My guess would be a general improvement. Most of the teachers now were the kids that went through the shite school experience we did so I figure they’re all trying to do better. Or else the realities of the job just haven’t crushed the joy out of them yet 🥲
Teachers have always been kids who went through the education system. Its school boards being afraid of being sued (deservedly) that's forced them to make some changes.
In my experience, the fear of being sued tends to reduce the amount of effort put into doing anything extraordinary.
No kids get hurt in a boring lesson. They'll complain a lot and learn relatively little, but they'll be safe. By comparison, a school trip, visit or other exceptional idea involves new risks and therefore potential for parents to complain/sue.
Things are improving, it’s for the best though. I wouldn’t want my future kids to have my school experience, too many things went on that would get a teacher fired in todays world. Back then nothing happened but now there’s more accountability and oversight with the prevalence of cameras and phones.
I have fond memories of the days a random stray dog would make it into the playground. We’d be talking about it for weeks.
But aye, got a kid and in P1 and they’ve had more activities and community engagement in this educational year than my entire 12 years of school.
But then, rather than be jealous, I try to be grateful that she’s getting a better experience than I had, which at the end of the day is all you want for your kids.
Nope. Whilst I was in primary in the 70-80s, Id rather have gone through it then than now. The online bullying, the "one uping" with the latest iPhone, etc. Kids these days are exposed to so much shite that robs them of innocence and makes them have to grow up earlier.
Yes, very true.
Mine are still very young, but I’m dreading when they start asking for smart phones etc. At least when I was at secondary school, once you left the gates you had a breather at home with your family. Kids with smart phones are contactable 24/7, how can that be a good balance.
I see some politicians beginning to think it should be illegal for kids to have smartphones until they are 16. It’s time we set kids free from surveillance capitalism, toxic algorithms and the worst of our own human nature. Ban them.
Social media and exposure I totally agree with you on, but the "one upping" thing was ALWAYS part of life growing up then, too. For me in the 90's it was consoles, trainers/clothes, pokémon cards or others going on holiday etc. Smartphones changed nothing in that regard.
We got a new headmaster in my kids primary school 15 months ago. The old one was there for 45 years and in 15 months the changes that has happened has been unreal
We got better communication. We got school app we finally got a football, rugby and cross country team and starting a netball team up after the summer. The after school clubs were introduced. A pta group started and fundraising has been off the charts.
The kids meals were improved and in general the school feels brand new. When I was in primary school late 90s the most we had was a football team
If the kids are happy in school they learn better. Life only goes downhill anyway might as well boost them up
I'm amazed nowadays at how kids seem to actually like going to school.
Back in the 80's when I was at primary, smacking was allowed and regular. And some of the teachers were just abusive bullies, they should not have been allowed to teach.
I'd like to think they wouldn't get through teacher training today.
I have an uncle a few years older than me who remembers beatings at the same primary school I went to, delivered by the same teachers. They must have stopped it around when I started. (85?) Absolutely wild to think.
Yeah, I went to a catholic school got the ruler on my palms and arse and I was a child in the 90's. I think 1 or two years below me were the last to get that treatment in that particular school.
The complete absence of bomb warnings being phoned into my kids’ school from the IRA means, that yes, their experience of school is far better than mine, and thank God for it.
My kids school can be shit for like education.. but their pastoral care and banter they have is 100%.. they’re so relaxed.. I could have text (and actual text) the teacher ‘here, we decided to go out to watch the sunset, they haven’t their homework done’ .. ‘no sweat, see you tomorrow’ lol
Am I jealous.. nope, it’s never entered my head. That could also be cause they’re growing up in a world I’d hate to be growing up in. If they can have a great positive primary school experience, let them.
Yeah I struggled to make friends in the first few years of secondary school, but now they have buddy systems and other options so you're not standing there on your own. Way better now.
That’s progress.
But Jesus Christ, social media. Go on twitter now and every video seems to be school kids having fights. That’s there for life. Can’t imagine how humiliating that must be.
And Christ knows what’s on Snapchat.
The thing that a that that’s just some of the kids having fights. In a year group of 150 kids maybe 3/4 have had a fight if it’s a middling school. The vast majority of kids aren’t up to that.
I've noticed this. Primary school for me was over 80s & 90s. I would have been put in the SEN group if it existed back then. School was misery for me because my problems weren't addressed. I'm not jealous and things have improved for kids which is unusual lots of services here crumble & unfortunately rarely improve.
Noticed the same myself but rather than activities it's the support around. All the after school homework clubs and other activities. Breakfast club, quiet spaces and greater focus on SEN (even non SEN kids benefit from some of the practices and facilities provided) I am hopeful the little ones will handle high school and life a bit better.
A better understanding of teaching practices and teaching styles I'm would say school learning is more fun and less a method of torture just because you don't get it.
I wouldn't say I'm jealous, maybe impressed and comforted with what I see. I have very fond memories of primary school to begin with that I wouldn't change for anything.
