http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/cultural-cringe-schoolchildren-cant-see-the-yoghurt-for-the-trees-20120304-1ub55.html

The funny thing is, that Agriculture is not a formal subject until High School Year 7 in NSW and it's only offered at some, not all schools.

In primary school, you MIGHT have farmers, food industry people come in to do some talks or your school MIGHT have a vegetable patch.

-you MIGHT have computer lessons

-you MIGHT have music lessons

-there are lots of MIGHTs besides Maths and English.

Obviously something has to be fixed up, right?

Since we value passing tests so dearly, scrap NAPLAN & make passing a 'History, Civics and Citizenship' test compulsory. It's atrocious for people to not know why and how Indigenous people are the way they are now, not knowing all of the National Anthem (and its' meanings), basic political processes, general news and current affairs AND still allowed to be admitted into High School, yet alone TAFE/University/Workplace and last but not least SOCIETY.

I was shocked for this 13 year old to think 'Plains' as in "Boundless Plains to share" was 'Planes' ie Aeroplanes since 'the government would prefer people to come here by plane, rather than by boat (Asylum Seekers)' (Not a dumb kid, quite bright)

Overheard some person who thought Kevin Rudd was literally knifed by Julia Gillard

For what it's worth, Yoghurt Trees don't do well here in Australia (except in the Granite Belt and other high elevations).  The high summer temperatures curdle the fruit before it ripens.

And we won't even mention how many Cottontail Rabbits you have to go through to get enough for one set of socks...

And we won't even mention how many Cottontail Rabbits you have to go through to get enough for one set of socks...

To be fair, you had to kill a herd of goats to get a book's worth of vellum (fine parchment)...

What's even funnier than people not knowing Advance Australia Fair properly (since is is quite a long anthem) is the case in Singapore, where the anthem for historical reasons is in Malay, a language very few Singaporeans can actually speak nowadays, resulting in at least one incident of a celebrity getting the anthem wrong.

Then again, boundless planes to share (as apposed to asylum boats) is actually pretty funny - he's misinterpreted something but he's taken it through quite smartly and fitted a deeper meaning to what he thinks is the superficial meaning...

Obviously something has to be fixed up, right?

Yep, parents need to spend more time teaching their children the basics of life. Secular education can't teach everything or you'd never get to leave school!

Graham4405 has the important point. There are some things that schools expect children to know. There are some things that schools won't know. More than one of my primary teachers thought that paper was invented by the ancient Egyptians and made from papyrus.

Children also need to have their own curiosity. If they're not interested enough to ask why chips are sometimes called "potato chips" then they're not going to pay attention in class if the teacher explains it. That means that parents need to encourage their children to ask questions and to research the answers.

Graham4405 has the important point. There are some things that schools expect children to know. There are some things that schools won't know. More than one of my primary teachers thought that paper was invented by the ancient Egyptians and made from papyrus.

Children also need to have their own curiosity. If they're not interested enough to ask why chips are sometimes called "potato chips" then they're not going to pay attention in class if the teacher explains it. That means that parents need to encourage their children to ask questions and to research the answers.

But curiosity, once fuelled by hanging out a red rattler (or wondering why the O305s were so bloody hot) and stuff like LEGO, is now being trampled on by the likes of Call of Duty.

What's even funnier than people not knowing Advance Australia Fair properly (since is is quite a long anthem) is the case in Singapore, where the anthem for historical reasons is in Malay, a language very few Singaporeans can actually speak nowadays, resulting in at least one incident of a celebrity getting the anthem wrong.

IIRC, the South African National Anthem is a verse or two in kwaZulu and a verse or two or two in Afrikaans. Nothing in English, but then again English is language of business, aviation, and the most common lingua franca. It doesn't do any harm for the Anglophones to learn a bit of Zulu and Afrikaans.

What's even funnier than people not knowing the anthem properly...

Yes, I used to think it said "the last train out of Sydney's almost gone" 

G'day Gang,
While kind of on the subject of our National Anthem, a recent V8 supercar event, the young lass singing sang the beautiful line of 'our hands are bound by natures gifts' .....
Oh dear........
It was way back in the early seventies that our music teacher made us learn Advance Australia Fair. He was sure it would become our new national anthem.
Maybe some people do not agree with our national anthem as it stands, however, if you are going to sing it, at least get it right. Please.
Regards and respect

What's even funnier than people not knowing the anthem properly...

