DumpingSh1tandBeingKind2
107769
2217
52
Oct 4, 2023 10:22 AM
DumpingSh1tandBeingKind2
107769
2217
52
NeverShaveYourDuck
What's the point of having kids if you don't get to mock them mercilessly for their pathetic failings?
AranaDiscoteca
I'm trying to convince my classroom parents TO care. Sis, your child cannot write a complete sentence; he does not think in complete thoughts. It's exploitation city out there if he cannot analyze and critically evaluate please help me with some back up.
Absent
Allow your children to fail in life, some lessons are best learnt that way; but don't stop giving direction. Life is easier to navigate with a guide after all.
Aaronb1138
This is an awful take and encourages the fantasy that you can do whatever you want when you grow up. People need to learn fundamental skills and knowledge if they're going to participate in a society.
Grumpyfrumpy
Bigger things. Playing WOW in mom's basement at 29. Check.
HUGHgReaction
As long as they make an effort to get a good mark. If they don’t even try for all their classes you have a problem to deal with.
linkgenesis
Entrepeneurs should definitely care about the humanities. OR else we get *vaguely gestures to everything*
transientmind
Uhm. While I appreciate the sentiment, in that one example I really wish the entrepreneurs did know their humanities, though.
seakoos
From the Idaho school system. One of the worst in the country.
CaptainBlacklung
I bet you know what a fuckin' potato looks like though.
JusticePhrall
Remember when far-right MAGA extremists took over North Idaho College, sabotaging the school’s administration to the point that the school could lose its accreditation? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
InTheBeginningWasTheNerd
Worthy sentiment but I feel like maybe next time, before giving them the job, check that your principal-to-be can write like a professional and not... like a fourteen year old, who adds, lots of... extra punctuation.
nemocares
Don't worry, odds are he only got a job as anonymous solemn-jpg school principal, as opposed to school principal of an actual school.
Fauxcused
dirtyketchup
Ummm… people of all professions not understanding history is kinda what’s fucking up our country right now. “Not getting top marks” and “not understanding” are very different concepts.
sarkonas
Both extremes are bad. On the flipside, children not giving a fuck in school grew up wearing red hats, denying a pandemic and shouting about God and flat earth...
zHurk777
"... There is an entrepreneur who doesn't care about History or English.... " .... so, magas in the making.
TheJudgeHasItBackwards
While I agree with the overall sentiment, I think it is actually very important to have a basic and well-rounded education, especially in primary education. Literacy in language, math, science, humanities (history and literature) and a basic appreciation of the arts are vital to practical survival and social success as an adult. And high school levels of those subjects are a pretty low bar frankly, at least in the US.
thecdc
As a "math person" I can't imagine choosing to cut myself from music, history, literature, or any other area.
OozyRatInASanitaryZoo
I work at an art school and I want to strangle anyone who says artists don't have to understand math.
TheLiteraryMachine
Yeah, sorry, but history will always be relevant for *everyone* to know.
CaptainBlacklung
Pfft, History? You know what happened to all those people in history? They died. You know what that makes them? That's right. A bitch. /s
Etereo
Ffs teach entrepreneus english and hystory and math and social skills. Wtf
n1njabot1
Not everyone is going to be an astronaut, that said your kid might have a difficult time opening peanut butter jars for a living.
RoutemasterFlash
Screwing them on, on the other hand, could be quite lucrative.
littlefoxpounce
Also remind them that just because the "you only get one try" is shoved down their throats with a smile, life rarely gives only 1 chance. Failure is important
bunnyrut
"You need to know what your lifetime career will be by the time you are 17/18 and go to college to lock it in." I had no idea what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and wasted time (and money) pursuing a degree in something I thought I wanted. It took failure for me to find my path.
littlefoxpounce
I'm 40 and so haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up
tinyfootprints
I often reminded my kid, "Winners fail more often than losers even try."
xtd8rfx8cw350
Beautiful! What a great lesson; if you don’t even try,you’ve already failed
BlackCatCasper
You better lose yourself in the music
The moment, you own it, you better never let it go. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo.
dripstone
my sister in law wanted her son to go to summer school because his math marks were in the 70's. When he tried to sign up they said no; his they said his marks were to high. He was quite happy with that...