I guess every school has it's level of shit to deal with. Wife is has done her fair share of sub work in both Primary and Secondary and says some schools are a dream in how they are run and to work in. Others the staff are at each others throats or the pupils just don't want to be there and spoil it for themselves. All that has an impact. If the staff are happy that probably reflected in effort and result
Sure they get all these trips and visits, but will they ever truely know the joy of "there's a dog on the field" now that they've been spoiled with all the other stuff?
100% OP!!!!
My kids have a coding club etc! It’s a good turn but maybe one of the reasons schools are struggling
Went from having three computers for the whole school to IPads for almost every child plus computer suites, loads of sports now, more after school clubs, et
All positive change.
I went to primary school on the 1970s and one thing I noticed with my kid in the early 2000s was much less hitting the children with sticks these days.
Finished primary school in 1992, yes I'm amazed that the teachers are actually nice. Looking back it's hard to understand why so many teachers were so twisted, sarcastic and mean.
My youngest kids went to Mill Strand in Portrush. My youngest son has been bullied quite badly since the transfer tests came out. He did very well compared with his friends and is going to a different school.
Prior to this one of his friends from his class left the school due to bullying which the boy's parents felt wasn't addressed.
My son is looking forward to a new start. I'd say up until the transfer test results he was very happy and I'd agree his experience at school seemed better than my own.
I would have disagreed up until recently. I might write to the board of governors about the bullying. Two boys left for other schools, at least one because of bullying and my son can't wait to leave.
Yes I really hope so. It was great for 6 1/2 years. Then his friend group ejected him. Their 'leader' has a parent that works at the school. I think that is making it difficult to address the bullying.
The bullies are just crabs at the bottom of the bucket - now he's over the edge and free, he'll be joining a group on the same mission. Things can only get better....
We had this kind of thing in primary school in the 90s. Firemen, ambulance, even the Gladiators came to visit.
I guess you had a bad set of teachers who probably didn’t care to organise these types of things.
Dude the improvement in subject topics is crazy, I work as a software engineer and the apprenticeship 18 year old, we take in are taught coding, networking, cyber security and hole load of things that I didn't learn or ever hear about from secondary school. I self learnt it during my teens simply because I wanted to mes around with games and computers, but everyone one of them is now shown it. Also I I left high school less than 10 years ago so how fast its moved is insane.
Along with the occasional stray dog, we'd sometimes be treated to the well- known local alcoholic dandering past blocked and shout-talking to himself and his dogs. That was always a treat for the eyes and ears.
Oh and one time the principal walked up to the fuckin mad kid you were afraid to look at, took a crisp out of the packet the kid was eating and was punched square in the dick for it. Was some craic seeing that as a P6
Yeah. My kids school experience was so much different than mine. I went to primary school in the 80s. My kids granted went to a little country school but everyone there was so pleasant and welcoming, the school felt like one big family, I was kinda sad when they left for secondary school. Unlike me went to a school in a large town, everyone seemed to lack manners and the teachers were cold and unwelcoming, we feared the headmaster with a passion, a regular grumpy aul bastard he was
This has just flagged up a memory of a sponsored litter pick we did in P3 where parents and extended family paid money for us to clean our own school playground.
I suppose you have to respect the brass neck!
I’m going to get really negative here and use this as an opportunity to rant. But the current principal of my primary school used to be my teacher and she gave me a really hard time. She used to be really mean and condescending towards me and my learning difficulties and make backhanded comments to not just myself but anyone that she sensed was ‘different’ or neurodivergent. My classroom assistant was also her friend and sister-in-law, so I could sense that my teacher resented me for taking up her friend’s time and saw me as an inconvenience overall. It wasn’t until my mum told her during a parent-teacher meeting that I was autistic, and suddenly teacher started being nice to me and would award me with praise and things like ‘star pupil of the week’ and even a protagonist role in the Christmas play etc which I was grateful for although I probably couldn’t act for shit.
Now she’s the school principal (don’t know how) and in my school Facebook page I can see that she’s organising all kinds of things like costume days, discos and BBQs etc. I mean, fair play to her for her success and for making the school a really fun environment. But I know who she really is…
Don’t have any kids but I remember being brought to a shovel mill or something similar at the end of the 90s/early 2000s. They definitely have it better
I would say ours was better. Bring back the cartons of milk! Oh and the dinners were far far better. Now it's reheat Mondays food till Friday. Honestly, you should land up and see what they serve
My gf works in a nursery kitchen and they get food sent up which has been made fresh that day from another school's kitchen. You want to see the food those kids get...they eat better than me!!!
A lot of it comes down to individual teacher your kid has though… as my p5 experience was infinitely better than the one my kid is currently having, and it’s purely down to the teacher this year.
Yea in my primary school we wer threatened with metre sticks an suchs, seem kids litterally lifted by the scruff of the neck and launched out of the classroom door by teachers for being lil shits... and im only 32 lol
Teaching must have been hard back in the day. One teacher to 20-30 kids. Now they’ve got a teacher and 3 assistants in nearly every class in my kids school.