Yes, I used to think it said "the last train out of Sydney's almost gone" 

 

... made us learn Advance Australia Fair. He was sure it would become our new national anthem.

I thought that it is the incumbent national anthem.


On the topic, I was lucky enough to be born into a family of 7th generation sheep farmers, so it was impressed on us from the start where babies come from, where milk comes from, where wool jumpers come from, and most importantly, how to get skim milk, cream and butter from fresh milk. We learned how to do 'hands-on' things; shearing, crutching, milking, as well as being told timeless anecdotes about how Australia 'lived off the sheep's back", and the bygone importance of railways.

Things you can only learn in the bush.

I thought that it is the incumbent national anthem.

It was only adopted in 1984. A fact which only learnt after I read wrongroad's post and looked it up 

IIRC, the South African National Anthem is a verse or two in kwaZulu and a verse or two or two in Afrikaans. Nothing in English, but then again English is language of business

It looks like it does at the bottom of this page as well as on Wikipedia.

being told timeless anecdotes about how Australia 'lived off the sheep's back", and the bygone importance of railways.

It might have been past tense in the 70s through to the 90s. Now, it's very much the present, save that the sheep are made of steel and consume oil.

What's even funnier than people not knowing the anthem properly...

Yes, I used to think it said "the last train out of Sydney's almost gone" 

Must have been a fast train! It could fly in 7 hours to Hong Kong...

I was shocked for this 13 year old to think 'Plains' as in "Boundless Plains to share" was 'Planes' ie Aeroplanes since 'the government would prefer people to come here by plane, rather than by boat (Asylum Seekers)' (Not a dumb kid, quite bright) Overheard some person who thought Kevin Rudd was literally knifed by Julia Gillard

With the words "our home is girt by sea" What exactly is girt? 

With the words "our home is girt by sea" What exactly is girt?

Surrounded.

With the words "our home is girt by sea" What exactly is girt?

Surrounded.

Imagine if someone was holed up in a house and wouldn't surrender to Police. It'd sound funny if the police were to say," Come out with your hands in the air, we have you girt!" (Apologies to whatever comedian said it!)Speaking of the national anthems, when I first started Primary school in 1979 it was "God Save The Queen." Of course it was changed in 1983-84 but we didn't sing the national anthem then as we were learning how to sing "Po kare kare ana" and other songs!

P.S. I like "Avance Australia Fair" sung to the tune of "Working Class Man"!

With the words "our home is girt by sea" What exactly is girt?

Surrounded.

Imagine if someone was holed up in a house and wouldn't surrender to Police. It'd sound funny if the police were to say," Come out with your hands in the air, we have you girt!" (Apologies to whatever comedian said it!)Speaking of the national anthems, when I first started Primary school in 1979 it was "God Save The Queen." Of course it was changed in 1983-84 but we didn't sing the national anthem then as we were learning how to sing "Po kare kare ana" and other songs!

I know in my primary school, we were very enthusiastic about the song 'I Am Australian' (and by the way, 'I am Australian' was one of the phrases we were taught in Chinese class).

Ah you mean this one from Adam Hills, I rather like this to Working Class man.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiEycVMKoJo

The version of Advance Australia Fair that cracked me up is:-

Australians all own ostriches
Four minus one is three.
With olden royals, we're fair and loyal,
Our home is dirt by sea.
I learned to bounce on nature strips
In booties stitched with care.
In mystery's haze, let's harvest maize
And plant azaleas there.
Enjoy full trains and let us in
And dance Australia yeah!

P.S. I like "Avance Australia Fair" sung to the tune of "Working Class Man"!

 

Ah you mean this one from Adam Hills, I rather like this to Working Class man.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiEycVMKoJo

Didn't Barnsey actually sing it on The Glasshouse?

The version of Advance Australia Fair that cracked me up is:-!

Classic.

According to this Australia is doing pretty well. Sure, a lot of those Asian style countries are doing better, but I think they pay a high price lifestyle wise.

According to this Australia is doing pretty well. Sure, a lot of those Asian style countries are doing better, but I think they pay a high price lifestyle wise.

It varies. Some of them, like Korea and Japan, are absolutely punishing and we should avoid following them; but others like Singapore are tolerable. We're doing okay, but I do have concerns over certain skills of my peers here in uni (I was overseas, so I was sent to a British international school).

In harmony with the thread title, my 8 year old grandson, on seeing a truckload of cotton bales go past, asked what it was on the truck. I replied: "It's cotton." To which he responded "Is it cotton off a sheep or off the ground?"