Unclescam
Entrepreneur who doesn't care about history or English literature...psychopaths
stanfonz
right?? this is how we get Elon
TheCrustyMustard
I took me way too long to figure out that there were not mistakes in the highlighted text.
VerifiedApproves
That's a nice sentiment, but scholarships aren't handed out for shit grades. Until they make college free instead of profit we are FORCED to perform well because it sets you up. Not everyone gets to make money off of art. Not everyone gets to make GOOD money being an athlete. And few don't lose money chasing an entrepreneur dream. In fact, all of these chances are improved with good grades. Don't cheat yourself out of opportunities because you want to be "right."
VerifiedApproves
TL;DR
TheMershedPerderder
History is important to everyone, those who don't understand are doomed to repeat it. English is important because how else can you properly express yourself? At least try to learn instead of *I don't NEED to learn this, I'm going to be in the NBA*. I get the point of not pressuring for all top marks, but school in itself is important.
MikeTran
A entreprenuer that doesn’t know history is doomed to repeat failures.
NSAgent
I wish more entrepreneurs cared about history though…
jargonmon
Aw hell... I'm here right now with two in HS. I'm torn because they both made honor roll consistantly in middle school. Not so much now. Now... their grades suffer because they won't hand in their homework. Just hand the damned thing in boys. How hard can that be? You walk into class you hand in the hw or project. If you need help with something then ask momma or me. But I'll be damned if you're gonna fail a class because you're not handing stuff in. UGH!!! And..ya friggin did it dude. /r
JPSzcz
anjeer
Speaking as someone who struggled with turning in my homework, I have a bit of unsolicited advice.
I think they need more reassurance that it's okay to half-ass it instead of not doing it at all.
If they're expecting perfection of themselves, they've found the loophole that a perfect 0 technically counts as perfect. But that's just the fear of failure speaking.
And this kind of fear isn't rational. It's confusing and difficult to reason with. But your kind reassurance can help your kids.
anjeer
To modify a Ron Swanson quote:
"Don't half-ass two things. Whole ass one."
But if you have to do two things, half-assing them is better than doing nothing at all.
Spise6
My son was the same way. Like my dude... you DID THE WORK- get the damn credit. Good luck! My son graduated regardless and is working now- so regardless of what he didn't turn in, it ended up ok. Just frustrating as a parent to get emails and calls about assignments not completed and you wanna say- I KNOW he did this... I wish you the best!
Givemethegoo
I have read this can often be a sign of adhd/executive dysfunction. You're children may be capable but now in that new setting are struggling.
jargonmon
They both have ADHD. So you're correct.
imcoach
This is very common for resource students. They do the work, put it in their backpack, and walk out. I taught freshmen for 9 years and saw this pattern enough to start helping kids empty their backpacks to find it all. I think they are hyper focused on getting to the next thing (or out of class, lol).
bunnyrut
My mom used to offer me rewards for grades on my report card. Even a C got me rewarded. It wasn't much of an incentive, but I did try to get my grades to be better. Knowing I was still praised for being "average" took a lot of pressure off. A D was not punished, just told to ask my teachers for more help and I'll do better next time.
OpossumJesusHasRisen
I tell my daughter (& now my 3 bonus kids) that as long as you tried, I will be proud. She got so anxious before tests that the night before was awful. But when she got home still fretting that she did poorly, I'd ask if she tried her best. She'd say yes & I'd tell her that's it then, she did what she could. Then she'd pick dinner or dessert or something she wanted to do to celebrate doing her best. It's literally all anyone can do.
bunnyrut
Yeah, one of my friends was really smart. But she tested poorly. She knew the answers, but stressed so much during the tests that she would do bad. Her mom wasn't so kind when she did, which I think was the reason she did so poorly.
