Just for fun...discipline through the ages

[SimonM]

As some of you know, I work in behaviour management in a secondary school. I had this sent to me yesterday...

SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2010



Scenario:
Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2010 - Police called, arrests Johnny and Mark.. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it. Both children go to anger management programs for 3 months. School board hold meeting to impliment bullying prevention programs

Scenario:
Robbie won't be still in class, disrupts other students.

1957 - Robbie sent to office and given 6 of the best by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2010 - Robbie given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. Robbie's parents get fortnightly disability payments and School gets extra funding from state because Robbie has a disability.

Scenario :
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

20010 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison.

Scenario :
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957 - Mark gets glass of water from Principal to take aspirin with.

2010 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.


Scenario :
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from Guy Fawkes, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a bull ant nest.

1957 - Ants die.

2010- State Police, Star Force, Federal Police & Anti-terrorism Squad called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, Feds investigate parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated. Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario :
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary . Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2010 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

This should be sent to every e-mail address to show how stupid we have become!

Think about it!

Simon

[British Red]

Well, its clearly American based and I'm fairly sure theres some Rose tiniting involved

That said, there is far too much BS around these days and I do think things have gone far to far to prevent any discipling of children to be polite, well mannered members of scoiety. Theres also so many rules around that children are prevented having harmless fun for fear of "risk". The ultimate protection comes when everyone is confined to a soft room for fear of falling.

Many of the rules we have now, hurt the normal, polite and law abiding kids, impinge on harmless fun and do nothing to stop the real "bad uns". In my view the pendulum has swung too far to being over protective of children

[gregorach]

1957 - Robbie sent to office and given 6 of the best by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

Really? Funny, I'm old enough to remember corporal punishment at school, and it certainly didn't work out like that... The real troublemakers got the belt at least once a week on average, and bragged about it afterwards. Never made a damn bit of difference to their behaviour.

[Toddy]

I think the biggest flaw is simply that "No!", no longer means no.
It means nag at me, whine at me, scream in tantrum at me, until I give in and you get to do anything you want.

There are still an awful lot of good parents out there, and an huge proportion of the children are a credit to them and themselves.
The others though.......

That email is definitely rose tinted though.

cheers,
Toddy

[Tadpole]

Over 90% of the kid I talk to, meet, see, are good kids, more able to speak to me as an adult than I was at their age. More likely also to report any abuse also, unlike kids were 30 years ago. Rose tinted glasses don't even come close to the reality of what like was really like for most. For no reason a gym teacher broke my eldest brothers nose, (ok the reason was given that my brother did not get in the shower after games fast enough, so was thrown in fully dressed.) I for one am glad that "teachers like that" would be punished today, unlike years ago.

[locum76]

Sorry Simon, I won't be forwarding that one.

If I'd got it at work, given the scalliwags I deal with I'd have had a laugh though.

[Melonfish]

We make sure our kids know that no means no. my youngest has a habit of pestering for things at the moment, he's about to turn 4 so he's pushing his bounderies. we've had a couple of tantrums but he hates being banished to the bottom step so they're stopping quick
my eldest is starting to get the teen strops dispite only being 7 (i swear i didn't start till i was like 11) that or he's just learning how to sulk.

[Prodigal Son]

When I threatened one my scouts that I would rip off his arms and beat him with the soggy end if he didn't get his hands out of his pockets at flagbreak, (the third time in as many minutes!!) I got a whole lot of flack from our group scout leader - 1 way conversation (to a point!!).

Apparently one of the parents had been in the coridor and overheard me, took offence and reported my behaviour!!

What the parent didn't see was the rest of the room smiling, including me and the other leaders when I said it. They didn't know the kid who I said it to, he is one of the regular 'characters' who pushes the boundaries (great scout, just needs reigning in a bit!) They had absolutely no idea what the circumstances were.

Now if I'd have threatened to beat the snot out of of him after the meeting I could have understood it, but it was about as hollow a threat as I could muster at 9pm on a monday night!!

Some parents!!

[gregorach]

Whenever people post this sort of nostalgic tosh, I'm always reminded of a quote from Mark Steel: "We need to get back to the values of the 1960s, when you could go out all night, leave your door open and know that no one would come in and rescue the child you were keeping hostage."

[SimonM]

Looks like you guys didn't read the thread title "Just for fun..." lighten up it's the weekend!

Simon

[Bushwhacker]

This is on a similar vein http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...nts-today.html

Yes yes, I know it's the Mail but, for once, it does ring true.

[gregorach]

Looks like you guys didn't read the thread title "Just for fun..." lighten up it's the weekend!

Simon

If you want to post stuff for fun, it helps if it's funny. This post is, IMHO, the exact opposite of funny.

[Shewie]

Well it made me smile

[gregorach]

Yeah, and a lot of people used to laugh at Bernard Manning's racist jokes...

