School - Did You Enjoy or Despise It?

Mam1996

Primary school was not for me, went along with the flow so as not to draw attention to myself, flew under the radar mostly. Couldn't understand the teaching methods (or lack of!) and was branded as useless by some teachers. Secondary was completely different, I relished the subject choice and variety. Excelled academically and went on to college and became a success.

Looking back now after having one of my kids diagnosed as ASD and dyslexic I'm sure I just went undiagnosed and had to mask/figure my way through which was tough but luckily I was tougher. Had acquaintances more than friends but they needed me for my homework/free grinds really and it suited me too so I don't regret it. Never kept in touch afterwards though.

NSAman

We moved a lot as kids. Twice in fact. My primary school experience was superb. Coming back to Ireland having to learn Irish and being stuck in baby infants was embarrassing so by christ I learned fast. The teachers (both of them..2 roomed school) were absolutely fantastic. They instilled in ALL of us a thirst to learn. Made it a fun competition which meant as kids leaving primary, we were SOO far ahead of those in secondary.

Secondary was a disaster. I really loved learning, read everything. Studied everything I could. Understood everything I could. I remember the first introduction to secondary, Irish poetry, and biology especially. Read and learned the poems off by heart ..all of the book in the first week. I was bored…there was a book but once read that was it. Biology homework was about blood. Of course I went to every available medical book we had at home, read them all, understood the clotting agents, the composition, how it worked, why it worked, how it gave life. Wrote a massive “paper” on it…as I was taught in primary.

handed the paper in … brought up in front of the class and was told to stop Copying stuff I didn’t understand. When I said I understood it all, I was rebuked and called a liar. In hind sight I probably knew more than the “teacher” knew … same in Irish class… mock for having an interest.

secondary was a snooze fest… I coasted after that, most teachers were useless. Had no interest in anyone or what they taught. I failed the leaving as I was too young to go to university. I had to repeat. In repeat year I was told I “was stupid and “not capable” of doing honours subjects”. First time I ever told an adult to “f888 off” was a teacher who said this.

headmaster called me in, we agreed I could go to classes and if I had questions I could consult the teachers. I studied by myself.

ended up being first in our school…it felt like a complete waste of 6 years though. Irish schools at that time didn’t allow learning by experience and interest IMHO. It was learning by rote.

the one thing I taught my kids was to open their minds to any learning. Question everything, including questioning yourself. I hope I did a good job with them and hope that the system in ireland has progressed.

retalivity

Mixed primary school in the countryside late 80's/early 90's, have great memories of it. Nice teachers, lifetime friends I still see occasionally, no hassle or stress. Mixed secondary school also in the countryside, was mostly fine. Bit of bullying but nothing too bad, and looking back a lot of people had it waaaay worse. Was good academically, and friends and a great social life, being out and about with my peers in pubs/clubs from 15 onwards. Maybe din;t enjoy it enough at the time but looking back it was a great time of my life.

Then went to college then in Trinity and it was awful. The course was boring, lecturers were a bunch of tossers and the place was full of gimps. There was a small group of people that I hung out with that I would still keep in touch with, but I've no idea why i stuck it out for 4 years - just too stubborn to give it up probably. Ended up going out with mates in DIT/DCU most of the time, or going to Belfast/Galway most weeks to visit friends there - far better college experiences.

airy fairy

Hated it.

Got picked on in primary, mainly due to the fact I didn't live in the local estates, but out further. Never invited to parties etc and parents were country bred and didn't get that best friend/party/peer need.

Secondary was ok until Inter cert, was bullied unmercifully. Parents wouldn't let me go do transition year, and I had 2 years of being in classes with people I didn't know. It was a lonely time. Parents didn't believe in college, nor had money to support me, so had to go get a job.

I bettered myself through jobs, college courses etc. as I grew older.

But my parents never knew about the bullying, the lonliness and sadness I felt every day in school. I remember collecting my leaving cert results during a break from my job in the summer. No big reveal with friends.

I am super sensitive to my kids feelings, particularly in school, as a result.

swimming in a sea

I liked primary school. Secondary school not so much as very long days 7:30am to 5pm due to getting the bus...i don't think i was bullied anymore than most of the class, had the sh!t kicked out of me a few times.

I didn't have a clue what to do after school so just did a University course the guidance councillor said i'd get the points for (& they tell students not to do this) not a word about alternatives. I was too young, 16 when i did the leaving cert but I wanted to get out as quick as i could.