OpossumJesusHasRisen
That was an issue for me also. Especially with anything timed. We had those timed math tests through all of grade school & it triggered some permanent anxiety regarding timed tasks. I was already bad at math. Anything less than an A was failure to my parents & I wasn't about that stress for my kid.
UnexpectedDildoOnAShelf
Kind of sad that this has to be said.
bunnyrut
I had a friend in school whose mom should have had this read to her on a daily basis. She expected A's in every class and berated my friend in front of everyone if she didn't do well. I made honor roll for the first time ever and she didn't. Her mom called her out for not getting it and pointed at me and said "even SHE got it!" Like I was too stupid to deserve it. That mom was a real bitch. My mom was just happy I graduated.
Foxsayy
There are also a LOT of kids who do much better when they know failure doesn't lead to horrible consequences. A parent is a large part of a kids world - maybe most of it.
SirSpiffyDijelos
It's also sweet! Life is stressful, and sometimes we don't realize that our anxiety can affect others. A light reminder can be the difference we need.
PrincessWendyB
That was my thought, too.
sortofkindamadbutnotreally
Ita more sad when the principal says this, but then the whole system says "THIS IS A STANDARDIZED TEST AND THE RESULTS FOLLOW YOU FOREVER!!!1!11". Not ripping on the message, its just a bit of an "orphan crushing machine" kind of thing for me.
TheGoatEmporium
Yep. It is. I look back at my schooling and how I failed most every class but was never held back, I learned how to game the system through testing and whatnot. But the only people who made me feel like a failure was my family.
PTNLemay
There is no minimum competence threshold to becoming a parent, and some are really bad at it.
Crillol
Really wish someone sat down with my maternals and told them this. I'm meant to work with my hands, not write papers or remember historical dates.
Foxsayy
There are also a LOT of kids who do much better when they know failure doesn't lead to horrible consequences. A parent is a large part of a kids world - maybe most of it.
certainlynotaserialkiller
Even more sad is that the principal will probably be fired
LucianKane
I think about this more like a reminder. Sometimes parents, just like their kids, get wrapped up in the moment, the situation, and lose
LucianKane
Perspective. It's a great reminder to step back, and remember "it's just a test".
DumpingSh1tandBeingKind2
Yep, but unfortunately parents put more pressure on the kids than the teachers do. So a reminder out to them can definitely only be a good thing 🤷
nemocares
Some need a reminder of this, some need to be reminded of the opposite. Mass mailing something like this to absolutely everyone seems very odd, or perhaps a bit "internet hearsay"-ish. Don't they do any direct "this is how your kid is doing" communication with the parents?
Akintunde
Don't forget the education laws bearing down on everyone. Funding is determined by achievement in many states, and in my state any kid in third grade that falls below certain thresholds on our state standardized exams gets retained now. Retaining a kindergartener or first grader isn't usually impactful, but but the third grade the social pressure of that is causing kids to have full blown panic attacks. While their R parents blame the schools for rentention laws instead of who they voted for 😑.
Stolf
Was a terrible student. Undiagnosed a.d.d only found out recently in my fourties. Sure was great getting punished and belittled growing up
fightkostka6
for some parents their kids are nothing more than trophies to be shown to others
ButtTrumpett
My trophy still shits her self.
TheNextFreud
Broken trophy here, 😞
afambelafonte
I flunked every kind of math class, science class, English and history class in HS at least once. Now I'm a software engineer. All you have to do is graduate. Nobody is ever going to care about your GPA.
Jumpercables24
Over here, the A's become doctors, engineers, bureaucrats. The B's become cops, entrepreneurs etc. The C's as theologians and politicians, and the D's become terrorists and insurgents and control everyone!
demagreg365
Many of the terrorists involved in 9/11 had engineering degrees
Jumpercables24
Not over here. Engineers have a good social standing here but yep, they are corrupted. And the gun totting guys are there to share the pie.
