What, you don't like my new avatar? But Ain't She Sweet?

but but, ALIZEE :biggrin:

Look, Sash, I asked you very confidentially. If you don't think she's kind of neat, then we have nothing more to talk about. I mean, just look her over once or twice. Ain't that perfection?

You proclaim yourself to be of extreme intelligence, wrongly generalise the whole of the USA's educational system as fine (From only your experience) and then mistakenly calculate that the USA are higher in the educational scores table than they are in reality. You hint alot at the supremacy of America and throw in a few statements that could be seen as political... Is this just some sort of strange, self promoting patriotism?


I know nothing of the American educational system but from what I've read, it's about the same as the UK's. (In the way that it generally leaves a bad taste in the mouth)

I have to say that I pretty much got a similar impression.

she is perfect.... unlike the school system. (my attempt at being on topic)

I understand that you learn it, but how come a lot of people in Montana seem to think that Alberta is full of people riding their dogsleds to Tim Horton's in an igloo? I wish I were joking but I convinced a group of 15 year olds at the ski resort and some other random teens at the hotel I was staying at.

I'm not saying that Americans are stupid, because I've met plenty of people who are a lot more intelligent than myself, but the curriculum just seems very ethno-centric. My cousin's friend/roomie even told me that in California community colleges you can only take American history. I think in Canada the school that I'm in is similar to a state university (maybe private I don't know) but we have a lot of different history, geography, etc that is outside of Canada. This may just be that Canada's history is one of the most boring subjects possible and we learn the same story from grade four to twelve.

As an american I would say that the education here does indeed svck (among numerous other things).

Urban schools within the inner city more so (Me coming from the biggest highschool in the state) and coupled with less funding and becoming more understaffed creating somewhat of a mess here.

Our curriculum is just as ethno-centric (as you point out, we learned about Quebec and Ontario every single year I was in school). The main difference between Canda and the States is that most of our entertainment comes from there, so we end up being exposed to a lot more US culture than Americans are to Canadian.

I would agree with you before they changed the curriculum ~3 years ago. Before in high school social we learnt quite a bit about the american revolution, European politics, American politics (we still learn about that one, but do American schools teach any other political systems besides their own?) and stuff like that. Even in grade 7-9 we learnt a lot about Japan, China, Korea, etc. The new curriculum is an embarrassment though, its all about Canada. I guess it's important to remember we divide education up by provinces, and Alberta had a pretty good system until recently.

I'm not pretending that our's is perfect, but we get a lot more variety.

I respectfully disagree to all those aspects. The bullying one really plucked my nerves. Where did you go to school, kid? Cause every school has bullying, no matter how much they sugar coat it. Theres always that one girl they call a [censored], theres always that one boy that they pick on for having more intellect than the rest.

In my world civilizations class, we talked about 1000 year old political systems that i forgot about but thats about it. Other political systems are usually demonized in the history classes but thats just my experience.

Ive always wondered, does each state discuss their own state history? for instance, we have texas history (which is far more interesting that american history imo) for one year and thats it.

:rofl:

Obviously it is, when some that I've encountered think that Africa is a country.

Indeed.

I was merciliously picked on because in High School my voice wasn't as deep as everyone else. I was constantly mocked by multiple people, out loud, in class, and not a single person/teacher/anyone did anything about it. Several of the "Popular" kids, including one of the girls I had a sort-of-crush on would talk to me and seemed nice until one of them made a comment that I wasn't supposed to hear and were just messing with me. On top of that there was just one boy who had it out for me, for some reason or another, and was the vein of my existence from middle school throughout high school. So you absoloutly wrong, there is bullying, it happens, and teenagers are the most cruel people you will ever meet. I wish I could have had the happy existence you had, but your school must just be the exception.



Again, you must have just had a great school, because my teachers were mostly junk. When I got into community college the work was alot more difficult and my math class I can't even do right now because my teachers were more worried about "staying with the syllabus schedule" than giving me the help I needed to learn the materiel. In my school districts, the schools are worried about staying on there set schedule and test scores, not the students and not the education. America is a looooong shot for having the best school system. No argument.

I went to a school that gave out spankings.
At what time is it alright for an advlt that is not ta childs parent to not only touch, but inflict pain on that child?

Week after week the same kids would get sent to the principals office and no lesson was learned. It is simply not effective against those that are prone to getting into trouble.

I recieved spankings twice for offences that were mostly harmless.
Once in third grade ,i stepped on a milk container in my cafeteria, which made a noise and caused a few confused students to wonder what happened.... but because it was school policy, isntead of simply talking to me, i was smacked on the ass with a wooden paddle with holes drilled into it. I did not even realize what i had done and it was not my intention to be disruptive. the spankings were not taps.. I was lifted off of the ground. i was 9 years old.

The second time was because i would not give my bus driver a shirt that i was carrying after he confused me with another student on the bus that was throwing things.

My parents were notified after the fact in both cases, and they were certinaly NOT ALRIGHT with the school's course of action.

Spanking is there if the parents choose to discipline that way. It should nerver be alright for an institution to physically harm a child.

Seriously?! :huh: How many years ago and where was this?

I have to disagree.

I think they should bring back the paddle. I think I and many would have been better students. Sure encouragement yeah, but sometimes some people need pain to motivate them. I went to a decent highschool but not so decent middle and elementary schools. Kids mouth off to teachers some school, hell we even have security gaurds at this nearby highschool I live by and its not for intruders.

OP never say best country in the world, it makes us from the U.S. look arrogant and ignorant.

Best country in the world has got to be Switzerland. Everyone knows that.

I graduated in 1996 and it was still school policy.
This was a town* called Dora, Missouri.
*incorperated farmland


Like i said, kids that were prone to getting in trouble. they still got in trouble. still backtalked teachers... there were still bullies in my school. Kids still skipped class if they could.
and the slippery side of that slope? Spankings become such a staple that they are issued out without finding out whats actually going on and seeing if its warranted. Theres no advice or moral sharing. no actual counseling of the child.
principals office= spankings period. You may disagree, but I have seen this firsthand. at no point should a small child be lifted off of the ground by physical punnishment infliceted by a public school administrator.

How true, how true, hell they even get to guard the Pope!

Swiss army knives

I think they have a security vault to protect certain old technologies.

Good chocolate

Well known for their neutrality

Whats not to love?

I remember in elementary school Mr. Gibson, our principle was the ultimate trouble deterrent. That's because we still used spankings, and he once missed a kid attempting to spank him and broke the paddle. I have to agree with you, in any circumstances should that brand of force be used.

That is pretty damn political, and subjective. As well your comment about the Liberal Media, pretty damn political.

I have to say, that most of what you are saying is not true. School is not great, and your note on bullying is complete and utter lunacy

OP, for someone who claims to be so mature, intelligent, and well-informed, you sure are doing a damn good job of persuading us otherwise.