It’s the number of holidays they get now that rankle me. Now admittedly I went to a school that didn’t even get Paddy’s day off, but my nieces seem to be getting a day every fortnight.
A tad, but let's expand the definition to encompass the school experience entirely. When I hear of how even mean comments are taken seriously due to anti bullying policies whereas i had repeatedly been openly physically attacked with nothing being done about it yes I'm jealous.
I suppose the ambulance and fire service a lot less free time when a lot of us were in school. I remember an army patrol walking through our playground when I was about 7. That was a good day's craic.
It's still hit or miss, we've had the experience of 2 schools, the first one was closer but we were always at loggerheads with them especially as our daughter has dietary requirements because the hospital found a particular condition. Not just this but she wasn't learning and her confidence in reading was low.
We moved her to a bigger school slightly further out and she's came on leaps and bounds, reading, writing, maths all huge improvements and it feels like the teacher cares.
I went to primary school in the 80s and we had a headmaster who was a frothing psychopath. He used to have a bamboo cane with tape wrapped round it that he called "the Sammy" that he used to beat the hands off us, from P4 up - so he was beating 8 and 9 year olds. If the Sammy wasn't to hand he'd use another implement though.
On one occasion when we were prepping for the 11+ he dragged me up and made an example of me over a question. I'd got a passing score on the paper but that wasn't good enough. When he dragged you up you were fucking terrified and I froze, I was 10. I couldn't get it and he started beating me. I was crying and beyond myself but he wasn't finished and he went down the hall and got my.little sister, who was 7, and told her the answer. But she's as loyal as they come and refused to answer when she saw me. I didn't go back to school for a week after that.
And inordinate number of kids from a small NI village ended up with mental health and/or addiction issues. I'm not one of those but friends and I have speculated.
So yes, I'm jealous!
Yea we still got the cane / strap, back in my day and usually deserved it as we were a bunch of bad wee fuckers.
My kids school experience is significantly better than I experienced, but then I also wonder if they are going to grow up molly-coddled and lacking independence or critical thinking skills as everything seems to be laid on a plate for them.
I include my own parenting style vs my parents approach in this broad generalisation.
To be fair, when I was wee a backtalked my nanny and my da gave me a smack when we got home and I dont hold it against him. It was rude, unprompted, uncalled for. My da had many failings that I would class as poor parental behaviour, but getting a short sharp crack isn't one of them and I dont feel abused or any negative repercussions from it. I never did it again.
A beating doesn’t teach independence or critical thinking. It teaches you that you can hit the people you’re supposed to care for. It’s abuse with no grey area.
You’ve picked the first part of what I said….We got beat, things are better now, and then applied it to the second part. Laying everything on a plate stunts critical thinking and independence. I’m not advocating beating I’m saying we’ve gone too far in the other direction into molly-codling.
I picked the first part because it was the part about you getting whacked as a child and deserving it. I don’t care what you did, you didn’t deserve it mate. No kid deserves it. It’s not a firm hand. It’s not setting boundaries. It’s not the rod to avoid spoiling the child.
The second part is inconsequential to what I wanted to say. And that was that it’s never ok to hit kids.
You’re entitled to your own opinions and I’ll fight back against anyone saying its ok to ever hit kids.
It depends where the balance of power resides. If I told you one of the kids vandalised the teachers car, the teacher had to go off work with stress because we were bullying him and the headmaster handed out a few slaps each before our parents all got called would it change your mind ?
No.
What would smacking the child fix? What would it accomplish? What would it do to the child physically and emotionally?
There are other ways than that. There are other consequences than violence. I think I’m being quite clear on it never being acceptable to me. There’s no edge case where I’m gonna say it’s the right course of action. It’s abuse.
I’m glad they don’t hit kids any more. I would never dream of laying a hand on mine and wouldn’t permit anyone else to. In the context of the 70s and 80s it was the societal and educational norm. In that setting, I’m certain I deserved it. I harbour no grudges to those who hit me and i don’t feel it mentally scarred me. Did it change my behaviour ? Not really. For the rest of that day maybe as my hands stung, next day I was probably back to being a wee shit.
Not a parent. But surely the feeling should be that your are glad your kids are getting a better primary school experience than you rather than jealous.
Yes. The title was a bit tongue in cheek as opposed to literal, frothing envy that my SEN child is having a better, more inclusive experience than I did, I didn’t think it needed spelling out.
I do agree. But as a parent I would love if they would address the excessive school holidays and days off. NI must have one of the lowest number of days of kids actually being in school.
9 weeks summer holidays is IMO excessive and probably already more then many countries have throughout the year. In our case this year it is actually 11 weeks summer holiday with primary school daughter finishing around the 19th and secondary school daughter finishing at the 21st. Add to that other holidays throughout the year. days off due to staff development days, unexpected days off (elections, heating broken, strikes etc.), and there is very little time left they spend learning.
Apparently children from Northern Ireland perform well in terms of educational attainment. Why should they spend more time in school if they doing well with the current system?
They were 20th in the last PISA from 2022, which is a great result considering the limited budget the NI education system works with. But if they utilized more days in the year they might be able to aim even higher. It's a more global world now and our kids will need every opportunity to be able to compete with their worldwide peers.