Aaronb1138
I work in the industry and easily 80%+ of those identifying their job as "software engineer" are not particularly skilled and just modern ditch diggers soon to be replaced with automation and the current generative "AI" technologies. The steam shovels are coming for you jobs.
organicolcomns
Extremely true. I struggled my way through my math minor. The math wasn't hard. The system is what I failed to cope with at first, because I was already doing engineering work before I had my degree and I felt it was pointless... and I wasn't exactly wrong. Been an engineer for 17 years and I barely use anything in my math minor or my BS degree. So long as you have a mind for it you can create, invent, implement, whatever you desire. It's about time and effort and passion at the end of the day.
hotfezz
As long as you don't want to be a dr
youreathing
Or your post-secondary degree. It's just paper.
geekykeycap
Same. I mean, I didn't flunk math but it was my weakest subject. In college I had to start out learning advanced algebra. This is a gross brag but I'm one of the best software devs in my area now. I know this because I've interviewed about 100 people in my career and I now contract. I've been exposed to a LOT of devs in my region.
NonstopRampage
Yeah, I was lucky to learn young, that math isn't MATH class. It's a LOGIC class. Once I knew that, everything got easier to grasp.
16bitStarbuck
I have a potato 🥔
MechKelly
Half of all doctors, engineers, lawyers, etc graduated in the bottom half of their class.
BlackCatCasper
Ok boomer
MechKelly
Missed the mark by about 40 years. Maybe next time champ.
bunnyrut
"what do you call a med student who graduated bottom of their class? ... Doctor."
OldnFatBobba
Not in grade school...
IMayHaveTimeForThat
Or in undergrad. Gotta have some serious good scores to get in med school in the US.
foreigntrolldetector
software engineer gets thrown around a lot these days lol … CSS & HTML == software engineer
justareallylongemailaddress
I think the engineering part comes from the combination of "building the thing" (code) and then testing and verifying that it will actually work as intended. A lot of code is made and then just put out there waiting for the inevitable "oh... I didn't think about that condition".
DarkZalgo
Engineering comes from building the system the software runs on. A developer just writes software and doesn't touch the system it's intended for.
mikeatike
I tell non programmers I'm a Software Engineer. But the amount of actual engineering I do at work is sadly minimal. There's a reason why the greatest programmer of our time calls his book series The Art of Computer Programming.
afambelafonte
I mean in the more traditional sense. sw developers (generally) focus on creating efficient programs and tend to specialize as they advance. sw engineers focus on designing e2e systems and architecture and tend to generalize as they advance. Development is a subset of engineering as is devops, QA automation. HTML and CSS could be considered engineering provided that it considers things like best practices, scalability, interop, etc and works within a coherent sw ecosystem. We can all agree on
afambelafonte
one thing though: the product team is a mess and they have no idea what they're doing, and tracking story points is bullshit.
organicolcomns
I would maybe put it more succinctly. "Devs implement designs they're given. Engineers are also analysts that design as well as implement solutions." An engineer has skills to analyze, design, and take ideas to fruition. A dev can grow into an analyst and do analytical tasks while still being underdeveloped in terms of their ability to invent. Many people can follow instructions and create something they're given a rubric for, but the skills to analyze and invent mark an engineer by comparison.
youreathing
It's bullshit marketing which will change again in a few years. Computer Operator > Programmer > Developer > "Software Engineer!"
thecdc
Not really. Even in the US where the title of "software engineer" is unregulated is still requires more skills than just raw coding. Typically an engineer doesn't just fill in the blanks but rather identifies what blanks need to be filled. From identifying the customers needs to pruning that into a viable engineering endeavor to itemizing tasks for the lower level developers to fulfill.
youreathing
That's more of a solution architect's, or even a software dev manager's role, as I've been accustomed to seeing it.
draqsko
Soon to be AI power cord checker.
youreathing
I don't see it going that way. AI is about as overhyped as Automation was a few years ago. Good for some things, but not for all. ie: if you get AI to write some code for you and it fucks up, how do you troubleshoot it? You have no idea what "you" wrote.
draqsko
Let me introduce you to corporate. Do you see what Musk is doing to Twitter? And he doesn't even have AI to replace people yet... Trust me, it's headed that way. A wise decision? No, I never said that, but it makes the bottom line look good for the C-suites to get their raises and compensation and that's all they care about.
