The New Adventures of Mr Stephen Fry » Topic: Paperweight-a-week

The New Adventures of Mr Stephen Fry » Topic: Paperweight-a-week http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week Just another bbPress community en-US Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:41:59 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/search.php amyl_nitrate on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-64657 Thu, 29 May 2008 15:57:22 +0000 amyl_nitrate 64657@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Since our new member moose most kindly brought my attention back to this lovely thread I thought it a shame to abandon it and sort of hijacked it. Nick, feel free to slap me and rip this thread from my evil hands <img src="http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_razz.gif" title=":P" class="bb_smilies" /> I would like to proceed with "Trefusis on Education": First of all, Trefusis is against too much parental interference in education, not only because parents know nothing about education. "Parent Power" would degrade education to a mere service industry with children being the dirty linen, teachers the washers and parents the customers. </blockquote> It's happening now. All the time I'm getting documents on how in education we need to let parent's bring in their opinions, input and influence more and more. They're really pushing for this in the Early Years wanting more and more parental involvement. The trouble with that is then parents want you to do so much for their child as though you don't have to worry about another forty children as well. It's also becoming more and more common for parents to bring in their children into school nursery whom aren't toilet trained at all and expect us to do it. There aren't even the resources and staffing to do that. The government is turning education more and more into a service treating pupils/students like consumers while teachers are being expected more and more to do things that isn't really teaching but more babysitting. It's causing a lot of stress among teachers in the schools I've been going into especially among Early Years teachers who are being given more and more paperwork to do then ever on top of more and more over things to deal with. Trefusis then notes that England has replaced education, which enables children to think freely and form their own opinions, with training, which is basically what is given to airline pilots, computer operators or pear trees. He states that the freedom deriving from real education "is no part of the programme of today's legislators".</blockquote> Where I live there is talk of one of the colleges no longer offering A-levels and how there's going to be learning centres opened all over the town for post-16 education. All vocational, non-academic training courses of course. I read education news a lot and more and more I read how there's a push by employers to make education more training/work orientated and less academic. Academic courses are becoming less valued and further and higher education is seen merely as a means to an end (i.e. money and career) and not as a way of furthering knowledge and understanding or pushing your intellectual capabilities. Going back to this has anyone seen The Comic Strip Presents Funseekers? It's based on an 18-30 holiday. Looked awful. If that's what 18-30 holidays are like then they're not my cup of tea. :S</blockquote> I like that episode of The Comic Strip; it shows why I would never ever go on such a holiday. I don't even drink and go out on Saturday night, so there's not much point. I quite enjoy the contrast with the pregnant woman as opposed to all the mindless drunken tourists. Reminds me of Norwegians who can't behave when there's cheap alcohol available. They drink with both hands (as we say in Norway). I can't stand spending time with drunk people. There's no point when one is not able to have normal conversation with someone.</blockquote> I don't like spending time with drunk people either. You can't really talk to them or anything. I'll never understand the appeal of getting drunk. <img src="http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_confused.gif" title=":?" class="bb_smilies" /> nongenderous on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-62727 Sun, 04 May 2008 21:38:49 +0000 nongenderous 62727@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Going back to this has anyone seen The Comic Strip Presents Funseekers? It's based on an 18-30 holiday. Looked awful. If that's what 18-30 holidays are like then they're not my cup of tea. :S</blockquote> I like that episode of The Comic Strip; it shows why I would never ever go on such a holiday. I don't even drink and go out on Saturday night, so there's not much point. I quite enjoy the contrast with the pregnant woman as opposed to all the mindless drunken tourists. Reminds me of Norwegians who can't behave when there's cheap alcohol available. They drink with both hands (as we say in Norway). I can't stand spending time with drunk people. There's no point when one is not able to have normal conversation with someone. Soupy Twist on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-62675 Sun, 04 May 2008 15:49:18 +0000 Soupy Twist 62675@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Since our new member moose most kindly brought my attention back to this lovely thread I thought it a shame to abandon it and sort of hijacked it. Nick, feel free to slap me and rip this thread from my evil hands <img src="http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_razz.gif" title=":P" class="bb_smilies" /> I would like to proceed with "Trefusis on Education": First of all, Trefusis is against too much parental interference in education, not only because parents know nothing about education. "Parent Power" would degrade education to a mere service industry with children being the dirty