Interesting attempt by Viscount Linley in today's UK Independent to re-start the Craft/Design/Technology debate. He wants woodwork to be reintroduced to schools, not surprisingly. But not much chance, I fear!
Oh aye? No girls? Tsk, tsk.I learnt to draw, which I try to encourage the boys who work for me to do.
He's also rather fortunate in his family connections, which may go some way to also explaining his turnover... :roll:I set up in business immediately after Parnham as a designer-maker. I was fortunate at first to join a workshop with three others in an old bakery in Dorking. Then I moved to the New Kings Road in London. Now I have a medium-sized business employing 38 people and turning over £5.5m to 6m a year.
Hi Dick,dickm":yc2r3zau said:Interesting attempt by Viscount Linley in today's UK Independent to re-start the Craft/Design/Technology debate. He wants woodwork to be reintroduced to schools, not surprisingly. But not much chance, I fear!
I doubt that his comments will achieve much but would anybody object to the re-introduction of woodwork classes in schools? I wouldn't.
Midnight":3ht8ho1x said:More than that however, it'd need a huge change in social values; for reasons totally alien to me, society sees "hands on" engineers, tradesmen et al as somehow socially inferior to collar-n-tie wearing seat polishers... What gives...?????
Then there's the prob of getting the kids themselves to buy into it.. For years they've been pumped with the concept that homehow, life owes them; they're gonna just breeze through school, go to uni and study some obscure degree and instantly fall into a £50k+ job with the flash company car, and nobody's telling them that life simply isn't like that...
Or is it me that has the outa-date ideas??
Ah-hah! Now that's a point. Why should that be the case? Learning something from which to make your living only seems to apply to the practical, hands-on, "vocational" subjects. No one demands someone taking History should only do so if they plan to be a historian, do they? On that basis, the fact that taking all these exams seems to teach you just one thing - how to take exams - should mean only people who are going to spend their professional lives taking exams should do them! Then there's the whole idea practical subjects are only for the "less academically able". Fie and forsooth, why?! Don't the brainy have need for bookshelves? Don't their taps ever leak or their hair need cutting? Aaargh, this is turning into a rant about education again; I'm sorry. I just wish everyone would stop trying to pigeonhole everybody else; so yes, I agree with Linley that more choice is essential.*tim":18xoloco said:There are valid reasons to teach more hands on subjects in school for a whole host of reasons but if it is to be as a stepping stone to a viable career
Ah-hah! Now that's a point. Why should that be the case? Learning something from which to make your living only seems to apply to the practical, hands-on, "vocational" subjects. No one demands someone taking History should only do so if they plan to be a historian, do they? On that basis, the fact that taking all these exams seems to teach you just one thing - how to take exams - should mean only people who are going to spend their professional lives taking exams should do them! Then there's the whole idea practical subjects are only for the "less academically able". Fie and forsooth, why?! Don't the brainy have need for bookshelves? Don't their taps ever leak or their hair need cutting? Aaargh, this is turning into a rant about education again; I'm sorry. I just wish everyone would stop trying to pigeonhole everybody else; so yes, I agree with Linley that more choice is essential.*
In the present educational climate, alas yes, I agree. As is so often seems to be the case these days, we must spend time and energy on curing the symptoms and not the disease.tim":20aagogn said:So it follows (in my mind) that unless an industry opportunity can be demonstrated then I don't see how this sort of subject will get back on the curriculum.
I'll be perfectly honest, each and everything they have made is dreadful, not because they don't put any effort in, but because the teachers seem to be looking for usage of materials rather than finesse.