TheMouseOfMadness
Or you can do what my parents did: sit me in front of every single vaguely authority figure I'd encountered (teachers, preachers, a random cop I didn't know, etc) and have them all passionately tell me how I wasn't living up to my potential and that I was choosing not to and it was my fault... for getting a B. Guess who learned giving up had a lower penalty than not quite succeeding...
echoawoo
Fun fact, usually wasn't the parents asking for that.
magus200342
Been there as well. Fucks you up for life.
aloysiusoliu
/gallery/k3XBXWx this was my life growing up and yes I am an adult now with anxiety and self esteem issues and a massive case of imposter syndrome. I felt your comment to the core of my soul. I hope things turned out well for you in the long run.
DocTanner
Oh, hey, look, another gifted kid!
drizztx
Yup! I realized this in 6th grade and happily coasted by on C's and D's all the way through college. And my college degree? Worthless now.
mouseasw
It's important as parents (or as bosses and other leaders, or as friends) to actually reward behavior we want to see rather than punish it. For example if they struggle to attend social events, when they make it to an event say "it's good to see you" instead of "finally decided to show up, eh?" Nothing is as discouraging as trying your hardest, having it recognized, and being mocked or criticized for not doing good enough.
NonstopRampage
Man. Fuck your parents, but I kinda wish someone pushed ME to have that work ethic. I was constantly bombarded with prodigy talk at that age, and had the opposite experience. It honestly rang hollow, and stopped all together once I proved myself- by half-assing my way to an award ceremony for the top 4 students in the province. I guess, I literally showed them. They saw me treat top accolades like child's play, and left me be. Unfortunately, I think all the badgering kept me sharp..
xsculder
Yeah i was my mums investement. Fucking sucked. I gave you eveything to succeed. What she doesnt realize is we dont have the same definition of success. Success in life for me is to have a job i love, the house i always dreamed of... i dont need a BMW or the latest cell phone or the most expensive of everything. I just want to be happy in the way I am happy. Took me a while to deprogram and debrainwash myself but im getting there
invaliduserformat
Hello fellow trophy child! We should get matching hats. My mother destroyed my future because of her own frustration of not being 'successful' so she reaaaally wanted to live through me plus the whole "i gave you everything" - beatings included when it didnt work out her way. Fucked me up for a long time. Slowly getting towards normal...
ihatejimmyfallon
That moment you realize your parents forced upon you everything done to them and they already know the result but have no other tools to solve their own inadequacy
prowlerintheyard
I had this exact experience. I already was disappointed and embarrassed that I got below an A— it really hurt my self esteem. To teach me a lesson, my parents decided to steam roll over whatever was left of it.
eventide215
Similarly when I was a teen both my parents kept telling me things like "Once you have a job you won't have time for anything else." Basically projecting how tired they are all the time from doing things in stupid ways. Then when I never wanted to get a job and would fight against it constantly I was the one yelled at. You advertised it to me as if I get a job and life is over.. what did you expect to happen? Lol
eventide215
I'm 31 now and it wasn't until I met my best friend like a decade ago that I started to realize that's not true at all and have slowly been breaking down that resistance built over like 20+ years. Back on topic, my parents also were mad if I'd bring home like C's even if it was just a one time thing. So yeah it definitely doesn't help your mental state. I'm intelligent I just suck at things like history and math.
