School

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Mark, I too can see the bad points of our education system and yes it is very narrow minded but the fact is you cannot change it -- yet. Only those who take full advantage of our education system and the opportunities it does offer us can change it. For example, someone without a college degree will find it very hard to successfully change anything about society -- especially education. It isn't particularly fair as some people just aren't suited to college and schooling in general but that's just the way things are. I know the "stop fighting" speech is in no way original, but it is reasonably sound advice when taken the right way.

Lets have examples, three of my uncles are Trinity scholars, I have talked to them all about the education system and not one of them thinks it is fair. They all went through the same education system and all graduated from Trinity with top honours. Not one of them is in an office job.

Uncle #1: Paul.
Paul is a project manager with 3Com, he was hired straight into middle management and as such skipped all of the cubicle business and sitting behind a desk all day. The reason he was able to completely bypass this? Graduating in the top 5 of his class from Trinity, how was he able to do that? By shutting up, putting his head down and getting on with his education.

Uncle #2: Tom.
Tom is a teacher in Terenure Secondary school. Teaching is not an office job, you can see that yourself every day in school. I have sat in on a couple of Tom's classes and they are nothing like my regular ones. He allows students to voice their opinions and interacts with them a lot, he is working to change the system from the inside so to speak. He was offered a job with Cisco Systems 12 months after he left Trinity, the job was an upper middle management job and he could have bypassed all of the cubicle sitting if he wanted to go into IT.

Uncle #3: Séamus.
Sé is the most like you Mark, he had very strong feelings against the education system. He voiced these opinions all throughout his second level schooling and eventually people got fed up of him and he was expelled in 5th year. He was allowed back in the following year and he shut up and worked, he graduated in the top 3 of his class in Trinity and was offerered 6 jobs directly out of college that were paying >£50,000 per year. He turned them all down and went back to college, this time he was at NYU. He graduated with honours from NYU and was offered more good jobs, he turned them all down because of his hate of the "system". Eventually when he realized he would soon be penniless and homeless he took one of these jobs, today he lives in 5th Avenue, New York City with a 2,400 square foot apartment just minutes from Broadway.



Yes, there was a lot of family bragging in there but they were true stories of people who had similar views to you at your age Mark. They are all now very successful but they did not become so until they forgot about beating the "system" and concentrated on making something out of themselves.

lordsippa

First, remove mention of terenure teacher... TRUST ME! people here go there...

Secondly, I never argued against your argument (and i know you aimed at mark that time), just at the fact you took a few digs at me. Heh... but now we're all being rational fun arguing and name calling may again commence!

alaskagirl

my school system focuses on the bottom too! i hate it! it drives me crazy! everything has to be easy enough for the laziest/stupidest person to be able to do it! its nuts. why cant they focus on the middle at least? the only thing this is doing is lowering schooling standards because people think they can get away with the minimum (which is, I admit, something i do, but MY minimum is not quite the same as most other people's minimum ). maddening!!!


thats my rant!

sisob

Originally posted by OrangeRhino

Sé is the most like you Mark, he had very strong feelings against the education system.

*LOL* you seem to mistake me for someone who cares

I do not think that our education system in itself is terrible - i fully plan on going to college and getting a nice job with a fat pay cheque and a convertable and 2 an 1/3 children and all the rest. I actually love the points system cus it sepporates people out into different groups based on intelligence/ability to work - which is better for everyone.

I think it's more society that i have a gripe with - and peopls mindless following of "the done thing" - see mending wall by robert frost

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Sven, some people here go to Terenure -- so what?

Crash

Returning to the specific subjec of how good or bad your school is, what are the funniest/ most unusal/ most insulting or bigoted things a teacher has ever said in your school?

In mine it was "Buddhism is just stupid Loik, its not a real religion. you're an
idiot for being a buddhist" Religion teacher to a buddhist in my class.

"Homosexuals need counselling and therapy" same teacher

lordsippa

Damn... I've heard that if your uncle teaches physics, then he is indeed sound... curses! ;p

Um... religion teacher has called germans "the hun!" regularly. But that's only cause he's a racist pig... um... oh there are things, but i can't think of them now... tired.

I'll post more later.

Man U babe

"What would you do with little boys?"
French teacher
"What is the probability of me getting head?"
My friend's maths teacher
"Joanne, are you a Sinn Fein recruiter?"
English teacher

All real stupid, shows the standard of teaching in Sancta Maria!

alaskagirl

"sex every day! thats my motto!" -my bio teacher

"so you could put that atom in a room with a bunch of other reaaaallly good looking atoms, and you could turn the lights down reeeeaalll low, and put on some sexy music, but it just wouldnt socialize! it doesnt WANT to bond! its antisocial!"
- same bio teacher



gee, i have a bunch of them because my history teacher used to say the funniest things so my friend and i started writing them down and compiled them all... i will have to find them sometime. very funny woman.