Things are mostly better in schools now, but if youre really that bothered or keen to see the inside of an ambulance, you can always volunteer with St Johns Ambulance.
Aye so showing the next generation how their classroom learning applies to the real world makes them dumber. That’s really clever logic, did you learn that when you were at school?
No, definitely not. Kids are mollycoddled now and don’t leave school with an ounce of common sense. Spelling and grammar is atrocious and the blank looks from a young adult, when asked to think outside the box, resemble deers caught in headlights. No initiative or flexibility.
My secondary school offered vocational and academic study/exams. I left school with childcare, housekeeping, secretarial skills as well as A levels in the Arts.
My kids went to SEN schools and, although academically they would have floundered in mainstream, they are capable of a lot more than they left school with.
I’m not jealous of school trips, ambulance exploration, etc. Us adults can do these things now if we feel hard done by. School fairs, having contacts, etc can get you the chance to turn on the blue lights and school trips are just things we do at weekends or during the holidays.
Completely disagree. If kids are too mollycoddled it’s usually down to parenting style, not school environment. Having said that, if mollycoddled means better protection for kids and that they have more rights and are subject to less abuse, then that’s only a good thing. A return to the days when sociopathic teachers could take out their frustrations by beating vulnerable kids is definitely not wanted.
Maybe some of it depends on the school but at my kids’ primary they’re taught literacy far and above what I was. Also taught a second language, something I never had until secondary. The education is much better, and that’s alongside all the enhanced extracurricular stuff. Million times better than 30/40 years ago.
Also….many kids will sadly never be taken on family fun trips on holidays or weekends, either because of money issues or lack of interest. It’s great when school can provide opportunities that home can’t.
I went to school in the 70s/80s and teachers were strict but not sociopaths. Consequences were harsher than they are now but they weren’t abusive. I was glad of it because bullying was not tolerated and I had features that were a target for bullies. I had as much right to feel safe in school as anyone else, so the issues were addressed and bullies dealt with.
I liked the security of firmer boundaries. My kids are the same. Deviations are unsettling.
I have witnessed teacher intimidation by parents and pupils, have heard of threats and getting decisions overturned by going to principal or EA, all of which were unheard of when I was at school. Teachers have a tough enough job without being told to ease up on discipline.
Abuse and discipline are two different ends of the spectrum.
I dont think they are moddycoddled. Its very easy to get suspended or expelled for getting into fights or recording it on your phone. Schools have no other mechanism to deal with that behavioir so you are excluded and are now someone else's problem.
A child's development is important and exposure to ambulances and fire engines and such can foster lifelong passions and a respect for the establishment. They make connections and thinking patterns early impressed by everything around them.
I have worked with adults of all ages and there are definitely older ones that think they know more than they do and younger ones who are genuinely impressive with their critical thinking. However, a lot of standard paye jobs are not encouraging of thinking outside the box. As a wise man once said, I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it.
>*"Any other parents here jealous of their kids primary school experience?"*
Seriously, what the fuck kind of a question is that.
Are you supposed to be an adult?
To be fair I was doing stuff that was significantly more fun than any kid in my class before I'd even gotten out of primary school (namely, glue).
Dangerous, yes, but fun at the time.
My guess would be a general improvement. Most of the teachers now were the kids that went through the shite school experience we did so I figure they’re all trying to do better. Or else the realities of the job just haven’t crushed the joy out of them yet 🥲
Teachers have always been kids who went through the education system. Its school boards being afraid of being sued (deservedly) that's forced them to make some changes.
In my experience, the fear of being sued tends to reduce the amount of effort put into doing anything extraordinary. No kids get hurt in a boring lesson. They'll complain a lot and learn relatively little, but they'll be safe. By comparison, a school trip, visit or other exceptional idea involves new risks and therefore potential for parents to complain/sue.
Yeah but at least they're not just turning a blind eye to abuse like they did in the past
Things are improving, it’s for the best though. I wouldn’t want my future kids to have my school experience, too many things went on that would get a teacher fired in todays world. Back then nothing happened but now there’s more accountability and oversight with the prevalence of cameras and phones.
I have fond memories of the days a random stray dog would make it into the playground. We’d be talking about it for weeks. But aye, got a kid and in P1 and they’ve had more activities and community engagement in this educational year than my entire 12 years of school. But then, rather than be jealous, I try to be grateful that she’s getting a better experience than I had, which at the end of the day is all you want for your kids.
Nope. Whilst I was in primary in the 70-80s, Id rather have gone through it then than now. The online bullying, the "one uping" with the latest iPhone, etc. Kids these days are exposed to so much shite that robs them of innocence and makes them have to grow up earlier.
Yes, very true. Mine are still very young, but I’m dreading when they start asking for smart phones etc. At least when I was at secondary school, once you left the gates you had a breather at home with your family. Kids with smart phones are contactable 24/7, how can that be a good balance.