B.A._Baracus

Didn't like it. Primary wasn't too bad I guess but secondary? Full of bravado and 'scoring points' on everyone to make themselves look cool. You know yourself.

On the subject of school, I always remember when I was 13/14 there was this girl named Wendy in school. She was tall, shy and didn't say much. She was the butt end of jokes from lads. "you'd probably ride Wendy wouldn't ya!" - "I bloody wouldn't!" - All that garbage. But I left that school and just so happened one of the lads from my class was where I was two years later. Topic of Wendy got mentioned one day. He said "she's the local bike now" - all those lads who were slagging her and making fun of her were then looking to hook up with her / or either did. Can't blame the girl. Being a social outcast to having so much attention, let alone at that age. But a life lesson learned for me at 15: most lads try to come off as Casanova but the reality is the exact opposite. Here I am years later and most blokes are the same lol.

Higgins5473

Went to a Christian Brothers school where we were physically and mentally assaulted daily. The teachers that were not CBs jumped on the bandwagon and were at times worse. There was no sexual stuff, that I know of at least, during my years, this was the 80's and 90's. I was quite academically able so did not 'get it' as bad as some but it had an impact and I think back on that period to this day. I became extremely ill in 3rd year, to the point of hospitalization and they were unable to give any kind of concrete diagnosis as to what was causing the illness. Looking back, it must've been a physical reaction to the environment I was in. It was atrocious, the worst period of my life.

Ray Palmer

Primary school was fine but I did have depression at 9 and nobody noticed. Got through it but again at 14 I had a another year long depression and the school noticed and helped out. The secondary was a pretty rough school and all male. It was like lord of the flies. Bullying was an issue for some but generally people stood up for others so you wouldn't get away with it long. So many people knew each other from where they grew up you just wouldn't let somebody get bullied.

I was pretty active running and playing basket ball but I hated football and GAA and I was doing so outside of school teams. So I wasn't in the main sports teams which seemed to give people a lot of leeway. They were able to cut class to practice for example and they did gang up on people. One time one of GAA guys thought it would be fun to pick on me. He had gone to a different primary school to me and didn't know me and thought I was a push over. Some of the other warned him not bother me as I had a bad temper (depression linked). I ignored it for about a week as it was mostly talk. Walking down a very narrow corridor in between classes he went to trip me and I saw him sticking out his leg. So as I "fall" I landed on him and just started punching repeatedly very quickly, I got up and just walked away as the corridor was packed. He was bleeding on the ground and nobody saw anything as was school policy among students. None of his fellow GAA would aid in revenge. There was a bit of cat and mouse for the rest of the school year but each time he would end up worse off but he got a few good licks in here and there. Then I just broke his ankle intentionally and he still walks with a limp to this day. See him the odd time and always give him a wave and a smile. He still hates me. I have flipped back and forth whether I did the right thing over the years but ultimately he started it all and kept it going. The head master was furious because he wasn't able to play GAA and knew it wasn't an accident but couldn't get anybody to say what had happened.

School was more like prison rules and behaviour and I thought once out of school I would never have to deal with such idiots. Reality is it was training for the real world where there are more idiots.

HalloweenJack

I was a teacher's pet in primary but was decent at sports. I had a few friends but I was mostly a loner. I came from a home where a lot of importance was put on education but found that that wasn't cool or popular. I did get bullied a fair bit primary but through sports I got to hanging around with some of the cooler lads.

So I became a messer going into secondary. I was bullied a bit first but I (literally) fought back so that fizzled out. I am bright enough to able to get by without having to put too much effort into studying, which I now see was a problem. The secondary I went to was a disaster. Apart from one or two decent teachers, most were disinterested and most students were as well. School was boring and felt like a lot of time was wasted but I did enjoy the social apsect, especially in secondary.

College was alright. I got the course I wanted to and didn't have any trouble. with the work but some of the people on my course were incredibly snobbish and it did put me off people from the upper reaches of society. I didn't think it at the time but I look back now and say I was bullied by the posh kids there, simply because I wasn't one of them. A lot of them dropped out after first year so I didn't have to put up with it for long.

