Wednesday 11 July 2012

Curriculum.


You are unexpectedly selected to become Minister of Education, and your first task is to re-organise the entire country's school curriculum. What do you scrap, and what do you promote? Here's a few of my own thoughts.

OUT: Learning the dates of wars, sovereigns, or revolutions.
         Algebra.
         Geography.
         Most Sciences.
         Gymnastics.
         All foreign languages other than Latin and French.

IN: Chicken (anatomy, husbandry, and cuisine).
      Vegetable gardening.
      Gastronomy.
      Etiquette.
      Handwriting.
      Nature study.  
      Deportment. 
      Cricket.
      How to find a good Tailor.
      Wine appreciation. 
      Pet management.
      Bread making.
      Basic woodworking.

I could go on but they'd have lessons until midnight, as well as all weekend.
      

24 comments:

  1. Sounds terrific, Cro. Wish I could have been enrolled in your school. I did take French. Does that help?

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  2. I'd love to have had a curriculum like that when I went to school - though I was more than reasonably competent at map reading and basic navigation as well (hang on, those skills I learnt in the scouts!)

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  3. Morning Cro - Your second list is going to be far more useful the way the world is going.

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  4. That WAS the curriculum at my school - Eton.

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  5. every year I hold a "chicken care for beginners" course ....
    I always have students!!!

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    Replies
    1. Well done John. You see, it's happening already!

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  6. I'd add sewing, ironing and basic debt-management.

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  7. I would also add sewing on a button. Also I'd give the pupils the option of having the day off on their birthday. AND NO SCHOOL TIES.

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  8. Given what I've been observing first hand around here lately I would add Learning Respect for the Property Of Others.

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    Replies
    1. There'll be a big sign over the school gate saying 'All those who show disrespect to others will be made to grovel'.

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  9. Yes we used to do "Home economics"; darning, washing up (properly), basic sewing, ironing, cooking, budgeting to avoid debt, pressing trousers etc.
    How about punishment? Today's punishment is a day off school (punishment for the parent!)

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  10. How about a Common Sense 101 course, too?

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  11. I would have to add:
    Soap making for the hygiene impaired
    Lard rendering for ex-dieters
    Cow milking for the lactose intolerant and
    Manure spreading for bullshitters

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  12. If i want to learn sailing though, geography helps as do some maths, believe it or not. And my cousin, who was always severely math-impaired as a child (she made me look like a math genius which takes some doing) understands fractions because when we were kids, i showed her how they worked if we wanted to double or treble recipies for a crowd.

    Guess I'll have to take Donna's cow milking class, as i cannot digest pastuerised milk at this point, although i'm still okay with raw milk.

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    Replies
    1. Ah, but you're talking about proper Geography; the type you learn by experience.

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  13. Ah, the world could be better and so much more civilized under the Cro system.

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  14. And history. Of subjects which are currently taught in school, the most important, I think, is history - and I don't mean dates (though I do think sequence should be one element).

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    Replies
    1. Unfortunately it's usually all about remembering dates. Who killed who, how, and when.

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