When schools taught metalworking.

[awemawson]

By "excepted" do you mean he wasn't allowed to join, or do you mean he was ACCEPTED and was allowed to join ? Makes quite a difference to the sense of the discussion

 

[zzr1200]

By "excepted" do you mean he wasn't allowed to join, or do you mean he was ACCEPTED and was allowed to join ? Makes quite a difference to the sense of the discussion

Opps typo......

 

[Screwdriver]

I put myself through teacher training a couple of years ago as a design technology teacher. I didn't pursue teaching for various reasons. Anyway, one thing became obvious very quickly; there are so many myriad subjects, many of which would overlap with CDT in the schedule, that CDT was an impossible subject for students doing maths, physics, sciences for example.

The upshot was, most of the classes were full of kids who couldn't do anything else. They also tended to be the troublemakers, absentees or in other words, typically the worst of a pretty bad lot.

Then we give them knives, hammers and saws to play with.....

It wasn't so much teaching as mob management

S.

 

[Keith 66]

My new job is in a secondary school. An academy it is relatively small with 600 pupils. Technology is just about holding its own.
Today i had a good day with a class of year 11's doing forge work. Red hot metal, hammers & heat. The lads love it & there are several who i would employ tomorrow as they have the aptitude to do well.
Unfortunately we work on a 10 week rotation so in any year its 10 weeks cookery, 10 weeks textiles & 10 weeks Resistant materials. I can see the point of teaching kids cookery etc but i think the practical subjects for boys are somewhat neglected. Still for me a part time techies job pays sterady money & if i can teach some of my skills its like giving something back.

 

[The Devils Reject]

All I ever did in metalwork, along with my mates, was make a set of knuckledusters. I still have them somewhere. Polished stainless steel - looked the business and the epitome of cool when you're 13

 

[DanielW]

I went to school in Newcastle in the 50s & 60s, we were surrounded by heavy industry. the school only taught needle work (girls) woodwork (boys) I chose the latter.
Norm.

Hah! chose woodwork and cookery sadly no machines in my school it was only hand tools metalwork.

 

[waldershelf]

I left school over 40 years ago, boys did metalwork and girls did domestic science. The school is still there, the metalwork room is still there, fully equipped with lathes, shapers, pillar drills, etc even a forge but its no longer used. My eldest son is 29 and went to the same school, he never even went in the metalwork room once. I suppose the health and safety police would have a fit at the thought of all those lads being put at risk by doing something "practical" and there isn't a steelworks in the bottom of the valley taking 50 craft apprentices every year any more.

 

[Keith 66]

Thats the sad thing, i would bet before very long that workshop full of high quality equipment will be condemmed by accountants & scrapped or sold off.
And then if they are lucky it will all be replaced by chinese tat under a pfi deal that will cost the earth.

 

[Kent]

My eldest is in her last year at high school, it this design technology or other such babble now. Anyhow I saw a list up on the wall of ferrous and non ferrous metals - it was wrong! I am glad she didn't take the subject! Fact is my metalwork, woodwork, tech drawing teachers all had previous industry experience in those fields before they went into teaching (IMO a very big difference).
You know what though I don't think the fact that many don't teach the subjects as they used to makes little difference to the trade apprentice of today and I say that with a greater deal of knowledge than most (my wife being a director in FE) as many cant start their courses till they have up-skilled on maths and English (subjects that are still taught separate)
I do think its made a difference to the younger adults who seem unable or unwilling to do anything on their own first homes, cars etc. its now only those who are in a connected trade that attempt much in the way of DIY

 

[waldershelf]

Not that many years ago (half a dozen or so) the company I worked for decided to set on 6 craft apprentices, it helps with the "Investors in people" award. Despite interviewing a large number of candidates we struggled to find anyone with any aptitude, ability or enthusiasm.

 

[Kent]

Not that many years ago (half a dozen or so) the company I worked for decided to set on 6 craft apprentices, it helps with the "Investors in people" award. Despite interviewing a large number of candidates we struggled to find anyone with any aptitude, ability or enthusiasm.

Its very age dependant, 16-18 yr olds of worth think only of further schooling and then cannot get the job they thought they might 22 plus and they are no longer a child (up to 21 again for so much work related) take them on after that IMO, when they know life isn't gift wrapped and left under the tree for you

 

[zx9]

................................
The upshot was, most of the classes were full of kids who couldn't do anything else. They also tended to be the troublemakers, absentees or in other words, typically the worst of a pretty bad lot.

Then we give them knives, hammers and saws to play with.....

It wasn't so much teaching as mob management

S.

Back in the early 80's my metal work teacher used to rule with a rod of iron, well a gas welding rod across the plam of your hand, don't suppose they do that now.

 

[Robotstar5]

Not that many years ago (half a dozen or so) the company I worked for decided to set on 6 craft apprentices, it helps with the "Investors in people" award. Despite interviewing a large number of candidates we struggled to find anyone with any aptitude, ability or enthusiasm.

A company I was at took on 3 apprentices to train as toolmakers, 2 worked out great, but the 3rd thought he would get paid every Friday for sitting around playing on his phone, didn't last long!.

 

[Screwdriver]

Back in the early 80's my metal work teacher used to rule with a rod of iron, well a gas welding rod across the plam of your hand, don't suppose they do that now.

It's a tiny bit different now. I got into trouble for disarming a student who threatened me with a knife. One of those snap off blade types, with all the blade showing.

Big fecker he was too... A right bully.

School hushed it up and he got expelled (eventually) for something else.

 

[Maker]

Anyhow I saw a list up on the wall of ferrous and non ferrous metals - it was wrong!

Something similar happened at our school, there was a list of metals on the board and we had to say whether they were ferrous or not. I put my hand up and said stainless is ferrous, he said that a magnet won't stick to it so it must be non-ferrous.

 

[Cobs]

One of my memories of metalworking at school (many years ago!) was using the old Rapidor donkey saw. There was a hatch in the wall just behind it that opened into the metalwork teacher's office, so you could poke long bars/tubes through the wall - always thought it was a good idea. Also prompted the purchase of a Rapidor a few years ago - nostalgia's a powerful thing.

 

[dunk]

my last school back in 19?? had well equipped woodwork rooms and metalwork rooms, when time came to finish school for good some left with goods grades, others left with good tool kits

 

[brewdexta]

Something similar happened at our school, there was a list of metals on the board and we had to say whether they were ferrous or not. I put my hand up and said stainless is ferrous, he said that a magnet won't stick to it so it must be non-ferrous.

I bought a Tom Senior LV mill from a technical college last year. I got it for a song as the teacher spelled it incorrectly on the bay, said it was imperial when it was metric and stated it was 3 phase when it was single.

Nobody bid on it so I sent them a message and offered the reserve price, bargain Mind you I bet they got more than they would have from the usual dealers.

 

[roofman]

Metal work at my school consisted of an hours work...10 mins trying out brass braising, bending scrolls ect and 40 mins making our Kung Fu stars out of scrap flat bar. David Carridine would of been proud to enrole us in star throwing combat

 

[migmac jnr]

We get tought metal work on a rotation of 6 weeks and then Home economics for 6 weeks we get 3 periods a week and are making screwdrivers right now.