Just Some Young Lad

I had a bit of a unique primary school experience. I went to one school that only covered junior infants to first class. This was managed by nuns (the teachers were just civilians but the school had a very strong religious undertone). These years are my first memories of school. Overall, I look back very fondly on that time, however, there was one specific moment that I look back on that makes me upset/mad. My grandfather, who lived at home with my parents and I, had recently come home from visiting relations in Australia. He brought home pictures of wild Kangaroo and Koala and, of course, plenty of gifts. One of those gifts, that I greatly cherished, was a pencil with a kangaroo attached to the top. Long story short, I was messing in class one day after finishing work, the teacher thought I was dossing and came down and ripped the kangaroo clean off the top of the pencil. Needless to say I was very upset and whilst my parents went to the school and an apology was given, the pencil was never the same.

From second to sixth class I moved to a more rural primary school. This was an interesting time. It would have been the early noughties and the school was filled with a vast majority of Irish children. This is only significant because I had never had a friend from another culture before I got to third class. I then befriended a boy who came from Zimbabwe. This time in primary school flew by. Towards the end of fifth year and throughout sixth year I was bullied by a boy in the class below mine. Due to numbers there was often one teacher who would have half a room of each class. This meant me and that boy shared a classroom every day. Eventually I snapped and started to stand up for myself but unfortunately being young and not clued in I probably began to bully that same boy in retaliation. My parents weren't overly vocal when I was bullied. They would go to the school but the teachers would often just say "Yeah, we'll look into it" to appease them and they would go away trusting it would be sorted. This other boy's parents were a lot more aggressive and landed me in the principal's office etc. This put a bit of a chip on my shoulder and led me to wrongly believe that I was being unfairly treated, as a result I developed some anger issues.

Secondary school was a whole different beast. Going from a small rural school to a very large (500+ students) town school was a big, big, change. My friend from primary school went here also so I had somebody from the beginning. I also made a couple of friends in my class. We weren't very close in first year. Whilst the school was mixed, my class was entirely male. This led to two boys attempting to bully me again in first year. As a result of the anger issues and maybe not being streetwise enough, I would always take the bait and we would routinely fight. I was liable to swing a punch in the middle of class because I wasn't very tactful with dealing with it. This led to four suspensions and the threat of expulsion in first year. Something that I am extremely ashamed of today. At the end of that first year my friend from primary school passed away of an asthma attack. This left me very lost but thankfully the boys that I was loosely friends with took me into their group and we grew a lot closer. Up to junior cycle I kept my head down (so to speak). I was pretty disruptive in class but I stayed out of fights. I did discover a passion and a bit of a flair for rugby at this point though.

Transition year flew past. We had a foreign trip to Krakow where we visited Auschwitz-Birkenau, something that I will never forget. I matured a lot this year. I also made some new friends and finally overcame the anger issues through counseling and advice from those around me.

Fifth and sixth year was a little odd. I had always been academically inclined but it was often lost amidst the other issues that I created for myself. These two years allowed me to focus on my studies and I was doing incredibly well. I won a pretty large public speaking event too, which was something incredibly new to me. My grandfather died of cancer around this time too. I viewed him as a third parent of sorts and I found that very difficult. I probably retracted into my shell a little as a result of that. In sixth year I started a relationship that would end up extending for 6+ years. I was dead set on studying medicine at third level and becoming a doctor and at the time of my mocks was completely on track. Unfortunately I took my eye off the ball and was completely enamored with my partner at the time and as a result missed the points required for medicine. Thankfully I still did a good Leaving Cert by general standards but I was personally disappointed.

I went off the rails following this for four or more years. It was only by pure chance that I decided to go back to university.

At twenty-two I returned to education which was odd because everyone in my course (or so it felt) were straight out of school. I studied computer science, which I developed a passion for over time. I represented my class as their class rep and got involved in the students' union. I made some friends here. I remain pretty close with about four of them and don't speak at all with another four, but that's life I suppose. We graduated during the first Covid lockdown and completed our thesis from our bedrooms. That is something that I will forever look back on and admire as a situation that very few will ever relate to.

So, overall, I had a lot of important life lessons during my academic years and it really shaped me into being the person that I am today. Whilst there were some painful moments I'd live it all again because it brings me immense joy to look back at all the progress and growth that I have made as an individual.

Fandymo

Loved school. Still friends with my schoolmates. Easiest time of my life. Biggest issue was saving €10 for cans, and then using money from part time job to hit the local night club at 15/16. Was some laugh.

