Education

 


Message 1 of 10 in Discussion
From: Karl WigginsSent:

I've talked about metalwork in a previous discussion, but to be perfectly truthful I didn't fare too well in any of the other subjects either.  In fact, my first bi-yearly report shows that out of 28 pupils in our class I came 28th!  Not only did I have a funny accent - my family had just moved down from the Midlands - but it seems that I was as thick as a brick as well.

Six months later I came 27th out of 28.  I can't think at the moment who the kid was who was thicker than me, but he must have been a real moron.

That year Woosley (was that his name) underlined something in red the form master had written on the general report on conduct and progress; "He must make a great deal more effort to keep up with the world."  Interesting, because since then I've been half way around the world and back again, while he's just a retired headmaster.

Skipping a few years I come to February 1971:
English 51% - "A very lazy boy.  Too easily satisfied."  History - "Karl lacks concentration and shows no interest in the subject. He makes little effort in his oral or written work."  (These two guys are obviously pissed off with me.  Let's read on).  Geography 26% - "Karl's classwork is poor and his attitude to work is inconsistent."  Maths 26% - "Karl is obviously capable, but he makes very little effort and this is reflected in his marks."

My poor parents.  It must have been a strain having such a cretin for a son.  Becker wrote, "A very worrying report.  Interviewed."  I don't remember the interview so it certainly wasn't what you would call in the sales world a power meeting!  I think they should have ex-sales managers as headmasters.  At least they're used to turning people around and getting results.  At least they get their sales team fired up with motivation and enthusiasm.

I helped to run sales crews across America for years, and in our business we called it, "Knocking 'em down and building 'em up stronger." Our headmasters would have been good at the "Knocking 'em down" bit.  They gave great bollockings.  But their people management skills were certainly challenged when it came to "Building 'em up stronger." Encouragement and reassurance was not Becker's forte.  A very worrying report?  He should have seen what was to come! June 1971:
English - "Some improvement shown.  I expect to receive nothing below his best effort," (That's a good start).  History  7% - "Karl has made no effort this term.  He seems determined not to work at this subject and just wastes his time during lessons," (So much for the good start).  Geography  5% - "This mark reflects the effort that Karl has put into his Geography course," (I also think it reflects the effort that was put into coaching me).  Maths  14% - "Has made some useful contributions to class discussions, but still appears to make no effort to learn the work.  Takes life too easily," (Well, at least I got above 10%).  Chemistry  19% - "Karl must make greater effort if he is to do well," (Come on guys, these comments are getting a bit repetitive).  Music  34% - "Karl is unfortunately not making much effort to use his ability,"  (What? - Is "effort" the word of choice this year?).

The form master, Wright (Remember him? Always rattling on about Egypt?), wrote, "Karl's attitude to school has deteriorated badly, varying from extremely lazy to being obstructive and surly.  He is making no "effort" at all as far as I can see." Becker wrote, "His interests at present seem to lie elsewhere.  Growing maturity may cure this."

But, of course, growing maturity did not cure it.  My interests did indeed lie elsewhere.  They lay with King Crimson, Jethro Tull and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

My final school report was a masterpiece of encouragement, ressurance and supports:
English Language  9%.  English Literature  32% - "The effort made in this subject is too little to produce satisfactory results. Has a mature understanding but is bone idle," (No truer words have ever been written about me).  History  9% - "Karl makes no attempt to produce reasonable work."  Civics - "Karl makes little effort to exert himself usually but occasionally contributes in class."  Maths  4.5% - "This is the result of five years of laziness.  In class he is amiable and cooperative, but he has made no effort whatsoever to learn the basic principals of the subject.  Transferred to the C.S.E. course."  Chemistry  37% - "Very passive member of the class."  Music  13% - "He has made no effort to improve.  I now feel that he has perhaps left it too late."

The form master, who I think was Miss Jones, wrote, "This is a sad report! I fear that Karl has fallen so far behind that only a superhuman effort could enable him to pass his final exams.  His general attitude, lateness are all indicative of his response to school," (I always felt that she should have included the word "and" between attitude and lateness instead of a comma, but then what the hell did I know?).

Anyway, with so many people showing faith in me and offering such encouragement, it came as no surprise when I failed all the exams except Maths C.S.E., which I passed with an amazing grade one, equivalent to an O-level!

Mybirthday is in June, so I was still only 15 when I stepped out into the world, proudly cluthching my Maths C.S.E. grade one certificate to my chest.  All I had to show for five years of guidance and coaching from Downer Grammar School.

Has anybody else got any amusing report card entries? Surely they can't be as bad as mine.

