Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

I tend to find that I have always been interested in things I didnt get at school.
Like anything mechanical. I also take a great interest in archaeology now through watching the Time Team on Channel 4. They make it so interesting. Would love a shot at a metal detector. Anyway back to the subject. Remember algebra.What was that about eh. sines,cosines ,tangents. logarithms,antilogarithms. Have never used them since I left school. Used to like metalwork and woodwork and science though as for the rest forget it.
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The Clan Chieftain

47p2 · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 2009 Location: Glasgow

Scotty · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 883

I remember going into third year and having the opportunity to choose some of the subjects we were going to take and "Mechanics" was one of the options - that's the one for me says I, learn how to build engines properly.

DOH! Of course secondary school Mechanics has nothing to do with spanners and valves does it! Rolling Eyes

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

Great story 47p2 surely you wouldnt let a minor detail like a hand grenade stop you from getting another one.
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The Clan Chieftain

Greeney in France · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:02 pm Post subject:

I did quantum mechanics at "Greshams" trouble is I've never found any quantum's to work on
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We do these things not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

I didn't 'get' logarithms, algebra, and the need to be hit with a stick to teach you that violence was wrong! Laughing

Uncle Joe · Guest

When I was at school, I always wondered why the didnt teach us anything practical, apart from woodwork. Why did we need to know maths, physics, and so on? Not to mention why did they have to use the cane to teach us dicipline.

After I left, things did change. The comprehensive system was introduced, and along with it shall we call them more progressive subjects.

Now that I have retired, my opinions have changed somewhat. I realised that when I was employed as an engineer, maths, physics and so on were something that I used every working day. When I look around at a lot of todays kids, not all by any means, I find that they are relatively uneducated. Not to mention undisciplined and rude.

Or maybe I'm just an old fogey that cant understand todays world?

Greeney in France · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:19 am Post subject:

As a psychologist I would use the term cognitive dissonance at this point Laughing

I am sure we/you looked the same to your elders at the time.
Saying that I agree with you to a degree what with new fangled ways of teaching and lack of discipline as well as litigiousness the world is slowly going crazy Rolling Eyes

The younger generation are our future elders
Shocked

I will stop there as i will go on and on
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We do these things not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

I hate to generalise on this point but I will Razz

I'll say that in my opinion, the current methods of teaching employed, the recent focus on 'diversity', the inability to properly punish, and the lack of any real concept of individual competition any more has left our youth lacking in character.

When Sterling Moss raced Fangio in those huge old racing cars they did so in shirt sleeves!
The highest mountains were first climbed wearing only cotton based clothing and leather boots, Darkest Africa was explored by Dr. Livingstone without sat nav. Laughing

Now it's fair to say that each wore or used what they perceived to be the best kit available for the time, but still must have recognised the equipment was inadequate, they expected woeful consequences should things go wrong...then went and did it anyway!

Today, especially under this creeping Marxist, 'politically correct' shadow that is stifling the independence and development of individuals, there has to be a warning attached to everything rather than rely on the application of common sense.
'Boiling water is hot and can cause burns' on coffee machines! Rolling Eyes

At one time you were educated at home and at school in the skills necessary to make your way in life using your own judgement, now the young seem to expect to float along cushioned from harm, in a society that pays them for not looking where they are going or misusing a piece of equipment.

There are very few 'hero's anymore, it's the difference between 'old school' and modern 'liberalism' two examples of which I give below.

OLD SCHOOL: Sir Ranulph Feinnes

NEW SCHOOL: Julian Clary! Laughing

pigtin · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay

If anything could strike terror into my heart at school it was one word ‘Pythagoras’…
“You’ll need him someday!” the maths teacher told me.
Mr Pythagoras and I had no further contact until I was about 60 and designing a complex piece of test equipment. I had to simulate a set of wheels of a certain diameter travelling a certain distance? “Eureka!” I know how to do that, and so simple with a calculator… My old maths master would have been proud of me but not so sure about the calculator. Shocked

Greeney in France · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:43 pm Post subject:

I have used the 3,4,5 triangle method often setting out correct squares
good old Pythagoras.
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We do these things not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us

Uncle Joe · Guest

Someone had to say this....but its all greek to me!

pigtin · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay

I never forgave them for that wooden horse they used to stuff the Trojans. I like Trojans, especially the 'Brook Bond' vans. Laughing