JupiterKid

It's sad to see a common theme of bullying in so many of the posts on this thread. 😥 And for other posters who were not bullied, the cliquishness and social exclusion from these cliques and groups can also be very hurtful.

My heart goes out to anyone who had to endure the misery, fear and terror of CBS schools and the like in the days of corporal punishment. The ending of Church control of the primary and secondary education sectors cannot come a minute too soon.

It really does seem that the early years of secondary school are the absolute worst for bullying (as happened to me and many others) - these days schools are obliged to have an anti-bullying strategy in place - so things have come a very long way in the 30+ years since I was in school.

Here's a parents and teacher guide to bullying and how to address it: https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Teenagers_coping_with_bullying_d5.pdf

Of course, schoolchildren face a host of issues these days that myself and others didn't - mainly the internet, social media and cyber-bullying. Social isolation of students and refusing to go to school seem to be growing problems from what I've heard from wider family and friends who have kids in school.

Esho

I went to a CoI school in the 70s. So glad to see the prejudice has changed since.

Or maybe the hobkneads now just victimise non-white people now.

airy fairy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118594574#Comment_118594574

Unfortunately, schools can have all the anti bullying policies they like, it is still down to BOM and principals to actually do something about it. There is also a fear that if schools tackle a child of a non Irish background, the racist card is pulled out by the parent. That's from my experience, and a few others who have, unfortunately, had their children bullied too. I've had 2 children, with 4 years between them, both bullied and excluded within the school environment. Teachers were powerless. Trying to introduce a positive enforcement to said culprits rather than a good telling off. Principal refused to take active action, instead, weekly appraisal of bullies. As I said, child 1 first, finished primary after approaching and trying to solve it for 2 years. My child 2 stuck it for a year and I moved primary.

We've now come full circle, that in my opinion, schools are afraid to tackle bullying now.

Mad_maxx

Liked primary but not secondary as a girl I fell in love with from day one never gave me the time of day

cj maxx

I didn't mind school, I just refused to do anything. Homework, obey rules, go to school etc. Constantly being sent to headmasters office for punishment. Till one time , for a caning, I spluttered out NO! "Capital punishment " was done away with 🤒. When I didn't wear my uniform on the last day of the leaving the headmaster came over to me , smilingly called me a Rebel and wished me luck. So school was grand but sadly I wasted it

BaywatchHQ

I have left school 11 years now, I liked primary school but hated secondary school, I was there 7 years. I was bullied all the way through and was a complete loner for the final 2 years, I had to eat lunch alone, etc, traumatic stuff for any 17 year old.

I went to a very good school though, in fact it had the highest grade performance in Ulster in the late 2000s. The bullying I received was from high IQ people who would be successful people now, not the typical rough youths. It wasn't physical bullying, it was mostly laughing at me and taunting me whenever the teacher left the classroom. I stood out like a sore thumb at school as I had hit puberty a couple years before my peers. I suspect I am an autist, I looked up my old school online and they seem to be very "autism friendly" nowadays. There was no mention of autism when I was there in the late 2000s, my old study hall is actually a hub for the disabled pupils now to play board games, etc.

Kalimah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118586805#Comment_118586805

I started school in 1967 - convent school where we were mixed with boys until First class. I must say I loved school as I was a very fast learner. My first teacher was a horrible woman - many years later I found out that my father in law know her and her husband very well! I don't remember her hitting anyone, though I do remember being slapped for nodding instead o saying yes, with the comment " only donkeys nod". Didn't put me off school though. I found secondary much more competitive and challenging which I liked. I was a bit lazy though as I found everything very easy, and I wasn't inclined to work hard at stuff I found boring - like Maths! I got a great education I think from some very dedicated teachers.

I'm still waiting for the college experience which I'll get to when I retire I hope!

Lewis_Benson

Did any of you ever hit back at bullying teachers?

Not me, but a lad in my brothers class there was one teacher who contlstantly picked on and hit students, usually went for the smaller lads, a pure coward I'd say.

One day one of the bigger lads was sitting down the back and the teacher was laying into some small lad, bigger lad gets up and roars at the teacher to stop being a bully, the teacher squred uo to him and tried to hit him, apparently the big lad thumped the hell out of the teacher and no one was ever touched in his class again, not sure how true it is, but I heard years later the teacher was fired because he hit some young fella, who's patents arrived in with guards and were taking the school to court.

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118596109#Comment_118596109

A very big lie that in my experience that is told is that bullies aren't successful later in life!

