Oldies and Fossils

[Tisme]

Thought this site might be interesting to some of the members who remember old school Australia.

http://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/education/2014/12/education-through-the-ages/

 

[SirRumpole]

Thought this site might be interesting to some of the members who remember old school Australia.

http://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/education/2014/12/education-through-the-ages/

Warm milk at school. Yuk.

I remember the old syrup in a spoon for polio too.

Does that still happen in school ?

 

[Tink]

Great thread, Tisme, a lot to learn from the oldies.
I remember the warm milk too, though I think it ended at the end of my primary years.
Yes, hopscotch, elastics, rounders.
The beautiful cursive writing on the blackboards.

Memories.

 

[Bill M]

When I was in primary school we use to get that fee milk everyday, most times some would be left over so I took it home and Mum gave it to the dog for breakfast. We also had a yearly Doctor visit, each student had a free check up. Also remember getting hearing check ups. But step out of line and you would get a bashing from the teacher with that yard stick they used on the black boards, ouch! Got the cane once or twice too

 

[Tink]

Yes, a lot more discipline in the public schools then than now.
That is probably why so many opt for private school education.

I only ever saw one student smacked with the ruler.

I pretty much grew up with nuns going to an all girls school, and have a lot of admiration for them.

 

[Tink]

Also looking back, how simple it was then, drinking taps, your books in your desk in front of you.
How things have changed.

 

[Calliope]

The beautiful cursive writing on the blackboards.

As well as numeracy and literacy, we were taught how to hold our pens properly.Cursive writing went out the window when teachers decided to let the kids hold rheir pens in a fist.

INCORRECT INCORRECT CORRECT

 

[SirRumpole]

As well as numeracy and literacy, we were taught how to hold our pens properly.Cursive writing went out the window when teachers decided to let the kids hold rheir pens in a fist.

View attachment 60827 INCORRECTView attachment 60828 INCORRECT View attachment 60829 CORRECT

What's a pen ?

 

[ghotib]

What's a pen ?

It's an old word for feather.

As in, "The pen is mightier than the sod."

 

[Calliope]

It's an old word for feather.

As in, "The pen is mightier than the sod."

For those dumb enough not to know what a pen is.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...DRA_en&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source

 

[Tink]

Well said, Calliope.

Not quite sure what you meant by that comment, ghotib, but isn't that what they are at school for, to learn?

 

[sydboy007]

It's just a generational thing me thinks.

You know you're old when the music you grew up with is now playing again, remixed and "brand new" for the masses

http://www.salon.com/2014/12/16/how_old_you_feel_might_predict_how_long_youll_live/

The researchers analyzed data from a study in England on aging that included information on deaths during a follow-up period that ended in February 2013; deaths totaled 1,030. About 14 percent of the young-feeling adults died during the follow-up, versus 19 percent of those who felt their actual age and 25 percent of those who felt older.

Feeling older was a predictor of death even when the researchers accounted for things that could affect death rates, including illnesses, wealth, education, smoking, alcohol intake and physical activity. Older-feeling adults were about 40 percent more likely to die than younger-feeling adults.

But lest people view the past through rose tinted glasses, do people have a good memory of a world before mass immunisation, especially smallpox and polio, or antibiotics that save people dying from what we now consider a simple wound. The past was a world where the colour of your skin limited your ability to vote or even the public transport or water fountain you could use (in the case of the USA or Apartheid South Africa). Then there was the belittling attitudes towards woman, and overt racism to Asians and Southern Europeans. There's plenty about the past I'm happy is no longer in the present

The only constant is change.

 

[Logique]

Thanks for the thread Tisme.

I'll have you know, I was Third Grade class milk monitor. As you would expect, I was superb in this role.

Such nostalgia, little bottles of banana and lime milk, served at room temperature. Sabin polio vaccine on a little plastic spoon, hopscotch, elastics, yo-yos, and marbles, and The Monkeys bubble gum cards.

And Carlton won the Premiership every year.

Nuns were certifiable. Christian Brothers not far behind, and they loved to use The Strap.

