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Aaaah, well. There was talk a while ago (like the article in the Times said) of providing support for ex-forces to get teaching degrees. I can see why the idea appeals but i wouldn't say it was a particularly well thought out one. For some ex-forces maybe but no more than any other field. Discipline is earned from respect and i don't see how being ex-forces (supposedly more strict?) would make pupils respect you more.
They have a system along those lines in the US and i have to admit i know nothing of how well it's been received. I can look up the figures but that's not the always the best way to learn about a subject. If anyone has experience or has heard from friends/relatives how this has worked i'd be interested to know.
"Think-Tanks" do a lot of things but just because a group of people reach a consensus and come up with ideas doesn't mean the ideas they reach are good ones.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the new Pheonix School in Oldham, one of the first schools to be staffed by ex-servicemen is received. It;'s due to open in 2013.
As for other military school, they might be something to look at in terms of instilling dicipline and turning around some problem schools.
There's also going to be an expansion of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) in state schools, along with debating societies and music tuition, which according to the Government education advisor should no longer be the “province of the middle classes”. We will just have to wait and see if this has any positive results, although I think more interests in areas such as music and out of school activities will at least be a better option for some youngsters, rather than them hanging around street corners of a night.
Las Vegas has a lead weight around its ankles when it comes to those sort of ratings - education. There is no personal income tax or corporate tax in Nevada, and property taxes are very low by US standards. This leaves public schools underfunded which has worsened since the property collapse in 2008. However, most people can put their children into private schools with the income they save in taxes. The people I work with that were born and raised here had a childhood like anywhere else in the States and seem well rounded. There are tons of parks and recreation areas, swimming pools are the norm, there are cultural centers now being built and some have opened, and there are a lot more classes and groups for kids here than I saw at home. A water park is being built a few miles from where I live and California is a short drive away. People are outside here a lot (until July/August when everyone wants to be inside!) as there are great hikking trails, canyons, mountains.. You can even ski at Mt Charelston in the winter.
I lived in one of the more desirable areas of the UK and yet the cost of living, the chav culture, the standards of education, healthcare, the affirdinility of a family home, university education, the climate where all things in deterioration and put me off wanting to stay for the future. My brother had a great job and lives in Guildford, Surrey but is moving with his wife and 3 kids to Melbourne in June for the reason that he doesn't want his kids growing up there.
So a lot to be positive about. Have a lovely time in Britain.
Mmmm- I wonder how life expectancy in USA and UK for different races differ?
My guess would be not much.
USA has a far higher percentage of Hispanics and African Americans and they inherently have a higher risk for the big killers of heart disease and stroke BEFORE they even get high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.
I think that to say Britain is healthier than the USA because wome live nearly a year longer is incorrect. All it means is that they live longer unless you look at causes of death.
One of the scariest problems in the UK is the rising rate of alcohol abuse amongst teenagers and young adults.
As for the rise of definitions such as 'The Chav' (a word no one seems to now the real meaning of) it's been seen by some as a wider demonisation of the working class and poor in Britain, and as a means to reinforce negaitive sterotype regarding this section of our society
My understanding of the word chav had little to do with being working class (which in itself is open to interpretation) or poor, and more to do with attitude and behaviour.
Mmmm- I wonder how life expectancy in USA and UK for different races differ?
My guess would be not much.
USA has a far higher percentage of Hispanics and African Americans and they inherently have a higher risk for the big killers of heart disease and stroke BEFORE they even get high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.
I think that to say Britain is healthier than the USA because wome live nearly a year longer is incorrect. All it means is that they live longer unless you look at causes of death.
One of the scariest problems in the UK is the rising rate of alcohol abuse amongst teenagers and young adults.
That correlates with what I've heard from friends & family. Many local pubs have closed down where I used to live (Google Street View is proof of this). Granted, you can say that it's because of the economy, but it's also a change in culture too.
As for the rise of definitions such as 'The Chav' (a word no one seems to now the real meaning of) it's been seen by some as a wider demonisation of the working class and poor in Britain, and as a means to reinforce negaitive sterotype regarding this section of our society
My understanding of the word chav had little to do with being working class (which in itself is open to interpretation) or poor, and more to do with attitude and behaviour.
Attitude and Behaviour associated with a sub-section of white working class Britain, which is the argument of the author whose book I posted. We are demonising a section of society, just as we have always done whatever youth culture has been prevalent or whenever new technology introduced from video to the internet and from teddy boys, mods and rockers through to skinheads, punks, lager louts and of course the chav, which has now neen somewhet displaced by the rise of the hoody.
That correlates with what I've heard from friends & family. Many local pubs have closed down where I used to live (Google Street View is proof of this). Granted, you can say that it's because of the economy, but it's also a change in culture too.
I think locals have been particuarly badly hit, but then again people now have much more activities than they used to. Television is now on demand and with hundreds of channels, you also have the internet, dvds and a host of other things that we didn't have to occupy us in the past.
In terms of drinking culture, I think people prefer to head to a busy town or city to drink rather than drink in the local or even drink in a social or working mens club.
On top of that the global recession has also hit our pockets and people are spending less, whilst those in employment are often having to work even longer hours, as companies cut back on staff and small businesses struggle to stay afloat.
I think locals have been particuarly badly hit, but then again people now have much more activities than they used to. Television is now on demand and with hundreds of channels, you also have the internet, dvds and a host of other things that we didn't have to occupy us in the past.
In terms of drinking culture, I think people prefer to head to a busy town or city to drink rather than drink in the local or even drink in a social or working mens club.
On top of that the global recession has also hit our pockets and people are spending less, whilst those in employment are often having to work even longer hours, as companies cut back on staff and small businesses struggle to stay afloat.
Much as you may hate to admit it, I also think that Britain has become a lot more culturally "European" over the last 2 decades. Even looking at pics, I see a lot more outdoor cafes and even the street fashion seems to have changed a bit, to the point that the UK doesn't seem to far off from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany. Rising prices and the recession contributed 50%, but it's a change in culture. I noticed it even many years before I left. Also, you have to factor in the enormous waves of migration into Britain from Eastern Europe.
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