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Sven, yes my uncle teachers physics, and maths, and chemistry, and he created, maintains and runs the entire computer network. Including the leased line.

My teachers are all pretty cool actually, a few choice examples:

Skanger: haha! Look at the rugby team, covered in grass.
Mr. O'Gráidigh: at least they aren't smoking it you loser.
--

Skanger: miss? How do you make babies?
Ms. Downling: it depends, some people choose to make them by having sexual intercourse. Others, such as your parents, just forget the condom.
--

Mr. Ryan: where were you during my science class today?
Skanger: I felt sick so I went to go and get some fresh air.
Mr. Ryan: bull****.
(Said skanger was then referred to as bull****ter for the rest of the term. By all the teachers.)
--

Bob: sir, I am sorry I don't have the homework done -- it completely slipped my mind.
Mr. Ryan (a different one): Well, just make sure you have it done for tommorow. Seriously lads, do the work and get the qualifications -- you don't want to end up like the coloureds in town do you?
Bob: rather that than end up a narrow minded old biggot like you.
(I then proceded to refuse to shake his hand at the third year graduation ceremony, in front of the entire school.)
--

Skanger: sir? Why aren't people under 18 allowed drink?
Ms. Neary: because you can't handle drink.
Skanger: yes I could sir, I bet I could drink you under the table.
Ms. Neary: I wouldn't go drinking with you, because as soon as I was drunk you would probably try and have intercourse with me because you know that any sober woman won't touch you.
--

Skanger: sir? Is God real?
Mr. McDonald: nooo, not at all. Sure, 1,000,000 Christians have nothing better to do than worship a false God.
Skanger: um, um, um. I'm an atheist.
Mr. McDonald: spell athiest.
Skanger: um, a ... y ... t ... h ... i .. y ... i ... s ... t.
(Skanger beams around the class proudly.)
Mr. McDonald: very good. Now, as an athiest you believe in no God correct?
Skanger: yes sir.
Mr. McDonald: name three races who have survived successfully in the past with no God?
Skanger: I can't sir.
Mr. McDonald: because no race has survived in the past without worshipping a God.
Skanger: oh crap!
Mr. McDonald: do you believe in God now?
Skanger: no, I worship Buddha as my God now.
(Those of you who know anything about Buddha will understand the irony in this.)
--

There are a few more I can't think of right now ... but yes, skangers get a lot of abuse in my school even though they are the majority.

Moni

Ahh, Br. Jim, my wonderful religion teacher,To someone who asked, "what if jesus had kids?":

"What if your grandmother had testicles!?"

Focalbhach

"Lawrence, if intelligence was fatal you'd live forever"...hehheh

Or then there was the time when my religion teacher asked me if I could tell her where to get hash.......I took the optimistic view and decided that she was asking purely to make a point about how easy it was to get it.....:)

imp

This Tom fellow wouldn't happen to be Tom Moran would it?? Its strange that you mention him teaching Physics and Maths because *I'm* not aware of any Leaving Cert classes having him teaching. Also he doesn't (as you imply) single-handedly run the computer network, that job's divided between him and a few other teachers.

Not that I have a problem with the guy, he's actually pretty sound

}:>

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Imp, yes it's Tom Moran. He isn't teaching any physics or maths classes this year, or last year for that matter -- but he has done so regularly over the last 25 years. And believe me, he runs that network 90% on his own. He told me there was one brother / priest / father or something that knew a bit about computers but apart from that Tom does everything.

imp

Fr. Richard knows a hell of a lot about computers and networking etc. actually, he used to be a programmer before becoming a priest, but I think he's just lazy these days. And come to think of it the other computer teachers probably don't do an awful lot with the network (one of them almost burned down the school last year, from inside the computer room).

lalala

}:>

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Either way, I get to play with your school's leased line tommorow, Monday and Tuesday ... so, blegh.

imp

What does that matter when none of the computers have CD-RWs??

}:>

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Imp: I know, that's the part that sucks. Of course when my laptop, which has a CD-RW drive, is connected to the network ... well, nothing more needs to be said.

imp

Ah right. Fair enough. Enjoy!!

}:>

lordsippa

Ok, a few things...

