[OAC_Sparky]

2001 ZTS,Mar 25 2006, 08:51 PM Wrote:I (a few posts back in this thread) used a variation of "Give me a lever and a place to stand and I will move the Earth" which has to be one of the most well known quotes EVER made yet only 1 person here (Sparky) "gets it"and others need an explaination? Archimedes said it first sometime between 280-211 BC. I am so obviously running with the wrong crowd. I may be old but wasn't around when he said it. Maybe it is the education system?[right][snapback]176953[/snapback][/right]

Lol, I think it's a little bit of both "we are old" and "changes to the education system".

Judging by what I see in the education of my kids (ranging from 6-15 years old) that a lot of time is wasted in the pursuit of being "well rounded", which used to be what "home time" was. My 15yo is in Grade 10, still has to take another mandated "art"-type class (guitar lessons!).

When I was in Grade 10 we had Science, Math, English, Geography, French and a Double-Tech class. Guitar lessons was a weekend thing your parents paid for.

I say if by the time you are in high school and you have a good idea of what you want to be (aeronautical engineer) you should be able to bee-line your courses (ie heavy sciences/math) and bypass "Guitar Lessons" if you want to. Even though in the end I didn't do the Aeronautical Engineer thing, I'm still in a technical field, which at least pays the bills.

And don't get me started on the aversion our education system has to training for the trades... :rolleyes:

I can see offering the courses, but "mandatory"? sheesh