What Do They Teach Them At School These Days?

[mrs_overall]

Today I went into a local store to purchase a quarter of a metre of fabric, costing £7.50 per metre. The young man who served me carefully measured the fabric and began cutting off a 20cm piece. I pointed out that 20cm was not a quarter of a metre. He started again and began cutting a 30cm piece. Being too honest for my own good, I stopped him and told him that quarter of a metre was actually 25cm. He then said he couldn't sell me 25cm. When I asked him why, he said he was on his own and it would be too difficult for him to work out the cost. By this time I was losing the will to live so I told him he could sell me 30cm. The fabric was duly cut, bagged up and I proffered a £5 note. He handed me the wrong change and when I looked at the receipt I saw he had charged me £3.75 for half a metre. When I queried this, he was adamant that 30cm WAS half a metre. At this point, much to his alarm, I stomped around to his side of the counter where there was a fixed metal tape measure and began trying to explain measurements to him. This must have been spotted on CCTV as a brace of management types suddenly appeared and one shouted at me to move away from the till.
All I will say is that harsh words were exchanged and I am now taking my custom elsewhere.

[tonyav]

Steve.5
tony you should be on here during the day, there are a lot of people who have learnt the game of crib, but not for the figure work ;

LOL.

[Tilly2]

So maybe the question should be 'What do they teach them at home these days?'

[tonyav]

DaisyNonna
The point is that many of them don't.


Yes Daisy, something wrong somewhere isn't there.

[EDDIE51]

just out of interest , how many of us on here can confidently use Log tables or a slide rule? Am I the only one?

[Tilly2]

No, why would you be?

[sherrardk]

I can't use a slide rule or log tables, we weren't taught how to as we had calculators.

[DaisyNonna]

Never needed to but could.

[pixie373]

I can't either- although it's never crossed my mind until now.

[New Judge]

“Someone claimed she was 3 metres tall. Someone else was convinced they were 0.5 metres tall. “

That’s because they’re using this new fangled decimal money, factor! I’m sure they’d remember if they were told they were five feet eight and a half (soaking wet) J

The amazing thing is (and quite a conundrum, I must confess) is that despite this “nouveau ignorance” GCSE and ‘A’ level results keep reaching new highs.

[EDDIE51]

I left school in 1968 no calculators till years after that.
Never even saw a calculator until 1972/73 when I was in the research labs at ICI , it cost £400 then and only did the basic 4 functions.

[DaisyNonna]

You still around Mrs O? What do you think?

[sherrardk]

New judge - the exam results are improving because those that should be achieving good grades are targeted to do so. Unfortunately, the stupid kids remain stupid.

[pixie373]

I really don't think it's getting worse. The only two people I've met who couldn't read or write are both in their sixties. I can't imagine that happening now.

[sherrardk]

Himself was trying to help boy #1 with some maths revision - he couldn't help him because he only knows how to do that sort of maths using log tables and a slide rule and I couldn't help because I just couldn't do it.

[nungate]

Hey Tony, I'm pretty sure Scottish Power is owned by a Spanish company - doubt they'll throw you out!

Don't know much about metric nonsense, I still think in pounds, shillings and pence, pounds and ounces, and yards feet and inches - works for me

[DaisyNonna]

Some schools offer classes to parents explaining the New Maths. What about grandparents and other adults who may be asked to help children?

[tonyav]

nungate
Hey Tony, I'm pretty sure Scottish Power is owned by a Spanish company - doubt they'll throw you out!



Thanks, nungate, strange that their owned by the Spanish though ( well I think so ).