What was the most useful thing you learnt at school?

[kinboshi]

F = ma

But then I did go to an all-boys school.

This needs more love imo.

[AndrewT]

Reading and writing. While it's obviously a skill that you develop before your start school, I don't think there's any doubt you really make any serious progress until you're in full time education. I've always felt that if you can read and write, then there's simply no object to whatever you wish to learn.

From an educational point of view, I learned very very little at school until my A-levels. I could read, write and do basic maths before school, which is more than some kids I knew could do when they left school at 16. Being in the same class as these guys meant going at their speed until we started getting split into groups by ability.

[AndrewT]

F = ma

But then I did go to an all-boys school.

This needs more love imo.

He went to an all-boys school - he probably had more love than he could handle.

[cia260895]

Useful was spending 3 years a highschool milking people playing nearest to the wall. Me and friend went halfs and proper took loads from the same people day after day. I learnt not to listen to other people and their opinions, trust your own instincts.

Was this the throwing coins at wall game? I loved this myself, and made some good money out of it

the nearest to the wall picked all coins up shook them and called heads or tails and kept whatever landed that way?

bet it would be fun with £1's today we done it with 10p's

i left school 11 years ago now, and it was £1 coins wee used, sometimes there were 15-20 playing, and if came 1st, you were onto around £10 right away if lucky.

lol we still had £1 notes

ouch

[gatso]

so is it just me and andrewt that could read and write (and do maths) properly before school?

[Jon MW]

... I could read, write and do basic maths before school, which is more than some kids I knew could do when they left school at 16. Being in the same class as these guys meant going at their speed until we started getting split into groups by ability.

When I did teacher training I taught in a school which had mixed ability classes (including maths) up to and including GCSE's.
 

[DaveShoelace]

It was someone in my class that first explained to me what wanking was.

[AndrewT]

It was someone in my class that first explained to me what wanking was.

I assume that teacher got sacked for that.

[Cf]

Useful was spending 3 years a highschool milking people playing nearest to the wall. Me and friend went halfs and proper took loads from the same people day after day. I learnt not to listen to other people and their opinions, trust your own instincts.

Was this the throwing coins at wall game? I loved this myself, and made some good money out of it

the nearest to the wall picked all coins up shook them and called heads or tails and kept whatever landed that way?

bet it would be fun with £1's today we done it with 10p's

We didn't have any of this heads or tails stuff. Nearest coin scooped the lot.

What did you do with the coins that you didn't guess right?

[thetank]

What did you do with the coins that you didn't guess right?

This

[relaedgc]

Reading and writing. While it's obviously a skill that you develop before your start school, I don't think there's any doubt you really make any serious progress until you're in full time education. I've always felt that if you can read and write, then there's simply no object to whatever you wish to learn.

From an educational point of view, I learned very very little at school until my A-levels. I could read, write and do basic maths before school, which is more than some kids I knew could do when they left school at 16. Being in the same class as these guys meant going at their speed until we started getting split into groups by ability.

My reading age was well ahead of the rest of my peers, but I wouldn't dream of saying that I didn't learn anything while at school. I can certainly remember writing lessons, for some reason, because I had a handwriting issue that I managed to perfect with special lessons. I do recall that my spelling ability was far superior to most of my age, but again, I don't think I could discount school from 5-16 as completely worthless.  I suppose it depends on what context you refer to, I've certainly forgotten most of the subject matter but I don't think there's any substitution for the social environment that you're in.

[AndrewT]

Reading and writing. While it's obviously a skill that you develop before your start school, I don't think there's any doubt you really make any serious progress until you're in full time education. I've always felt that if you can read and write, then there's simply no object to whatever you wish to learn.

From an educational point of view, I learned very very little at school until my A-levels. I could read, write and do basic maths before school, which is more than some kids I knew could do when they left school at 16. Being in the same class as these guys meant going at their speed until we started getting split into groups by ability.

My reading age was well ahead of the rest of my peers, but I wouldn't dream of saying that I didn't learn anything while at school. I can certainly remember writing lessons, for some reason, because I had a handwriting issue that I managed to perfect with special lessons. I do recall that my spelling ability was far superior to most of my age, but again, I don't think I could discount school from 5-16 as completely worthless.  I suppose it depends on what context you refer to, I've certainly forgotten most of the subject matter but I don't think there's any substitution for the social environment that you're in.

Yeah, I'm talking academically. I used to read encyclopedias at home so 'learned stuff' from them. Admittedly things like algebra were new to me at school, but two years later when there are still kids in your class who ask 'what does x mean?' you're not going to be able to learn too much new till these guys get pooled into their own class.

[Longy]

I can't believe you weren't put in sets for GCSE's that is so ridic. I am not aware of any schools that don't put kids into sets for GCSE and the majority set them as soon as they get into secondary school based on SATS results.

[Colchester Kev]

To hide my cigs well enough that the teachers couldn't find them and nick them off me.

this was easy.we always got captured by the spiral staircase and when the teachers told us to empty our pockets i would always pull out a fiver and get told to pick it up quickly b4 it blew away ...worked every time..

I graduated to chief cig seller at my high school, even the teachers bought singles from me when they had none left

[Simon Galloway]

I can't believe you weren't put in sets for GCSE's that is so ridic. I am not aware of any schools that don't put kids into sets for GCSE and the majority set them as soon as they get into secondary school based on SATS results.

GCSE? SATS?

O levels ftw.  No coursework, just read this book and see you in June.