Tuesday 4 November 2008

DUMBING DOWN

I love this extract from a book "Dumbing Down our Kids" by educator Charles Sykes in which he talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world. This would be his advice to children.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you sa ve the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF . Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.If you agree, pass it on.If you can read this -Thank a teacher!

This doesn't only apply to teenagers, I know a few adults that would do well to take note!

And finally ..... give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink all day.

18 comments:

Maggie May said...

Don't you honestly think that "Political correctness" has gone too far. We are a nation that is afraid of offending people.
Schools ARE mollycoddling the children, many of them are really confused and stretching boundaries to the limits.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

I totally agree with you Maggie.

Mean Mom said...

LOL! This is good! My lads certainly know all of this, now, but have probably learned some of it from experience. It would be really 'mean' of me to email it to them, at this stage, wouldn't it;0)

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

I love this and it is just full of common sense. There are too many kids full of self entitlement without the graft to get there. They cheese me off greatly.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

The trouble is MM that some adults have never learned these lessons.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

It's the politically correst fuckwits that piss me off MOB.

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

RAC - I totally agree with all of that and the previous comments. I get furious when I hear some of the trite rubbish being spouted sometimes, frustrated too. A x

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Here I am, out of breath but up to date at last. Couldn't agree more - the hardest lesson is that life is hard, but we all have to learn it sooner or later. And I loved the last bit - very funny and very true. M xx

Grit said...

haha! i recall teaching a young lad who was convinced his first wage would buy him a porche. no way! i said. you'll have to deal a lot more drugs than that.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous post.

CJ xx

the mother of this lot said...

I think I married the man you taught how to fish.

aims said...

I'm so sick of the kids these days. What has the world come to? And how?

This should be posted in every schoolroom - from pre-school up.

Mozi Esme said...

This contains way too much truth! Back in Oregon I was on the county committees to make sure our students were properly educated to get real work when they finished school. It's amazing how challenging this is!

Sandi McBride said...

Too true in any country in any language...coddling does not a successful adult make! Great post!
Sandi

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Anne, I find it so hard to keep my mouth shut at sports days where the children "all win" because it is not good to be competitive. No wonder they end up full of false expectations.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Out of breath Margot? I haven't even started yet!

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

So - run that advice by me again git!?

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Thanks CJ.