Wednesday, October 15, 2008

When real life attacks

Do they teach about tax returns in school these days?

Back when I was in school, they taught us a whole bunch of stuff it turned out I would never need. They taught me about rods and cones in the eye, for example. They taught me about boring ol' early 20th century political history. They taught me how to say 'swimming pool' in German.

But did they teach me how to file a tax return? Buy a house? Make a lasagne? Wire a plug? Anything that might actually equip me for living in the actual here and now?

No.

No, they did not.

And this is why I need a PA. And an accountant. And probably a therapist. I was failed by the education system and now I am terrified by those three of the most hellish letters: T, A and X.

If I ignore those letters long enough, they'll go away, right?

Right?

4 comments:

Andy Latham said...

I got taught sod all of any use too. Wouldn't life be so much easier if we knew what we were doing before we reached adulthood?

Even booking a holiday is stressful thing to do these days.

Toole said...

My knowledge of volcanoes has not done very much for me.

Mr. Trombley said...

Dear Sir,

Mine actually did. They also taught us how to write checks.

Also, I had the best local government teacher. Big, fat, bald white guy with a growl like a pit bull and the worst hairpiece you ever saw. He never seemed to open his mouth all the way, so he talked out of the sides. But, he was up on the political events of the day and through history.

I remember the class well enough that I am confident if you need any districts gerrymandered I can do it for you.

Bitter Animator said...

You had local government classes? It sounds like you actually got taught useful stuff, which makes it odd that there are people in the education system over here who love to say how high their standards are and often cite the US as an example of a system that is much worse.

But if you're actually being taught real life stuff, I'd say that's exactly the opposite.