NationStates Jolt Archive

Most Brits, I assume, should be familiar with this program. However, in consideration of non-Brits and people not familiar of said broadcast, follow the link (http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/teachem/) to gain a general overview of the underlying premise and how the broadcast operates.

Having followed the link, please observe the "cross section" of society that they take as students. It is a FUCKING JOKE.

This may seem a little harsh, but I attended the final interview for this series, which ran in the summer of 2005, and, havning seen the ingrates and nupties they recruited, I am downright narked. Apparently, I am not the average 16 year old. So FUCKING what? Was every child in the 1960's entirely similar to the next? No. This show is designed to gratify the widespread sentiment among anyone over 40 that the "youth of today" are all socially incapable, emotionally unhinged and degenerate morons incapable of enduring the education of yesterday. The numpties on that program could not pass an old lady on a zimmaframe, let alone a 1950's exam.

Am I being pissy and attention whory?

No, I think you've summed up the older generation of Brits perfectly. Nothing seems to satisfy them and it's not as if they were any better.

Meh. I watched the first series of this...well, part of it...and got pissed off at the degenerates they had there. My mum, being a typical middle-aged, middle-class, Tory supporter, came to the conclusion that the programme makers were intending, and, indeed, the one TbC outlined in the OP.

I share your anger.

Kudos for using the word 'narked'.

It's not meant to be serious. It's just feel good entertainment for baby boomers who can't get used to living in the current world, and so take small pleasure than many kids might not be able to cope with the crappy system they were forced through.

What I always found interesting was people who would criticise the current system, but then go on to admit they couldn't help their kids with their home work.

Funny program though. Anyone watch 'that'll test em?'
They pitted the kids against their older relatives in a (massively easy) test. The kids won.

I mean, now, if a kid has problems understanding something the teacher will usual try and give a more comprehensive description to help the kid understand. Whereas in the 1950s the teacher would probably just cane you until you stopped complainning that you didn't understand. And there's a small irony in baby boomers claiming they had a better and harder education and then ranting on about the 3 Rs.

Bah. I have 'o' levels.

You all are lazy now. "Continuous assesment", what the the fuck is that? Another name for apple polishing in my opinion.

I did the silly test they provided on the site and got 69/80. That was hard. Well it was for me, especially as I don't know my alphabet off by heart. So all the ones involving alphabet patterns had been reciting the alphabet out loud...

*hides in shame*

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/teachem/test.html
Be warned, there are 80 questions and it takes some time to complete.

I'm not lettig this slide. Bump.

I remember seeing one where the kids had one (maybe two, I don't remember) month to do all the work for 1950s English and Maths O levels.

When, after just the one months work and teaching in, they failed....the programme came to the conclusion that exams in the 50s were much harder and the teaching standards were much higher.

Utterly ridiculous.

They had to pick the 'intellectually deficient', otherwise the point that GCSEs are another method of piss-easy hoop-jumping would be negated.

I'm also 16, if you were wondering [which you weren't].