Joanne! DO YOU MEAN THE SANCTA MARIA NEAR COLAISTE EANNA (I can't spell) IN RATHFARNHAM?! Or is there some other sh1tty sancta maria in dublin? If you're where i think you are, we must meet up sometime in august!

OrangeRhino - 1). Who are you? 2). Didn't you say you hate stereotypes like "Skangers"? 3). Um... no offense, but that whole bullsh*tter thing was kinda as5holey... And kill whoever made that "coloured" comment.... um... yeah, that doesn't sound like a great school, but I'm probably getting the wrong impression (a few of those comments were playfully said, right?). If so, I apologise for any implied disapproval of your education facility [school].

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

1.) Never mind who I am, I go to a school on the northside that's that. I've been reared on the northside and am damn proud of it, faults and all.

2.) Yes I do dislike stereotypes such as skanger and goth but in terms of pure efficiency it was a lot quicker to type skanger and get the point across rather than type young person who curses a lot and wears a peaked cap and smokes JP Blue and for the most part that is the exact description of the pupil(s) involved.

3.) Lets break this down ...

3.i) I did not refer to him as bull****ter personally, I don't talk to the lad -- it was mainly his group of friends who playfully called him bull****ter and the teachers did it out of hate / spite because this guy is a bully, a nuisance and a general little fscker.

3.ii) The teacher who made the racist comment never got any sort of formal warning despite me lodging three complaints with the board of management, in the end I just gave up but the man lost any respect he ever had from me, my class, my year and indeed most of my school. (Especially since ~20% of my school isn't caucasian.)

3.iii) A few of those comments were made playfully, some were the honest to God thoughts of the teacher in question.

3.iv) My school is not the best socially but the academics are pretty good in general and we are / were one of the most respected rugby schools in Leinster. My school is ruined by a few teachers and a few more students who don't seem to give a flying fsck about anybody.

lordsippa

OMIGOD! Sorry! I totally misunderstood!

I thought that (with the exception of the racist slur) you were saying that what the teachers had said were good things! Oh, and I didn't mean you when I called it "as5holey", i meant the teacher who said it (which was fair enough) and then continued to call the student bullsh*tter for the rest of the year (which is as5holey).

And on point of who you are, it wasn't to hunt you down or any such, it was simply cause it dawned on me that you never introduced yourself so i don't know if i know you. Sven, btw, in case i do.

Yeah, I'm not trying to take digs at you btw, cause it's just that you sound kinda like you think i am (again, this may be me being paranoid). So don't worry man. Happy family here, and you've just been adopted. ;p

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

You know me, I don't think we've ever met in person but we've talked a couple of times around here when I used an old username. Hell, most of this BOard knows me. But I'm sure you'll realise who I am soon enough. Anyhoo, I know you're not taking digs at me -- it's all good.

alaskagirl

i think ive figured it out! maybe... i might know who you are! but im not guessing yet. have you had a few different usernames? can we play the guessing game?
ooh! i love that game! four days left of school! wheeeeeeeee!

sisob

Originally posted by alaskagirl
can we play the guessing game?
ooh! i love that game!

we did that b4 - now we know if anyone comes along and says "guess who I I am - it'll be really fun"

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

I told you who I am in my last post in this thread, italics are a handy feature aren't they? Anyway, I don't want some big guessing game it's just that there are some things I prefer saying when shrouded in psuedo-anonyminity.

imp

But Sven... Sancta Maria is in Knockloyn...

}:>

alaskagirl

ok! but I figured it out! wow!!! I was right! for once!

Man U babe

Yep, that's my school. The one where I have to go to start my fcukin leaving cert (which i should 'study' for at some stage) tomorrow. Btw sven where are you?
And skangta maria isnt in rathfarnham or knocklyon, its in ballyroan.

duckgirl

Mark, the statistical average is 2.5 children not 2 and 1/3.

On the subject of teachers, in my science class its mainly the students who say stupid things.

While doing repoduction:

Ross:Sir what does viagra do?
Mr Wilkinson: It<cough> is to give men an<cough> erection.
Ross:Do you need an erection for sex?
Mr Wilkinson:<cough>yes Ross.
Ross:What if viagra didn't work, would you have to hold it in place?
Mr Wilkinson:<cough> I guess you would Ross, yes.
Ross. Could you, like get some sort of device to do it for you, y'know so your hands are free to roam?
cue Mr Wilkinsons tomato face.

Later in same class:

Ross: Sir, if you were, how do you say, getting, em, oral sex, well, can you piss and come at the sam time?

I rest my case.