Does anyone remember the old knuckle-bones game. They were little bones that you tossed up and down on your hand, a little before my time, and only vaguely remembered.

 

[Julia]

But lest people view the past through rose tinted glasses, do people have a good memory of a world before mass immunisation, especially smallpox and polio, or antibiotics that save people dying from what we now consider a simple wound.

Yes, medical advances have been so positive. I'm presently reading "The Golden Age", about the children populating that polio hospital, where many died in their iron lung, and the more healthy were dependent on calipers and crutches to support their useless legs.

The past was a world where the colour of your skin limited your ability to vote or even the public transport or water fountain you could use (in the case of the USA or Apartheid South Africa). Then there was the belittling attitudes towards woman, and overt racism to Asians and Southern Europeans. There's plenty about the past I'm happy is no longer in the present

Certainly the overt presentation of the sort of racism you describe has gone, but I'm not convinced it doesn't still exist in some places in covert form.

What I most notice is what seems, at least in retrospect, to be life's simplicity of a few decades ago, perhaps because of fewer choices (think technology in particular), but most especially the obedience young people overall displayed toward their parents, teachers, authority figures in general.

This doesn't exist now, or if it does it's in a very limited form. Rather pre-pubescent kids will state "I have just as many rights as you do". That might be fine in principle, but given the immature brain and lack of life experience the theory is rarely supported by the evidential behaviour.

I'll have you know, I was Third Grade class milk monitor. As you would expect, I was superb in this role.

Of course you would be, Logique. It was undoubtedly that experience that set you on the road to leadership and fame, viz in particular your wisdom being quoted in (I think?) "Strewth" in "The Australian".

Such nostalgia, little bottles of banana and lime milk, served at room temperature.

You must have been privileged. No flavourings at all in ours. Just warmed by the sun to nausea-inducing temperature.
However, the idea was sensible enough if only someone had thought about the need for refrigeration.

 

[SirRumpole]

We had the old nib pens with inkwells and fountain pens with plungers were treasured because they made great water (ink) pistols.

 

[macca]

Thanks for the thread Tisme.

I'll have you know, I was Third Grade class milk monitor. As you would expect, I was superb in this role.

Such nostalgia, little bottles of banana and lime milk, served at room temperature. Sabin polio vaccine on a little plastic spoon, hopscotch, elastics, yo-yos, and marbles, and The Monkeys bubble gum cards.

And Carlton won the Premiership every year.

Nuns were certifiable. Christian Brothers not far behind, and they loved to use The Strap.

Does anyone remember the old knuckle-bones game. They were little bones that you tossed up and down on your hand, a little before my time, and only vaguely remembered.

Yes, my sister had knuckle bones she used to play with, I remember Mum bought some new plastic ones and we were very impressed.

Our milk was delivered in a billie can left under the gum tree about 6.00 am, we used to drink it at 9.00 am, it was revolting, I used to serve it up and make sure there was none left for me.

Used to take me 1.5 hours each way to school with 1 hour of chores when I got home, on bus at 7.00 am to 6.00 pm was my typical day, quite normal for all the kids I went to school with.

Rather difficult to do higher years without access to a library or Google to help with any research, just get a job and leave, I did get my Intermediate Certificate, would be end of year 9 now, left when 15 years and 1 week old.

My polio vaccine was still a needle which I hated, half my class threw up or fainted, maybe why they brought in the oral vaccine

 

[Tink]

Yes, we had knuckle bones, we also called them, Jacks.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

A great thread

 

[Tink]

Agree with your post, Julia, regarding respect for teachers and authority.

I also feel we may have gone forward in one way, but backwards in another.
We seem to have to think of every little thing now before we do or say something, even if it's just hugging a child.

It all seemed very simple then.
Now there seems to be too many layers.

 

[Tink]

I should have also added, I think we are disconnecting more than connecting as a society from what I mentioned above.

I remember as children if we were doing something wrong, the neighbours would say something.
I don't think people are as confident now to come forward.

We have seen the elderly being bashed, has anyone jumped in to help.

Even the police feel they have their hands tied.