GoRideYourBicycle
I learned pretty early that I could fuck around and fail nearly all school year and make it all up in 2 short months in the summer. Bonus of having to go to summer school got me out of working at the fam biz. My summer was fucked either way but summer school was honestly legit fun. They spoke about it like a punishment but 2 hours of classes followed by skateboarding with friends the rest of the day was some of my best summers.
IgorOrtis71
Same here. I learned that trying and failing then being seen as a failure is worse than not trying at all.
Kreviathan
I was a gifted kid until I wasn't. When my grades started becoming average my mom would flip her shit instead of trying to help. I ended up forging report cards and lying about homework just to avoid that sort of reaction. That habit of just lying and never talking to her carried on into adulthood.
Xanadulou
Check out Your Rainforest Mind. It may or may not help, since I can't exactly make a judgement on your history off a single comment. But I will say your experience isn't unusual for gifted folks by the actual psych definition (not the "top 10% of academic performers" BS commonly found in school systems. It's a venn diagram between the two, not a circle)
BubbaWunk
Another one of us here! Dad said to me a few years ago- 'of the four kids, you are the one who is happy.' So the C's I got in high school math? No factor.
hellsgunslinger
I was an army MP for 20 years. One day we were taking a smoke break in the parking lot and a lady pulled in, got out of her car and told me to basically scare the crap out of her kid who was misbehaving. The whole tell him you'll lock him up kinda thing. She got real mad when I wouldn't do. I told her I didn't want her kid scared of me. Now that that's out of the way, go ahead and hate me for being LE. i'm used to it
polarbearbaby
The hero we need❤️❤️
Khyburn
Please forgive the unsolicited comment, but I feel strongly compelled to say : Fuck your parents. Into the ground. With a sledgehammer.
michiyl
"[...] not quite succeeding to external expectations" ... I still count B as a good grade - hopefully a balance between invested time and effort
heathenhumanist
Yup. I got lectured by my mom once for getting an A- on something. Because I should have tried that little bit harder to make the A. You think I didn't try for an A?!
TheHolyFatman
My parents: you're lazy and don't apply yourself. It's your fault you never got formal education for certain subject matter covered in one school, but not the new school you were placed in. Just do the work and stop asking questions. You talk to much. You ask follow ups. Stop challenging the teachers...
NotLuckyDucky
Or you could have my parents who were indifferent to my good grades and instead rewarded my brothers for getting Ds and asking why I had no common sense
Rijtjeshuis
Oh, man... I just got a mild flashback while reading this comment. More ADHD meds and antidepressants for me today, I guess.
CritterMazes
You got B's ! Rad
vegivamp
Remember, if at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
PlankTableGo
To all of you here who identify with this: Please work on this with a good therapist ASAP. The effects get much worse in middle age & will impact your career and ability to find healthy relationships.
DireRadiant
What he said. I'm over fifty and it's worse now. They tell you "it gets better" like it just gets better on its own. It doesn't unless you work on it. In the interest of full disclosure, I unlocked the cheat code. I married a therapist. (it's still not exactly idkfa but it's just pretty great.)
DireRadiant
I feel like I should probably head off the question. No she wasn't MY therapist.
keystotheairlock
I'm in this comment and I don't like it.
DumpingSh1tandBeingKind2
Did we have the same parents?! I'm sorry that happened to you stranger, I hope you've realised that you're an amazing person, not everyone is academic, and that doesn't mean we're stupid! Some of us just don't do well in standardised tests, and we shouldn't be judged off that
Dappin
My 5th grade teacher sat my mom down for a serious talk after I cried over a 97% (at the time the only allowance I was given was a dollar for a perfect score).
heathenhumanist
Good on your teacher for noticing that pattern in you at such a young age. Did your mom change?
StarryPlough
And yet here you are posting obviously fake viral spam to imgur
TheMouseOfMadness
Who shit in your cornflakes? I need to have a talk to them about increasing the amount because clearly you aren't taking the hint
heathenhumanist
That's unnecessarily unkind and potentially hurtful
NoxiousRed
DarknessfillsmyheartwithpainTIMMAY
StarryPlough
I'm not American. That word isnt as offensive as you think it is.
