Fabulous - High School Musical

Do I come across as completely Stupid?
The was a Rhetorical Question, Bilbo, Mike, LA,...ET AL
I think I am!
For real.
Last night was TCIs High School Induction thingy.
See! I don't even know what the heck it was called.
We sat in the auditorium for an hour, listening to a presentation from the Principal.
I have no clue what the man was yabbering about.
I was not off to a good start when I realised I'd forgotten my specs.
(Where's Mike when you need him, huh?)
I couldn't make out a darned thing on the presentation screen, which resulted in me giggling like a nervous lunatic, every time the hoards exploded with laughter.
Me - I cannae see!
TCI - Shush mom will ya!
Me - But I cannae see!
TCI - Shhhhhhhhhhh

And Mommys mouth was shut! Would have been just as well shutting my bluddy eyes as well, for all the good they were doing...
But I digress ( nothing new there)
How the hell does this country's school system work?
I'm totally baffled
Now maybe I am indeed an old fart but here's how it was, back in the day.
Fiona goes to High School,
( we don't have Middle School in Scotland, so you start HS at around 11 or 12 years old)
Arrive Day 1 ( no induction thingy prior)
100's of 1st years milling around.
We were called into houses based on second names.
We were handed a time table.
We were told to go and find our first class.
The Time Table (class schedule for all you guys)
MANDATORY!
English, Maths (yes we say it with an "s") History, Geography, Chemistry, Biology, Physics and French/German ( luck of the draw) PE twice a week, Music, Cookery (girls) Woodwork (boys)
There was NO CHOICE!
In third year you selected 8 "O" Grade Subjects from the above. ( if you were clever)
Fourth year sat "O"Grade Exams
Fifth year selected up to six "Higher Grade" subjects ( based on "O"Grade results) sat Highers Exam
DONE.
No not quite! We went to school from 9a.m. till 4p.m. 5 days a week. MANDATORY
2weeks off at Christmas
i week off Easter
6 weeks off Summer
1 week off Autumn
No "Teacher training" Days
No "Public Holidays"

Here! Now! Class of 2013!
Freshman year (WTF is this Freshman thing? Fresh as opposed to stale?)
Mandatory English BUT you can choose whether you want to do the "easy" English or the "hard" English
Mandatory Social Studies BUT same deal as above
Mandatory Math hmmm easy class or hard one?
Mandatory Language (at least that seems right)
But hey kids guess what? You don't need to do these subjects all year! Woohoo
Get them outta the way, fast as you can!
Guess what else?
YOU get to choose whether you want to do 4 subjects and go to school from 8a.m. - 1:45p.m.
OR
Take 5 subjects and go 9.20 to 3.05.
Oh well lets face it EVERY 13 year old given THAT choice is going to want to go 9.20 - 3.05, right?
Then of course we have "Electives" which include, Healthy Living, Foods for Singles ( I shit you not!)Fashion Apparel, Consumer Survival? You couldn't make this stuff up!
Has a Village lost it's idiot? HERE I AM! COOEY, OVER HERE!
According to the Principal :
" We do not want our students to remember facts and figures! We want our students to be active thinkers!"
Well doesn't that just put a parents mind at rest?
So you have no clue how to solve a Trig problem (cos you got that out of the way months ago) but you are adept at actively thinking about what your going to have for lunch, being single and all...
I'm despairing here.
One thing became VERY clear though!
Why, when I say I come from Scotland most Americans reply "Oh that's in England right?"
Bet you they did REALLY well in "Fashion Apparel"!

THEN


NOW