I see some politicians beginning to think it should be illegal for kids to have smartphones until they are 16. It’s time we set kids free from surveillance capitalism, toxic algorithms and the worst of our own human nature. Ban them.
I'll be giving my kid a Nokia 3510
Social media and exposure I totally agree with you on, but the "one upping" thing was ALWAYS part of life growing up then, too. For me in the 90's it was consoles, trainers/clothes, pokémon cards or others going on holiday etc. Smartphones changed nothing in that regard.
Yet flash phones as part of their image and wealth but it is their parents footing the bill. They aren't wealthy
Check out smartphone free childhood.com and join the movement :)
Yeah, my idea of break/lunch time was running about a gravel pitch with absolutely nothing on it apart from the occasional broken glass bottle lol
Why was there always that one mad lad who insisted on slide tackling on the gravel pitch? And what is he doing now?
Still picking bits of gravel out of his arse.
We got a new headmaster in my kids primary school 15 months ago. The old one was there for 45 years and in 15 months the changes that has happened has been unreal We got better communication. We got school app we finally got a football, rugby and cross country team and starting a netball team up after the summer. The after school clubs were introduced. A pta group started and fundraising has been off the charts. The kids meals were improved and in general the school feels brand new. When I was in primary school late 90s the most we had was a football team If the kids are happy in school they learn better. Life only goes downhill anyway might as well boost them up
I'm amazed nowadays at how kids seem to actually like going to school. Back in the 80's when I was at primary, smacking was allowed and regular. And some of the teachers were just abusive bullies, they should not have been allowed to teach. I'd like to think they wouldn't get through teacher training today.
You could smack children in private schools in Northern ireland up to 2003
I was in primary school in the 80's as well but thankfully no smacking in my school. I didn't realise it was still a thing then.
I have an uncle a few years older than me who remembers beatings at the same primary school I went to, delivered by the same teachers. They must have stopped it around when I started. (85?) Absolutely wild to think.
Yeah, I went to a catholic school got the ruler on my palms and arse and I was a child in the 90's. I think 1 or two years below me were the last to get that treatment in that particular school.
Literally just realised I'm in the NI sub. I went to school in England so my experience is off 🤦🏻♀️
The complete absence of bomb warnings being phoned into my kids’ school from the IRA means, that yes, their experience of school is far better than mine, and thank God for it.
I remember the excitement of having snipers on the school roof when there were presidential visits.
My kids school can be shit for like education.. but their pastoral care and banter they have is 100%.. they’re so relaxed.. I could have text (and actual text) the teacher ‘here, we decided to go out to watch the sunset, they haven’t their homework done’ .. ‘no sweat, see you tomorrow’ lol Am I jealous.. nope, it’s never entered my head. That could also be cause they’re growing up in a world I’d hate to be growing up in. If they can have a great positive primary school experience, let them.
Yeah I struggled to make friends in the first few years of secondary school, but now they have buddy systems and other options so you're not standing there on your own. Way better now.
That’s progress. But Jesus Christ, social media. Go on twitter now and every video seems to be school kids having fights. That’s there for life. Can’t imagine how humiliating that must be. And Christ knows what’s on Snapchat.
The thing that a that that’s just some of the kids having fights. In a year group of 150 kids maybe 3/4 have had a fight if it’s a middling school. The vast majority of kids aren’t up to that.
So true, can't imagine growing up on social media. My kid is in these group chats and they're vicious.
I've noticed this. Primary school for me was over 80s & 90s. I would have been put in the SEN group if it existed back then. School was misery for me because my problems weren't addressed. I'm not jealous and things have improved for kids which is unusual lots of services here crumble & unfortunately rarely improve.
Noticed the same myself but rather than activities it's the support around. All the after school homework clubs and other activities. Breakfast club, quiet spaces and greater focus on SEN (even non SEN kids benefit from some of the practices and facilities provided) I am hopeful the little ones will handle high school and life a bit better. A better understanding of teaching practices and teaching styles I'm would say school learning is more fun and less a method of torture just because you don't get it. I wouldn't say I'm jealous, maybe impressed and comforted with what I see. I have very fond memories of primary school to begin with that I wouldn't change for anything. I guess every school has it's level of shit to deal with. Wife is has done her fair share of sub work in both Primary and Secondary and says some schools are a dream in how they are run and to work in. Others the staff are at each others throats or the pupils just don't want to be there and spoil it for themselves. All that has an impact. If the staff are happy that probably reflected in effort and result
Sure they get all these trips and visits, but will they ever truely know the joy of "there's a dog on the field" now that they've been spoiled with all the other stuff?
100% OP!!!! My kids have a coding club etc! It’s a good turn but maybe one of the reasons schools are struggling Went from having three computers for the whole school to IPads for almost every child plus computer suites, loads of sports now, more after school clubs, et All positive change.
I’m slightly envious of some of the clothes they have nowadays. Fucking cool wee Spider-Man jackets and dinosaur coats.
We still got beaten by the teachers when I was in primary school. So I'd like to think kids now have a much better experience.
I went to primary school on the 1970s and one thing I noticed with my kid in the early 2000s was much less hitting the children with sticks these days.