DarknessfillsmyheartwithpainTIMMAY
Wow, your assumptions about what you read really are a bit off, yeah?
ThatOneFriendWhoTriesTooHard
Yeah, it's OK to test poorly. But everyone needs some knowledge of history, chem, etc. If people understood basic scientific processes, we wouldn't debate how to handle a pandemic from emotions. Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Understanding math saves you money & helps you avoid scams. We need to encourage kids to work hard, even when teachers suck or it doesn't come naturally. If I'd paid better attention to my grammar lessons, some of you would take my comment seriously.
MagicToolBox
For a piece of pocket lint I would trade ALL the history classes I had to take for a couple years of classes in financial management; balancing checkbooks, basic investing, tax prep...
ThatOneFriendWhoTriesTooHard
Why does it have to be "this" OR "that"? Why aren't both taught?
RoutemasterFlash
While I agree with you in principle, I'm not convinced that a basic high-school level knowledge of, say, biology and chemistry is going to help someone understand that 'antigen shedding' isn't a real thing, because it relies on the (mis)use of concepts that are beyond the range of what's taught in high school. In fact quite often it's people who have *some* knowledge of these subjects who are the most prone to disinformation, because it panders to their sense of being 'in the know'.
RoutemasterFlash
Of course, that doesn't really apply to the most extreme examples, such as the Flat Earth cult, where you've basically got to have something seriously wrong with you to fall prey toi it. (That said, a friend of mine once encountered a professional *engineer* who believed the earth is flat - so make of that what you will.)
GerbilHereReportingLiveFromRichardGeresAss
That's not the education system's fault, it's the fault of the people - the kids, the parents etc. The common misconception about primary school/high school education is that it's supposed to prepare everyone to be knowledgeable in all of those topics. It's not. It's there to direct kids into the things they're interested in and pursue that path later on in college. And yet we're all somehow coming out of hs thinking we should know everything. That was never the point.
RoutemasterFlash
Sounds like a bit of a strawman argument there - I've never heard of the idea that kids leaving school should "know everything", which is self-evidently absurd. That's like thinking doing a couple of laps of your local park and some barbell curls will enable you to compete in the Olympics.
GerbilHereReportingLiveFromRichardGeresAss
I suppose you weren't around people who think that the whole system is completely useless because THEY don't like math, or chemistry, or this or that, ignoring the fact that there are other kids in the same class that might find those things fascinating. I see that kind of argumentation all the time.
RoutemasterFlash
Eh? What's that got to do with "knowing everything"?
bunnyrut
When I got to college I found out a lot of things I learned in my science classes were wrong or outdated. Yet it was still being taught as facts.
RoutemasterFlash
Can you remember any specific examples? Quite often science has to be simplified in order for it to be understandable to kids, or really anyone who's not an expert - e.g., of course electrons don't actually "orbit" atomic nuclei like little planets orbiting a sun, but it's a reasonable analogy all the same, and useful as a teaching aid, given that kids of 10 or whatever are unlikely to understand the extremely complex maths that's involved in a full quantum-mechanical description of an atom.
bunnyrut
Let's see, there's how you taste certain foods (sweet, sour, spicy, etc) on different parts of your tongue. Columbus wasn't trying to prove the earth was round, that was already widely accepted. And most notably, Haeckel’s Embryos. Disproven not too long after being published in the early 1900's, yet remained in our school books well into the late 20th century. I don't know if it's still there now.
RoutemasterFlash
Hang on, are you saying Columbus *was* trying to prove the earth was round?
RoutemasterFlash
As, indeed, are nearly all adults, except for the small minority who go on to study maths or physics at university.
RoutemasterFlash
In fact, it's an overstatement of the idea that everything we're taught at school is inaccurate or incomplete that tends to lead people down the conspiracy-theory rabbit-hole.