Mike Strand wrote:Good point, FiH! Even if the parent is only worried about "what will the neighbors think", the stage is set for conflict within the family. If the child is a teen, well, the parent may just have to let the teen stay home from church. Maybe an "enlightened" parent will at least ask junior to lay out the argument used in the school that God does not exist, and get a discussion going. Or confess or explain to junior the social survival tactic of attending church, regardless of personal opinions about God's nature or existence.
That's a really good point, that I hadn't considered. The "social survival tactic" is actually something that schools should teach. The parent would have a point. There is certainly a need to be socially graceful with one's opinions, and needlessly hurting someone, especially while they may be dealing with a crisis, like a death in the family, would be uncalled for. That's not the time to start arguing about god's existence. I guess there is a danger in teaching smart kids, unless we also teach them some social skills to go with their critical thinking.
I think I just assumed that critical thinkers would be socially tactful, but that does not need to be the case at all.
I think I just assumed that critical thinkers would be socially tactful, but that does not need to be the case at all.
Disarming comment, although I didn't think you made any such assumption, and I agree with you about the independence of critical thinking and social tact -- especially, I think, in teenage males (I was one, and often still act like one in social settings if I disagree with the party line). Your comments about how to behave among bereaved people is well taken.
bus2bondi, could you please clarify your question? -- or maybe another reader with more insight could reply to it and make it clearer for me.
vegetariantaxidermy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:18 pm
I'm going to be a conspiracy theorist here I'm convinced there is a world-wide conspiracy to dumb down Western civilization. After viewing my child's last school report, which was completely incomprehensible, I am convinced that this is so. The report was designed to confuse and veil a lack of teaching in all the basics. It was so PC that there was no way of telling if my child was doing well or poorly in any given area. I gave up and threw it in the trash. Most people these days are semi-literate. I wonder why.
If you spent more time reading and trying to understand your child's report rather than throwing it in the trash, you might find you achieve more literacy
vegetariantaxidermy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:18 pm
I'm going to be a conspiracy theorist here I'm convinced there is a world-wide conspiracy to dumb down Western civilization. After viewing my child's last school report, which was completely incomprehensible, I am convinced that this is so. The report was designed to confuse and veil a lack of teaching in all the basics. It was so PC that there was no way of telling if my child was doing well or poorly in any given area. I gave up and threw it in the trash. Most people these days are semi-literate. I wonder why.
Very old post but what the hell.
I'm a little puzzled that a parent wouldn't know how their child was doing in the basics? Is it because parents nowadays abdicate responsibility for their child's basic education to the state?
Although I would be interested in what an NZ school report is like as my kids reports seem fairly understandable. What was it that didn't tell you that your kid was lacking in the basics. How old were they at the time by the way?
vegetariantaxidermy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:18 pm
I'm going to be a conspiracy theorist here I'm convinced there is a world-wide conspiracy to dumb down Western civilization. After viewing my child's last school report, which was completely incomprehensible, I am convinced that this is so. The report was designed to confuse and veil a lack of teaching in all the basics. It was so PC that there was no way of telling if my child was doing well or poorly in any given area. I gave up and threw it in the trash. Most people these days are semi-literate. I wonder why.
Very old post but what the hell.
I'm a little puzzled that a parent wouldn't know how their child was doing in the basics? Is it because parents nowadays abdicate responsibility for their child's basic education to the state?
Although I would be interested in what an NZ school report is like as my kids reports seem fairly understandable. What was it that didn't tell you that your kid was lacking in the basics. How old were they at the time by the way?
It seems that YOU are lacking basic reading comprehension. I said the REPORT was INCOMPREHENSIBLE. (OMG, PARENTS expecting SCHOOLS to teach their children. How dare they! ) I really can't be bothered going into this after a comment that was made eight years ago, especially to someone who 'misreads and embellishes' everything I write. Sculptor only dragged it out of the attic after hours of 'trowling' to be a pain in the arse. You could have discussed it eight years ago.
Mike Strand wrote: ↑Wed Aug 15, 2012 12:28 am
Good point, FiH! Even if the parent is only worried about "what will the neighbors think", the stage is set for conflict within the family. If the child is a teen, well, the parent may just have to let the teen stay home from church. Maybe an "enlightened" parent will at least ask junior to lay out the argument used in the school that God does not exist, and get a discussion going. Or confess or explain to junior the social survival tactic of attending church, regardless of personal opinions about God's nature or existence.
Or get the church to improve the quality of the post-church snacks. At my church they tried to serve healthy shit for post-church snacks and suddenly a lot fewer teens were attending. They had to go back to cookies and chips and highly sugared fruit juice and lemonade.
I'm convinced there is a world-wide conspiracy to dumb down Western civilization. After viewing my child's last school report, which was completely incomprehensible, I am convinced that this is so. The report was designed to confuse and veil a lack of teaching in all the basics. It was so PC that there was no way of telling if my child was doing well or poorly in any given area. I gave up and threw it in the trash. Most people these days are semi-literate. I wonder why.
) I really can't be bothered going into this after a comment that was made eight years ago, especially to someone who 'misreads and embellishes' everything I write. Sculptor only dragged it out of the attic after hours of 'trowling' to be a pain in the arse. You could have discussed it eight years ago.