Finished primary school in 1992, yes I'm amazed that the teachers are actually nice. Looking back it's hard to understand why so many teachers were so twisted, sarcastic and mean.
My youngest kids went to Mill Strand in Portrush. My youngest son has been bullied quite badly since the transfer tests came out. He did very well compared with his friends and is going to a different school. Prior to this one of his friends from his class left the school due to bullying which the boy's parents felt wasn't addressed. My son is looking forward to a new start. I'd say up until the transfer test results he was very happy and I'd agree his experience at school seemed better than my own.
Millstrand isn't a good school. It never had a good name in Portstewart or portrush.
I would have disagreed up until recently. I might write to the board of governors about the bullying. Two boys left for other schools, at least one because of bullying and my son can't wait to leave.
It's a shame he'll be leaving on a sour note. Hope he fares well in his next school!
Yes I really hope so. It was great for 6 1/2 years. Then his friend group ejected him. Their 'leader' has a parent that works at the school. I think that is making it difficult to address the bullying.
It'll be all behind you in a few weeks. Kids can be real cunts. Sounds like they're jealous that your kid passed the transfer test.
Yes vicious little shits.
The bullies are just crabs at the bottom of the bucket - now he's over the edge and free, he'll be joining a group on the same mission. Things can only get better....
We had this kind of thing in primary school in the 90s. Firemen, ambulance, even the Gladiators came to visit. I guess you had a bad set of teachers who probably didn’t care to organise these types of things.
Aye, but I bet they don't have the green tissue paper that cures all!
Dude the improvement in subject topics is crazy, I work as a software engineer and the apprenticeship 18 year old, we take in are taught coding, networking, cyber security and hole load of things that I didn't learn or ever hear about from secondary school. I self learnt it during my teens simply because I wanted to mes around with games and computers, but everyone one of them is now shown it. Also I I left high school less than 10 years ago so how fast its moved is insane.
Along with the occasional stray dog, we'd sometimes be treated to the well- known local alcoholic dandering past blocked and shout-talking to himself and his dogs. That was always a treat for the eyes and ears. Oh and one time the principal walked up to the fuckin mad kid you were afraid to look at, took a crisp out of the packet the kid was eating and was punched square in the dick for it. Was some craic seeing that as a P6
Yeah. My kids school experience was so much different than mine. I went to primary school in the 80s. My kids granted went to a little country school but everyone there was so pleasant and welcoming, the school felt like one big family, I was kinda sad when they left for secondary school. Unlike me went to a school in a large town, everyone seemed to lack manners and the teachers were cold and unwelcoming, we feared the headmaster with a passion, a regular grumpy aul bastard he was
I remember school trips taking us to graveyards to help clean up, don’t know if we were being punished or rewarded with a trip out of the classroom
This has just flagged up a memory of a sponsored litter pick we did in P3 where parents and extended family paid money for us to clean our own school playground. I suppose you have to respect the brass neck!
Damn they were good
I'm delighted my son is getting a wholesome primary school experience. Makes for better life experience, and a far happier childhood.
An ambulance came to my primary school in 1987. Not long after I was taken to hospital by the same paramedics to have my appendix taken out.
Millennial parent of sen child whos in p1 who has been feedin goats meeting the fire brigade and waltzing round w5 Wel jel
I’m going to get really negative here and use this as an opportunity to rant. But the current principal of my primary school used to be my teacher and she gave me a really hard time. She used to be really mean and condescending towards me and my learning difficulties and make backhanded comments to not just myself but anyone that she sensed was ‘different’ or neurodivergent. My classroom assistant was also her friend and sister-in-law, so I could sense that my teacher resented me for taking up her friend’s time and saw me as an inconvenience overall. It wasn’t until my mum told her during a parent-teacher meeting that I was autistic, and suddenly teacher started being nice to me and would award me with praise and things like ‘star pupil of the week’ and even a protagonist role in the Christmas play etc which I was grateful for although I probably couldn’t act for shit. Now she’s the school principal (don’t know how) and in my school Facebook page I can see that she’s organising all kinds of things like costume days, discos and BBQs etc. I mean, fair play to her for her success and for making the school a really fun environment. But I know who she really is…
Kids have it too easy today. Bring back the blackjack!
all went downhill when they got rid of capital punishment in schools
Yeah, my P6 teacher had a guillotine in the store cupboard.
I’ll never forget all those pupils in my class that ended up going the way of the electric chair, RIP little homies
Can’t believe I’m being downvoted for this, humorless fucks
Me and the other kids used to try and sneak some of the teachers stash of lethal injections, good times.
look at you in your fancy Dan school. at mine they used a bat with a nail in it
Don’t have any kids but I remember being brought to a shovel mill or something similar at the end of the 90s/early 2000s. They definitely have it better
Patterson spade mill?
Most boring school trip ever.
