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:
Sounds terrific, Cro. Wish I could have been enrolled in your school. I did take French. Does that help?
You could join as a teacher!
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!)
Morning Cro - Your second list is going to be far more useful the way the world is going.
I should have added Map Reading.
That WAS the curriculum at my school - Eton.
every year I hold a "chicken care for beginners" course ....
I always have students!!!
I'd add sewing, ironing and basic debt-management.
Well done John. You see, it's happening already!
They're on the list as of NOW!
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.
OK, they're on the list too.
Given what I've been observing first hand around here lately I would add Learning Respect for the Property Of Others.
There'll be a big sign over the school gate saying 'All those who show disrespect to others will be made to grovel'.
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!)
How about a Common Sense 101 course, too?
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
Common sense is essential.
All duly noted, and added to the list!
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.
Ah, the world could be better and so much more civilized under the Cro system.
Ah, but you're talking about proper Geography; the type you learn by experience.
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).
Unfortunately it's usually all about remembering dates. Who killed who, how, and when.
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