Consider Home-Schooling...

[Ross Macintosh]

Are kids better off being home schooled?

[Ross Macintosh]

By the way - here is what Snoops.com had to say about the letter: http://www.snopes.com/humor/letters/hilliker.asp

Even if the letter is a fake -- it is true that teachers often want students' blind obedience regardless of whether they are right or wrong.

[covoxer]

This is a sick school...
I don't know about home schooling, but I would keep my kinds away from this, so called "school".

[pauland]

it is true that teachers often want students' blind obedience regardless of whether they are right or wrong.

Where exactly can I find the evidence for this? I wouldn't say this was my experience and think it's way off base.

[Ross Macintosh]

Okay Paul -- Perhaps saying "often" was off-base. I should have said "sometimes".

Of course not all teachers are bad - but I think most people can tell stories of bad teachers from their own first-hand experience. Were you one of the lucky ones who only had great teachers?

Regards, Ross

[handrawn]

got to say I was a little bemused Ross, about where you were coming from, as the original post is so obviously firmly in the 'urban myth' category.....

any teacher who wrote a letter like that would not last 5mins in a state school, or any worth going to, even in 1994 - at least, not in the UK

[pauland]

I think all teachers want obedience and respect and most would accept that they can be wrong and would be glad to have the debate and be corrected.

I think what they wouldn't want is a slanging match with a pupil during a class, even if the pupil had a valid point. As is often the case, it's not so much what you say, but how you say it.

I had some poor teachers and some really great ones.

I did Pure and Applied mathematics with one teacher and he was great. We had a tiny class of six pupils. If one of us started daydreaming he would gradually start talking nonsense then eventually ask some nonsense question of the daydreamer. He was great.

Our school had a Religious Education teacher who couldn't control their classes and inevitably there was always a lot of noise and shouting and eventually another teacher would restore order. You can say how terrible it is to have a bad teacher, but I suspect having to come in day after day and face the problems that that guy faced must have been truly awful.

[Ross Macintosh]

Well then your rejects can move to Norh America and find work in our school systems!

[handrawn]

yes Paul - its all in the way its put - its just so unprofessional is it not

the emphasis and thrust of the letter is completely wrong, both in the direction from which it approaches the matter, and in the way the situation is described

I did look at the link, but I don't buy it


written by a pupil I'd believe

[pauland]

Well then your rejects can move to Norh America and find work in our school systems!

I think you insulted a large number of people with that remark!

I can't believe it's as bad as you suggest Ross.