested and works, not introduced country wide willie nillie, as has happened so often in the past.

[ailsasyl]

Having lived down south for near on 15 years, and listened to parents, moving house and stressing about their childs education have to say i'm pleased HB is in the scottish eudcation system, no Sats, children are tested but not in the same pressured way SATs seems to be, they do all the normal subjects but also have Social Education, which looks at society issues, environmental etc. This report was talking about primary aged kids, up here they have lessons on all sorts of things including social awareness, HBs primary school had close links with the local special needs school and had a buddy system in place, which taught the kids that not everyone is the same but should be treated with the same respect, green flag schemes where school can earn rewards for keeping school clean, recycling etc. Teachers did ask kids to say please and thank you and respect other, told off if they didn't

[SlugLobber]

It's not compulsoury to join up BW .Yes its run as a youth club with an eye to recruitment but it's not compulsory. I was in the Army cadets for 5 years and went back as an Adult Instructor for 2 years . It was some of the best times I ever had met a lot a great guys who I'm still in touch with.
I got to go to Germany to see the forces on patrol along the East / West German border and camp out for a night with them, spent 10 days in Marchwood military port at the time Chriss Akabussi was there (he was a PTI and took us for our morning runs)
Learned the skills of marksmanship(shooting) , fieldcraft (camping and hiking) and navigation (map and compass).
We also had to look after our huts - clean and polish them every day and learn how to keep our uniforms clean, tidy and ironed ( no mean feat for a 14 year old ).
It was teambuilding, disipline and personal development and what ever other sound bites that the government has come up with since but it was good fun to.
I certainly don't regret my time there and would recomend it to anyone.

Absolutely! I was in the Air Training Corps and although I thought about joining the RAF as a 14yr old, I didn't. I did, however, keep the skills and they've served me very well since.

In my opinion, you simply cannot teach happiness. You teach confidence, skills, knowledge and happiness follows. My philosophy for the day.