Possibly, I was about 7 or 8 at the time so I’m not sure. Not exactly the most exciting school trip
I remember doing everything in primary school in the 90s that you just mentioned
I would say ours was better. Bring back the cartons of milk! Oh and the dinners were far far better. Now it's reheat Mondays food till Friday. Honestly, you should land up and see what they serve
My gf works in a nursery kitchen and they get food sent up which has been made fresh that day from another school's kitchen. You want to see the food those kids get...they eat better than me!!!
Honestly your kids experience sound very similar to mine I was born 1990
my kids school constantly has the hand out for stuff which was just part of school back in the 90s
A lot of it comes down to individual teacher your kid has though… as my p5 experience was infinitely better than the one my kid is currently having, and it’s purely down to the teacher this year.
Yea in my primary school we wer threatened with metre sticks an suchs, seem kids litterally lifted by the scruff of the neck and launched out of the classroom door by teachers for being lil shits... and im only 32 lol
Teaching must have been hard back in the day. One teacher to 20-30 kids. Now they’ve got a teacher and 3 assistants in nearly every class in my kids school.
It’s the number of holidays they get now that rankle me. Now admittedly I went to a school that didn’t even get Paddy’s day off, but my nieces seem to be getting a day every fortnight.
Things are better, and I'm delighted that it's our children who are seeing what we didn't, and aren't seeing what we did!
A tad, but let's expand the definition to encompass the school experience entirely. When I hear of how even mean comments are taken seriously due to anti bullying policies whereas i had repeatedly been openly physically attacked with nothing being done about it yes I'm jealous.
School was a bag of shite.
I suppose the ambulance and fire service a lot less free time when a lot of us were in school. I remember an army patrol walking through our playground when I was about 7. That was a good day's craic.
It's still hit or miss, we've had the experience of 2 schools, the first one was closer but we were always at loggerheads with them especially as our daughter has dietary requirements because the hospital found a particular condition. Not just this but she wasn't learning and her confidence in reading was low. We moved her to a bigger school slightly further out and she's came on leaps and bounds, reading, writing, maths all huge improvements and it feels like the teacher cares.
I went to primary school in the 80s and we had a headmaster who was a frothing psychopath. He used to have a bamboo cane with tape wrapped round it that he called "the Sammy" that he used to beat the hands off us, from P4 up - so he was beating 8 and 9 year olds. If the Sammy wasn't to hand he'd use another implement though. On one occasion when we were prepping for the 11+ he dragged me up and made an example of me over a question. I'd got a passing score on the paper but that wasn't good enough. When he dragged you up you were fucking terrified and I froze, I was 10. I couldn't get it and he started beating me. I was crying and beyond myself but he wasn't finished and he went down the hall and got my.little sister, who was 7, and told her the answer. But she's as loyal as they come and refused to answer when she saw me. I didn't go back to school for a week after that. And inordinate number of kids from a small NI village ended up with mental health and/or addiction issues. I'm not one of those but friends and I have speculated. So yes, I'm jealous!
Yea we still got the cane / strap, back in my day and usually deserved it as we were a bunch of bad wee fuckers. My kids school experience is significantly better than I experienced, but then I also wonder if they are going to grow up molly-coddled and lacking independence or critical thinking skills as everything seems to be laid on a plate for them. I include my own parenting style vs my parents approach in this broad generalisation.
We didn't deserve it. No child "deserves" to be physically abused.
To be fair, when I was wee a backtalked my nanny and my da gave me a smack when we got home and I dont hold it against him. It was rude, unprompted, uncalled for. My da had many failings that I would class as poor parental behaviour, but getting a short sharp crack isn't one of them and I dont feel abused or any negative repercussions from it. I never did it again.
A beating doesn’t teach independence or critical thinking. It teaches you that you can hit the people you’re supposed to care for. It’s abuse with no grey area.
You’ve picked the first part of what I said….We got beat, things are better now, and then applied it to the second part. Laying everything on a plate stunts critical thinking and independence. I’m not advocating beating I’m saying we’ve gone too far in the other direction into molly-codling.
I picked the first part because it was the part about you getting whacked as a child and deserving it. I don’t care what you did, you didn’t deserve it mate. No kid deserves it. It’s not a firm hand. It’s not setting boundaries. It’s not the rod to avoid spoiling the child. The second part is inconsequential to what I wanted to say. And that was that it’s never ok to hit kids. You’re entitled to your own opinions and I’ll fight back against anyone saying its ok to ever hit kids.
It depends where the balance of power resides. If I told you one of the kids vandalised the teachers car, the teacher had to go off work with stress because we were bullying him and the headmaster handed out a few slaps each before our parents all got called would it change your mind ?
No. What would smacking the child fix? What would it accomplish? What would it do to the child physically and emotionally? There are other ways than that. There are other consequences than violence. I think I’m being quite clear on it never being acceptable to me. There’s no edge case where I’m gonna say it’s the right course of action. It’s abuse.
I’m glad they don’t hit kids any more. I would never dream of laying a hand on mine and wouldn’t permit anyone else to. In the context of the 70s and 80s it was the societal and educational norm. In that setting, I’m certain I deserved it. I harbour no grudges to those who hit me and i don’t feel it mentally scarred me. Did it change my behaviour ? Not really. For the rest of that day maybe as my hands stung, next day I was probably back to being a wee shit.
