Me too Stella ! But these days I sometimes get it wrong, and then I have to open my purse to let them help themselves to what they need to make it right ! (But only the shops I trust !)
Interesting. UK 29th in obesity stats, France 67th.
Reading the posts on times tables made me smile, the number of “tricks” I used to remember the correct answer ( for example one was, all answers in the 9 times tables add up to 9, 18, 81, 108, 117, 135 or later 18 which is still 9 )
30 years go I had to write down the alphabet for a 18 year old new member of staff her filing was appalling
I am the same Jane. I am hoping Rishi Sunak is only talking about basic maths or functional skills as they call it now.
Not unique to your school, commonplace in UK or at least in my comprehensive school in the sixties. The cane, slipper, ruler, stick of chalk or blackboard rubber were all accepted weapons of choice for teachers and of coarse verbal belittling. There were good teachers but some were sadistic B,s.
I received the slipper as a 9 year old for only managing to do 3 sums in 3 minutes. The same teacher made an example of me in front of the class because I didn’t sing (a combination of lack of ability and self-consciousness). He was an ‘old soldier’ who had probably had traumatic experiences in the war, and gave him a rather different view of managing people than is popular in modern times.
Such is life, or was then.
Oh dear. And I’m afraid to say that mine were nuns 
My sister had the misfortune when she started school to get a nasty old bat who belted the kids every time they made a mistake. Particularly in arithmetic. Sis used every trick in the book to get out of being in school, was off sick every other week. Which is sad, because plenty of people recognise her as being very bright, but it put her off school altogether and she left with minimal qualifications. What a waste.
So I really don’t support this idea of forcing people to study subjects for which they have zero interest or aptitude.
3 Likes
When did corporal punishment become an offence? May have been slightly different times in different countries. I know in many places now that a parent can be arrested for smacking their child, if seen in public.
Did you make Harvard, Jane?
I did very well on SATs because luckily verbal ability seems to help maths after a certain point.
Perhaps all those little jingles about Pour votre santé bougez plus etc etc do work!
2 Likes
They’re certainly very noticeable when you first move from UK to French TV - etc.
But I guess the main thing is that a significant enough proportion of the French population - enough to bring France down the obesity league - stick to old habits (proper meals, little snacking, cooking from scratch, few takeaways) rather than the fast-food, ready-meals, uber-eats lifestyle.
1 Like
Re food… it’s interesting to note that school dinners are (in the main) highly controlled and have to conform to all sorts of health thingies… so the kids are getting a good start (and the teachers and council staff…)
And thereby avoid hyper-processed food which is increasingly linked to other health problems.
It’s okay, Rishi’s called a meeting.
Panic over.
I think he wants to make all kids able to understand the basics of computing and analytical thinking.
Which is unrealistic as it takes a certain kind of brain to work with abstraction and I suspect is not so common. Not all people can do it.
I am sure it will be very useful (not) for drivers, builders, waiters, farm hands, nurses and all the jobs that Britons of the future are supposed to embrace.
1 Like
I’m reminded of the time when a prime minister wanted 50% of the population to have degrees in the hope of upskilling and making the country more productive.
2 Likes