linen, teachers the washers and parents the customers. Trefusis then notes that England has replaced education, which enables children to think freely and form their own opinions, with training, which is basically what is given to airline pilots, computer operators or pear trees. He states that the freedom deriving from real education "is no part of the programme of today's legislators". He concludes by opposing the old "values of decency and valour and patriotism and religion", since they are not only responsible for a century of wars and oppression, but still alive in several backward Islamic cultures. amyl_nitrate on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-46260 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:36:16 +0000 amyl_nitrate 46260@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ So what do we think of 18-30 holidays? Ever been on one? Ever seen those types?</blockquote> Going back to this has anyone seen The Comic Strip Presents Funseekers? It's based on an 18-30 holiday. Looked awful. If that's what 18-30 holidays are like then they're not my cup of tea. :S TobiasMonk on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-46210 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:15:30 +0000 TobiasMonk 46210@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ No no, we'll wait. I was just checking to see if this thread still had a pulse. No pressure! <img src="http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_biggrin.gif" title=":D" class="bb_smilies" /> Anonymous on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-46147 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:24:12 +0000 Anonymous 46147@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ I'm rather busy. Would anyone like to take over? It's just a case of introducig each article briefly for the uninitiated. TobiasMonk on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-46140 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:29:31 +0000 TobiasMonk 46140@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ O.K., what's happening with this thread <img src="http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_confused.gif" title=":-?" class="bb_smilies" /> Anonymous on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-43851 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:38:58 +0000 Anonymous 43851@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Which places in America would qualify?</blockquote> I'm not familiar with any. In America, to see America, people don't use tour companies. Mostly we just get in our cars and go, or fly. We're a nation of "road trippers". Some people here use tour companies to visit outside the US. Some go to their travel agents, and if you're like me, you make your own arrangements and wing the rest. <img src="http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_biggrin.gif" title=":D" class="bb_smilies" /> </blockquote> what few tour companies i see bringing busses to seattle are for seniors. only things i've seen for younger people are to go to islands and foriegn places, especially cruises. ugh. TobiasMonk on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-43828 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:26:11 +0000 TobiasMonk 43828@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Which places in America would qualify?</blockquote> I'm not familiar with any. In America, to see America, people don't use tour companies. Mostly we just get in our cars and go, or fly. We're a nation of "road trippers". Some people here use tour companies to visit outside the US. Some go to their travel agents, and if you're like me, you make your own arrangements and wing the rest. <img src="http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_biggrin.gif" title=":D" class="bb_smilies" /> amyl_nitrate on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-43811 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:11:23 +0000 amyl_nitrate 43811@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ I've never been on any 18-30 holiday or anything like that before. When I go on holiday I zone in on all the historical sites. No sunbathing on beaches for me. <img src="http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_smile.gif" title=":)" class="bb_smilies" /> TobiasMonk on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-43745 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:25:21 +0000 TobiasMonk 43745@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ The "Club Med" thing is here too,and all those other copycat sort of tour companies. You know, for singles, seniors, couples, etc... Anonymous on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-43744 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:18:29 +0000 Anonymous 43744@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Which places in America would qualify? TobiasMonk on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-43743 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:14:57 +0000 TobiasMonk 43743@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Nope, sorry, never done the "tour" thing, and we tend to avoid places which cater to the "desperate alcoholic, and lecher" set. Also, there's that whole IQ thing you know? <img src="http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_smile.gif" title=":)" class="bb_smilies" /> Anonymous on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-43721 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:28:09 +0000 Anonymous 43721@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ So what do we think of 18-30 holidays? Ever been on one? Ever seen those types? amyl_nitrate on "Paperweight-a-week" http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/paperweight-a-week#post-43670 Sat, 10 Nov 2007 21:10:10 +0000 amyl_nitrate 43670@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ Awww siwwy Richie! ^_^