[Shewie]

Okay, can't see the link though Dunc

[durulz]

Since the 1950's were some kind of Eden, can we add the following scenarios as well:

Alan has difficulty reading at school and keeps having to ask the teacher for help.
1957 - Teacher tells him he is stupid and thick, sits him at the back of the class and Alan grows up with a poor education, poor job and dependent on benefits.

2010 - The teacher recognises that Alan may suffer from dyslexia and arranges for suitable help for Alan, who grows up to have a worthwhile career and is a credit to his profession and community.

George's family have emigrated to the UK from Africa.
1957 - All the class mock him for the colour of his skin and even the teacher lets slip the odd 'sambo' comment.

2010 - George's background is not even recognised and he has freinds from the UK, Asia, Africa and many points in between.

Tina excels at mathematics and science.
1957 - Despite this her teachers put her in home economics and needle-work lessons. Maybe a typing course, given her aptitude.

2010 - Tina grows up to be a noted expert in oncology and is at the fore-front of many medical breakthroughs.

Yeah, the 1950's...how very funny it was.

[Prodigal Son]

Was it a full moon last night?

There's a lot of tired people on here today

[woof]

Looks like you guys didn't read the thread title "Just for fun..." lighten up it's the weekend!

Simon

Just what i was thinking.

Rob

[gregorach]

Was it a full moon last night?

There's a lot of tired people on here today

I have a long and distinguished record of not letting this kind of thing slide, thanks. There are reasons, but I'm not going into them here. Suffice to say that paeans to the good old days when teachers and other authority figures could beat the living daylights out of kids with complete impunity make me very, very angry indeed.

[Prodigal Son]

I have a long and distinguished record of not letting this kind of thing slide, thanks. There are reasons, but I'm not going into them here. Suffice to say that paeans to the good old days when teachers and other authority figures could beat the living daylights out of kids with complete impunity make me very, very angry indeed.

Nobody ever said that it was ok did they?

Just because you don't find something funny doesn't mean it isn't!! And I'm not saying that children being abused is funny - because it isn't!!

If I offended you then that is unfortunate. It was not my intention.

[Fizzy]

Was it a full moon last night?

There's a lot of tired people on here today

Certainly a serious case of 'sense of humour failure' that's for sure

Anyway, did you hear the one about the Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman...

[Prodigal Son]

No but I did hear a good one about my mother - in - law ...

[British Red]

Of course its funny, anyone can be passionate about a time they like. If you wanted to "point fingers" at the current era, theres nothing particulalrly great about rising levels of obesity, lack of physical fitness, the amount of drug taking and binge drinking, street crime for phones and trainers. I suspect making everything "safe" has made kids passive - passive "highs", passive games etc.

You can be just as rose tinted about modern life as previous ones

They all have their good and bad points......and reminiscing and smiling has been going on for centuries.......

Dear Gods, don't take everything so seriously - some things WERE better in the past - quiter roads, more freedom, etc. Some things weren't. Its known as "life"

[stovie]

Dear Gods, don't take everything so seriously... - Its known as "life"

Is now a good time to mention BG and RM...

[Shewie]

and zombies ??

[woof]

Of course its funny, anyone can be passionate about a time they like. If you wanted to "point fingers" at the current era, theres nothing particulalrly great about rising levels of obesity, lack of physical fitness, the amount of drug taking and binge drinking, street crime for phones and trainers. I suspect making everything "safe" has made kids passive - passive "highs", passive games etc.

You can be just as rose tinted about modern life as previous ones

They all have their good and bad points......and reminiscing and smiling has been going on for centuries.......

Dear Gods, don't take everything so seriously - some things WERE better in the past - quiter roads, more freedom, etc. Some things weren't. Its known as "life"

Thank you.

Rob

[woof]

By the way, i started a thread over on BB, ref 70's sports mopeds, now they were fun.

Rob

[telwebb]

By the way, i started a thread over on BB, ref 70's sports mopeds, now they were fun.

Rob

Weren't they just - how I never had (or caused) a serious accident still amazes me to this day!

[Nagual]

Apparently back in the day.. it never rained during holidays and everyone whistled at work, and all that Now it's always raining and everyone is a grumpy git...

[Melonfish]

you always had snow in the winter too, mountains of the stuff and you could sled where you wanted, nowdays we barely see snow and what we do get is either gone in minutes or drops on us like a hammer and the country grinds to a halt.
you could ask a copper for advice and he'd tell you rather then radio it in and give you a blank look, if you were caught doing something you shouldn't like creeping round an old house the copper would clip you round your ear and take you home, now you go to juvie for breaking and entering.
you could build a den in the woods and people thought it was fun and let you play, nowdays they phone the police believing your dealing drugs (no really that happened on a woodland trust site i know of)
children were encouraged to play large group and often noisey games in the playground at breaks, now they have staggered breaks and aren't allowed to shout lest the neighbours serve the school with a noise abatement notice.

i could go on.