 

Message 2 of 10 in Discussion
From: don chrisSent: 25/10/2000 04:06

Karl Wiggens, what a disgaceful report of one persons failure in their school years.  The sadder part of this recital is that you appear to be proud of this dismal history.

How sad that you were not expelled after your first term to let a worthwhile student excercise his right to an education.  I also spent 20 years working in the USA and met many a 'salesman' who was as blustery and self opinionated as you appear to be.  Attitudes such as you display here do not make us proud to be English.

I was at Downer from '51 to '54.  I was proud of the school and I appreciated the teachers and what they did to improve our outlook on life.  But most of all I can look back and remember the pride of my parents when they saw their son going to a 'GRAMMAR SCHOOL' ..... so sad the not all the students could handle it.... hopefully you made a better showing for the rest of your life.

 

Message 3 of 10 in Discussion
From: Karl WigginsSent: 26/10/2000 10:28

Oh, well that's told me, hasn't it?

Seriously, Don, it's all true.  And I didn't mean to poke fun at an institution you so obviously hold in high regard.  School didn't work for me, but I'm glad that you at least were able to make your parents proud.

You see, the only people I felt I'd let down were my own parents.  In order to assist me, my dad had taken home study courses in all of my school subjects, and then actually went on to take, and pass, the exams.  He did this is in spare time and it must have been very tiring.  When we moved to Kenton the house needed complete redecorating.  And on top of that the sale of the house in the midlands fell through, so for a year they had two mortgages to pay.  Times were tough.

Yet when I was at school, judging by the comments the teachers had to say about me, I believed that I was a complete and utter bonehead.  Nobody at school told me I wasn't.  And I'm sure you'll be the first to admit that if you are intelligent there are more options open to you.  And in those days, and also today to a certain extent, intelligence was based on your aptitude for memorizing useless dollops of information and then at the push of some mental button being able to transfer all that to paper.

Which,of course, has very little to do with real intelligence.  In fact, it's rather stupid.  Why bother to retain information that can so easily be looked up in a book.  There are far, far better ways of training your mind.

And before you jump down my throat again, I'm not suggesting we ignore education, of course.  Education in itself is a very fine thing.  But we should not judge people ignorant and unintelligent simply because they have a bad memory.

Everyone has their place in society.  If you do happen to be blessed with a good memory, then use it.  There are many fields open to you.  A good friend of mine has an incredible memory and is a professional poker player, for instance.  A very tiring, boring choice of career, by the way.

But if you can't even retain your own phone number, then don't worry about it.  Write it on a piece of paper and stick it in your pocket.  Also write, "My phone number," on the piece of paper just in case you can't remember what it's there for.  If, however, you find yourself forgetting that you have a phone in the first place, then we're never going to see you sitting in the black/purple chair firing the answers back at old Chris Tarrent, are we?

But you've no doubt got other talents.  You could be a great chef for instance, or maybe you're mechanically minded or a superb athlete. Perhaps you have great leadership abilities.  You could be good with animals, or have latent musical potential.  You may even be the next super-model.  Or the next supergrass, who knows?

There are always other choices.  And when we've used up all the options, we should remember this ..... we haven't.

But back during the years 67-72 nobody told me this.  Shame on teachers who tell kids over and over again that they're stupid or hopeless or useless or only fair, because in most case the damage done is irreparable.  I say irreparable, even though that word goes against all my beliefs of "no limits" because if you tell a kid this, and you tell it to him often enough, then he'll believe it.  And if that's the case then he's unlikely to take any steps to rectify it.  Oh, what a powerful thing belief is.

But, of course, there's always choice.  We always have choice.  We can accept school's opinion of us, or we can decide to raise our standards and build our own self-esteem.  If we just make that simple decision, our subconscious mind will take over and start to nudge us in directions previously unconsidered.

As a Certified Clinical & Transformational Hypnotherapist and Hypno-Anaesthesiologist, I know a little bit about the subconscious mind.  It's like a kind of automatic pilot system.  You set your compass in the direction you want, then leave it.  You don't have to worry about it (which is a pretty pointless emotion anyway).  Just set it, keep making simple adjustments, and it'll guide you to port.

Of course if you don't set it, then you're at the mercy of whatever trade winds happen to be blowing.  And they could take you anywhere.  And wherever that is, you can be sure it won't be to the top of the ladder.  It's our choice.

Now you may not believe all this.  And that's your choice.  But that may be a belief that you wish to change.

And yet some people could be right.  The subconscious mind could be a load of nonsense.  But if that's so, I'd still rather hold onto a belief that gives me at least some chance of success than just knuckle under and accept all the negative opinions of the teachers at Downer Grammar.  Luckily while the teachers were chastising me, I had wonderful parents who were encouraging me to be all that I could be, and more. This kind of balanced it out.

