Most Commented Education Blogs (1,149)

I’m quite involved with the people living in an informal settlement about six km from where I live and the other day I dropped in to discus a few things with the community leaders. The community consist of a corrugated iron church surrounded by about 350 shacks (informal dwellings), three crèches, a few cafes and too many illegal taverns.

I arrived just in time to witness a very roughed up young Xhosa man being marched past the church out of the place. Everybody stood around looking at the scene. When I asked what it was about I was told that a 12 year old girl went missing a few days ago and she was found in his shack; they were taking him to the police station.

Instead of keeping my mouth shut, I said: “Then I suppose that serves him right.” I was astonished by the reaction. Every single woman said that the young man did nothing wrong and that it was the girl who came to him.

“But she is twelve,” I said.

One of the women, a part time student, aspiring to become a social worker, aged about 28 or 29 and a mother of 4 kids – including a daughter of 11 – told me with a straight face that age is just a number and they all started at that age. Nothing wrong with it.

“What if it was your daughter,” I asked.

She pulled up her shoulders and said: “That is life.”

"And if she falls pregnant?" I asked sensing that I'm getting nowhere.

"Then I become a grandmother," she said with a broad smile.

But the real victim here is a proper education. I can only hope this is not the trend for then I fear that we have gained nothing in twenty years – we are just raising another generation of improperly schooled citizens.

But then maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

I do expect you all to pass this little quiz, but it makes me grin every time it gets emailed to me:

1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last?

2) Which country makes Panama hats?

3) From which animal do we get cat gut?

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of?

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?

7) What was King George VI's first name?

8) What colour is a purple finch?

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?

10) What is the colour of the black box in a commercial airplane?

Remember, you need only 3 correct answers to pass. No Googling.

A very interesting documentary that delves into the world of psychopaths...although a good percentage of psychopaths are in prison...some are successful psychopaths...they blend well into society and use their talents to gain wealth and power at the expense of others...whether in the boardroom or in relationships...master manipulators...what are your thoughts?...

An very interesting documentary about the problems of a category 5 hurricane and the infrastructure designed to keep the water out...the levies were only built with a category 3 in mind...another problem was the destruction of wet lands due to the infrastructure...taking away a natural phenomenon of absorbing water when storms of this nature hit land...

Should the city New Orleans be rebuilt or become vacant?...

One time a guy on line asked about the future of rosewood market in China. A lot of people said they would not know what would be the future. As far as I know the world economy is very weak, usa is recovering, but europe is fairly weak. And china has been the biggest factory for the two big markets. But it lost one market.So that my answer for this guy was: when the rosewood market lost the buyers from China, who gambled in this rosewood market, and even struggle to have enough money to buy food, if you keep a good preserve of rosewood, which would not be eaten as food, which would be drunken as drinks, and no chinese gamblors, it would be of 'very very high value still'?!

Finally, at last, the enduring debate over whether the toilet paper should go over or under the roll has been settled with the emergence of an 1891 patent design of the modern toilet roll.



As old as modernity, the argument that has been known to be responsible for divorces and shouting matches between family members has been settled by 124 year old visual evidence.




The toilet paper roll patent, registered by Seth Wheeler of New York in 1891 clearly shows that the paper should go over and not under.



With the toilet paper issue now settled, we should now concentrate on other important First World arrangement problems, such as double – ply or triple – ply, or should the milk or Tea be poured first, or whether socks or pants should be put on first.

3 cheers for Seth Wheeler

..does anyone do it ?

Who invented that tripe anyway..I remember my ex would only ever read them when she was down, so would only pick out the days that the writings would relate to her and believe it.

Another load of nonsense for people who are looking for something and answers when they need to answer it themselves.

It was said of David Beckham that his IQ should be set high owing to the amazing way he curves the ball.

What is your definition of intelligence?

I can't even spell it. I keep getting corrected.

The best advice I have ever received:

Know enough to know when you do not know!

Rather be stupid for five minutes than the rest of your life!

Only stupid people think that there are stupid questions!