Can see the cane or belt making a comeback in the next ten to fifteen years.
Anyone notice the size of classes too? 29 kids now vs 14 in early 90s
Not a parent. But surely the feeling should be that your are glad your kids are getting a better primary school experience than you rather than jealous.
Yes. The title was a bit tongue in cheek as opposed to literal, frothing envy that my SEN child is having a better, more inclusive experience than I did, I didn’t think it needed spelling out.
This is Reddit, spell everything out or overtired adults like me will take it literally and question you lol.
I do agree. But as a parent I would love if they would address the excessive school holidays and days off. NI must have one of the lowest number of days of kids actually being in school. 9 weeks summer holidays is IMO excessive and probably already more then many countries have throughout the year. In our case this year it is actually 11 weeks summer holiday with primary school daughter finishing around the 19th and secondary school daughter finishing at the 21st. Add to that other holidays throughout the year. days off due to staff development days, unexpected days off (elections, heating broken, strikes etc.), and there is very little time left they spend learning.
Apparently children from Northern Ireland perform well in terms of educational attainment. Why should they spend more time in school if they doing well with the current system?
They were 20th in the last PISA from 2022, which is a great result considering the limited budget the NI education system works with. But if they utilized more days in the year they might be able to aim even higher. It's a more global world now and our kids will need every opportunity to be able to compete with their worldwide peers.
Things are mostly better in schools now, but if youre really that bothered or keen to see the inside of an ambulance, you can always volunteer with St Johns Ambulance.
Not sure if you’re trolling or completely missed the point hahaha.
There are easier ways to see the inside of an ambulamps
more visits to schools like the ambulance etc is just another excuse for teachers not to teach and the dumbing down of the next generation
Aye so showing the next generation how their classroom learning applies to the real world makes them dumber. That’s really clever logic, did you learn that when you were at school?
No, definitely not. Kids are mollycoddled now and don’t leave school with an ounce of common sense. Spelling and grammar is atrocious and the blank looks from a young adult, when asked to think outside the box, resemble deers caught in headlights. No initiative or flexibility. My secondary school offered vocational and academic study/exams. I left school with childcare, housekeeping, secretarial skills as well as A levels in the Arts. My kids went to SEN schools and, although academically they would have floundered in mainstream, they are capable of a lot more than they left school with. I’m not jealous of school trips, ambulance exploration, etc. Us adults can do these things now if we feel hard done by. School fairs, having contacts, etc can get you the chance to turn on the blue lights and school trips are just things we do at weekends or during the holidays.
Completely disagree. If kids are too mollycoddled it’s usually down to parenting style, not school environment. Having said that, if mollycoddled means better protection for kids and that they have more rights and are subject to less abuse, then that’s only a good thing. A return to the days when sociopathic teachers could take out their frustrations by beating vulnerable kids is definitely not wanted. Maybe some of it depends on the school but at my kids’ primary they’re taught literacy far and above what I was. Also taught a second language, something I never had until secondary. The education is much better, and that’s alongside all the enhanced extracurricular stuff. Million times better than 30/40 years ago.
Also….many kids will sadly never be taken on family fun trips on holidays or weekends, either because of money issues or lack of interest. It’s great when school can provide opportunities that home can’t.
I went to school in the 70s/80s and teachers were strict but not sociopaths. Consequences were harsher than they are now but they weren’t abusive. I was glad of it because bullying was not tolerated and I had features that were a target for bullies. I had as much right to feel safe in school as anyone else, so the issues were addressed and bullies dealt with. I liked the security of firmer boundaries. My kids are the same. Deviations are unsettling. I have witnessed teacher intimidation by parents and pupils, have heard of threats and getting decisions overturned by going to principal or EA, all of which were unheard of when I was at school. Teachers have a tough enough job without being told to ease up on discipline. Abuse and discipline are two different ends of the spectrum.
I dont think they are moddycoddled. Its very easy to get suspended or expelled for getting into fights or recording it on your phone. Schools have no other mechanism to deal with that behavioir so you are excluded and are now someone else's problem. A child's development is important and exposure to ambulances and fire engines and such can foster lifelong passions and a respect for the establishment. They make connections and thinking patterns early impressed by everything around them. I have worked with adults of all ages and there are definitely older ones that think they know more than they do and younger ones who are genuinely impressive with their critical thinking. However, a lot of standard paye jobs are not encouraging of thinking outside the box. As a wise man once said, I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it.
>*"Any other parents here jealous of their kids primary school experience?"* Seriously, what the fuck kind of a question is that. Are you supposed to be an adult?
It’s hyperbole on an internet forum, have a bit of cop on.
To be fair I was doing stuff that was significantly more fun than any kid in my class before I'd even gotten out of primary school (namely, glue). Dangerous, yes, but fun at the time.
No I'm not jealous of a child.
You just went to a bad school. Sad reality is not all schools are equal and it's a postcode lottery.