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118593707#Comment_118593707

Well, to be fair, the student population of the college was probably over 10-12k, no? If you couldn't find anyone to be friends with then that was probably something you might have needed to work on for yourself

cj maxx

One funny thing happened, not in school, but òn the bus.

Fees were introduced for school buses and as a protest parents decided to hijack the bus. Remember this is mid 80's on the border . So sure enough the bus was stopped , not sure how, but it was great craic. Sandwiches and tae in huge flasks, a set of pins for road bowls. Think there were a few musicians as well.

Sgt Hartman

I was quite shy, weird and awkward in both primary and secondary school so I was naturally a target for bullying and social exclusion. Christ, there was some horrible people in my secondary school class. I haven't seen most of them since leaving school and I don't want to see them ever again. I suppose my awkwardness done me no favours. There was a handful of really decent lads in my class though that I still get on well with to this day.

The teachers in secondary were a mixed bag. My English and Biology teachers were amazing, and we had an excellent maths teacher for Junior Cert on 3rd year who actually managed to help me enjoy maths. My German and Art teachers were c**ts for want of a better word. Condescending bullies! I never picked up a painting brush again after my Junior Cert art exam finished, she destroyed what love I had for the subject. PE was pretty good also with a mix of soccer, swimming, indoor hockey, badminton and basketball. The school closed down ten years ago but I don't particularly miss it though 😅

black & white

Primary school was mostly fine except for the Principal, huge man who believed strongly in hurling, church and Irish Language. Very handy with a stick and loved wielding it, only to the boys and only to those boys whose fathers were ordinary workers or unemployed.

Secondary school was as a boarder, plenty of bullying, casual violence and corporal punishment. The worst beating I ever got in my life was from the junior Dean when he accused me of making noise after lights out one night and beat me to a pulp. I googled him earlier and he's the head of the order in Ireland now. Bas*ard.

neris

primary school was enjoyable and had some nice teachers and friends in school. 1st-3rd year I hated. Ended up in aan all boys school and class was full of scumbags and skangers and was 3 or 4 of us who would have been quieter and timid had a very hard. Most of the teachers were pricks aswell with 1 of the older teachers whod been there during times of corporal punishment being a sadistic prick who everyone was afraid of and had a fear hed get violent with them. I wanted to leave school after the junior cert or move school, so parents agreed to move me to smaller mixed school which I really enjoyed and had some good friends there at the time and got on well with the teachers and was a totally different world to what Id been in before.

Teacher2020

Loved primary school and the first 4 years of secondary. Had a large group of female and male friends for first 4 years. I shifted one of the boys in the group at a disco but refused to be his girlfriend after because I didn't want to. Resulted in me being an outcast from the group with only my best friend sticking by me. Those last 2 years were awful - I was jeered every time I saw that group in the corridor for being a 'frigid' or a 'snob' or a variety of other slurs. Looking back I know it was the best thing that happened as I really found out who my true friends are and my best friend is still my best friend today even though we only see one another once or twice a year due to location.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600129#Comment_118600129

I remember watching from the side lines of people being kicked out of the social circle they were in. It was quite interesting to to watch. Some were in a bully group and suddenly got a taste of their own medicine which was always amusing. One in particular was hilarious where the group had abandoned one guy for not being a good enough bully. He had always been a loud mouth and normally with his posse, he was picking on this quite guy so they agreed to meet for a fight after school. Quite guy beat the hell out of him and during the fight bully tried to get his friends to jump in. They were all fully aware of the people about who would have beaten the hell out of them if they did.

So they kicked him out of the group and everybody in the school would laugh at him about not being tough like he claimed all the time. He ended up getting into more fights and not winning which was even funnier. I think in 5th year a 2nd year beat him up. He is a raging alcoholic now and it turns out so were both his parents growing up so he actually had a pretty horrific life

jrosen

I liked school, average mixed local primary school. Loved some of my teachers, others were tough but fair.

Secondary all girls convent school, had some nuns for teachers but mostly regular teachers. For the most part it was fine. Cant ever say it was the best years of my life like some. College was grand.

I look back now and kinda feel lucky to have had the experience I did. There was no nonsense tolerated, if you misbehaved you spent the class stood outside on the hallway. Teachers definitely seemed to have more say in how their classrooms were run to the benefit of the class. Its a bloody free for all now to the detriment of the class these days.