I feel sorry for kids whose parents believe what the teachers were telling them, as if teachers can possibly know more than parents do about their own kids.  So the kids get shit at school from the teachers and then more shit when they get home from the parents.  What happens to these poor bastards when they leave school?

They become menial workers, that's what happens to them.  Well, sod it, someone has to do it, right?  No, that's not right.  That's not the attitude at all.  There are some highly intelligent labourers.  In fact, to carry a hod and run for a gang of three or four brickies requires not only strength, but observation, planning, organization, preparation, forethought, co-ordination, timing and competence.  Much the same qualities required from a military leader or, dare I say it, a high-level executive, right?

Right!

So Don, I apologise if my self-deprecating style of humour offends. It's just my way.

Oh, and another thing .... lighten up, eh?

 

Message 4 of 10 in Discussion
Sent: 03/12/2000 16:00
This message has been deleted by the author.

 

Message 5 of 10 in Discussion
From: Penny LauezzariSent: 03/12/2000 19:49

One of my biggest regrets in life is that I felt that I never reached my full potential with Downer's educational system.  It always seemed to me that unless you were in the right mould of pupil you were quickly abandoned by teachers.  There was no real mentoring as such in my time and most teachers did not look to a pupil to unlock potential if it wasn't immediatley obvious.  The only one who ever seemed to have any time for me was Mr Lippett the art teacher and he actually did take time to sit with me at the time of O'levels to talk about coming back to do A level art.

Fortunately for me my time to improve my meagre clutch of qualifications came when I was working with an organisation which invested in me by sending me to City University in London to study a management degree course.

My mother was proud that her daughter got to grammar school but it was nothing like the pride she had when I graduated at the Guildhall in London after completing the course.

Its difficult when you are growing up to realise the benefits of a good education and I often feel that many people put far more into learning when they do it later in life doing something which interests them.

 

Message 6 of 10 in Discussion
From: Karl WigginsSent: 06/12/2000 23:53

A point of note here - and please don't think I'm bragging - but my sister had an even worse education than myself.  At one stage her report read, "Is now not so far behind the person at the bottom of the class as she was last term."

By the time she was 25 years of age she had her own chauffeur-driven limozine and several houses (one in Texas [her own], two in Florida and a duplex in Texas [all rented out]).  She did all this by running her own business.  She's been in sales for the last 20 years and has gone from strength to strength.  Her business requires no formal education.

However, I do wish I myself had some formal qualifications.  It's harder to improve your marketability on the job market at 44 years of age, particularly if you haven't got a degree.

I just feel that Downer gave up on me.

Message 7 of 10 in Discussion
From: Pennie LauezzariSent: 18/12/2000 20:54

Karl,

don't despair just look at this way, of todays younger generation I think more than 50% go to university and come out clutching degrees in all sorts of strange subjects.  In the main a lot of them are extremely average and in terms of common sense and get up and going for a job just doesn't interest them.  A degree in life skills is far more valuable than anything on paper!

The only thing we can hope for at our age is that the Government has suddenly woken up to the fact that people heading on into their 50s are in fact useful and valuable in the workplace and the way the current generation seem to drift between 'travelling' and temp jobs they need the likes of us to keep working until we are 65 to keep some money going into the Government coffers!

 

Message 8 of 10 in Discussion
From: Karl WigginsSent: 19/12/2000 00:05

Pennie, you're so right.  I don't want to bore by going into too many details but I believe that I've amassed a wealth of experience in the last 25 years - not all of them good, but all of them were learning experiences.  I've faced fear in many forms, and one day over a drink perhaps I'll tell you about some of them.  I've picked up a few qualifications along the way and become a great observer of people. That happens when you travel.

However, I don't have a degree and I'm no longer 25 years of age.  Potential employees overlook the wealth of experience you can bring to a job.  Luckily I'm not looking for a job.  Well, actually I am, but I've got a couple of things in the pipeline, all through contacts.

Let me tell you about a buddy of mine.  In the early sixties he was an explorer, living three years in the South American jungles between the Amazon and the Orinoco.  He's spent the last 14 years in Portugal living in two windmills and teaching diving.  His kids are all grown up now, he's divorced and found another lady, and they're regular visitors to our house.  He's been living back in this country for a couple of years.  He's highly intelligent and earns good money as a kidnap and ransom negotiator, mainly because most kidnappings happen in South America and he speaks the language and understands the people.

But he's approaching 60 and the future looks bleak.  He has no pension schemes and can expect little from the state.  A good education, but too old to be hired for most jobs.  He does have, though, as I'm sure you'll agree a wealth of "real life" experience.

