Wednesday 18:04
A third of kids at bog standard comprehensives by the time they reach fourteen do not reach "expected" standards of reading and half do not reach "expected" standards of writing. This means they cannot read and write very well. Of course, being able to spell is well beyond anyone's expectations these days.
The last book I wrote was partly about this. I hasn't been published yet, and probably never will. If you want me to email you a copy, just ask.
Half the kids who come into my place of work at breaktime and lunchtime are Polish. I've been told how they don't have much in Polish schools, but you don't need much. The Polish kids I've dealt with all seem to be able to spell and do all the stuff that my generation were taught to do in school.
By the way, I heard of this PHd student who stopped doing tutorials at Strathclyde Uni because the essays she was getting handed were doing her brain in. Screeds of words without decent punctuation, paragraphing, spelling, etc. It was a history course she was teaching.
It's amazing how kids these days get such fantastic results for their exams when they can't spell, or punctuate, or write, or count, or anything.
The education system in this town is a blight on working class kids, so it is. But I don't have to go back to the jobbie till next Tuesday, so hurrah for that.
Anyway, to amuse myself I've been trying to learn some useful Polish phrases. Nie biegaj ... don't run. Nie bij sie ... don't fight. The wee Polish lassie just takes the pencil out of your hand and writes this down. Scottish kids get told they'll get written work to do in class as a punishment. Anyway .... the great thing about wee kids is that sometimes they laugh so much that they fall down and roll about, literally. So today they were high as kites, and like Mexican jumping beans. I stand in the middle of this melee and ask this kid to write down the Polish for don't jump on tables. I suspected the kid was taking the piss, but I was up for it anyway. Nie hojaj po stole! I shouted in the worst Polish accent anybody has probably ever heard. All over the shop, the Poles exploded with laughter, and did this falling down and rolling around stuff. So I shouted it out another couple of times. I wonder what it means, maybe fung off the lot of yous. It might have just been my accent.
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7 comments:
I say!
Shout "Emshee!" loudly. Works in any Arabic speaking area - I can guarantee that.
If all else fails, try the Chichewa: "Chimbudzi chiri kuti?" - which means "Where is the latrine?"
That should be more than enough.
MM III
Mingin'! What does it mean though? Hotboy
My bliss partner, a uni lecturer, spends half her time teaching students how to write sentences. Dearie me!
I'm actually writing a book myself, it's called The RaBlissBook Lexicon, an encyclopedia of the works of John McKenzie.
i want to readt heb ookp lease. ic an spell it´st he keyboard buti t´sc hallengingt or eadl
loveandpeacexxxx
Albert? Is that you? What is a lexicon? I met this McKenzie fellow once. He borrowed some money off me and never gave it back. He's so handsome folk let him away with murder! I can write in some kind of sentences when I'm drunk, but I can't spell.
Michelle? You've read the book already! Hotboy p.s.It was all about ra bliss!
The fall in standards of spelling, punctuation and grammar- I sometimes teach medical students (creme de la creme) and have been shocked by their lack of skills in these.
I'm not a stickler when it's literature (cf Alasdair Gray, Kerouac, Riddley Walker), but you have to learn it before you unlearn it.
I meant to say before that the dad's funeral directors lay (I think) right across the road from your place of work. I spent too much time outside smoking fags, so saw two groups of young schoolkids (Years 1-3, at a guess) crossing themselves when passing, in a most respectful way. Memento mori! Fine young people, and probably Poles.
Ion: I work deep in schemeland practically. You might be thinking of a different locale. It's nice when folk do respectful stuff at times like those. It's kind of heartening, like standing quietly when funeral processions go by, that kind of thing. Bad spelling, grammar, etc., is intrusive. It takes you away from the message and stops communication being as effective. I don't want to think about this first thing in the morning as it just makes me mad! Hotboy.
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