We once attempted to organise a three-year round-the-world treasure hunt. We needed £250,000 at the time and actually managed to raise £70,000. Unfortunately, we had to give it back because it wasn't enough.  Shame, because we were chasing £350M and believed that given three years we could find about 10% of that.  There's no doubt that it is all still there at the bottom of the ocean, and checking through archives you can roughly find out where some of it is.  That little venture cost me personally £5000.

Now he's trying to rope me into helping to head up an expedition into the Venezuelan Rainforests.  It's a great idea, but I have a family to think about now.  And while I know a lot about diving, I know naff all about jungles.

However, none of this answers the question as to where will my buddy be in ten years time?  A pot-man in a pub having the piss taken out of him by 17 year olds?  I'm sure not, but unless you've got twenty years service in one organisation behind you and a degree as well it can be tough.  It's then that you learn to live on your wits, don't you?

 

Message 9 of 10 in Discussion
From: don chrisSent: 24/12/2000 16:40

Karl, you just said it yourself!  you need 20 years in the system and a degree to weather the final days ... the school experience is supposed to teach you how to maintain yourself in a social enviroment, to teach you the social mores and to enable one to 'live with-in the system'.  You say there are a lot of 'smart' hod carriers, but really they may be 'dumb' hod carriers because if they were smart they would not be 'hod carriers'.  I think what you are referring to as 'smart' is really basic 'street smarts', it takes a lot of street smarts to become a good criminal, but I do not think being a criminal is a 'smart' choice?

Schools are as much for social training as for educational training, it teaches us to live with-in the group and not as a 'wild cannon'.

Unfortunately I did not practice what I now preach, I was not allowed to complete my time at Downer I only stayed 3 years, '51 - '54 , it was their choice that I leave not mine.  And I guess, in a way, I am very like you, without the benifit of the school social training I find I am not able to 'fit' into the corporate system..... so I've travelled and made my living by my own brand of 'smarts', but this does not mean I do not regret doing it the 'accepted' way.  At 60 yars old I would love to be receiving a retirement pension and look forward to taking it easy for the rest of my life... but, as they say 'we make our bed and we have to lay in it'....

By the way, I returned to the UK to visit the school about 7 years ago, I could not believe the changes in the appearance of the student body.  When I was there, in 1951, it seems we were all fair headed North London 'Anglo' types.  The current students make up a true 'Rainbow coalition'.  Finally 'Olde England' seems to have allowed itself to be drawn into the melting pot of world nationalities.

One final question 'does anyone remember a girl called ELSA WOOLHEAD, a big blonde girl who attended and lived near the school during 1953-54.......

 

Message 10 of 10 in Discussion
From: Karl WigginsSent: 06/01/2001 01:56

Don,

I agree that being a hod-carrier is not a smart choice in life. And choosing the criminal career path is even more stupid.  I'm reminded of a quote from "Banco", the 2nd book in the "Papillon" serious, written by Henri Charriere:

"It was hard to put a label on me.  I was neither a poor bastard only capable of working with a pick or shovel or an axe, nor was I a type with a real trade that would let me earn a decent living anywhere in the world, as a mechanic or an electrician, say.  On the other hand, I couldn't take on important responsibilities; I hadn't enough education for that.  At the same time as your schooling, you ought always to learn a good manual trade: if school goes wrong, you can then always look after yourself in life.  It was not that you felt better than a street-sweeper if you had a certain amount of education - I had never despised any man, apart from screws and pigs - but you couldn't sustain your role.  You were between two stools - you felt that you had it in you to be happy, but that you couldn't get there.  I had both too much education and not enough."

And before leaving the book I'd like to quote once more because my last correspondence concerned Venezuela in part, which is where most of "Banco" is based:

"Don't come here as Europeans filled with notions of the superiority of your race, like explorers.  True enough, you have had more intellectual training than the majority of people here, but what of it?  What good is it to you, since you're a more stupid bunch of sods than they are?  As far as you're concerned education doesn't mean intelligence, generosity, goodness and understanding, but only learning things from books.  If your hearts stay dry, selfish, rancorous and fossilized, what you've learnt doesn't mean a thing. "God made the sun, the sea, the vast prairies and the bush, but did He make them just for you? "Do you think you're a race pre-ordained to organize the world?  When I look at you and listen to you, it occurs to me that a world run by poor sods like you will mean nothing but wars and revolutions.  Because although you say you long for peace and quiet, you only long for it if it agrees with your point of view."

I don't know why I felt it necessary to share these quotes.  Probably because I'm suffering from a bit of "writer's block" at the moment.  Please accept my aplogies.  I enjoy writing and think it's a bit of a cop-out quoting from other people, even it is relevant.