Failed by education system (long rant)

LegacyUser

I was completely failed by the educations system it never showed me my strenghts never worked to help me achieve my full potential and never offered any support or understanding, I didnt fit the standard and so was disregarded while the "good" students had their confidence and self esteem built up all their lives people like me were put down, we convinced ourselves we were stupid or unsuited to learning and opted out at an age when we couldnt have known any better, and we never knew any different, we left school looking for alternatives that werent suited to us but were simply alternatives to the phsycological beating that was the scholastic system. And when we left some of us without ever having sat even one state examination we found that any trade we wished to pursue was the same **** all over again, I had a friend who got completely dissilusioned all the time I knew him he regarded himself as worthless and took his own life.

I know I am inteligent I know I was a good intelligent child but any effort to express it was never nurtured by teachers, they had favourites who were given all the praise they could need and given extra little perks like always getting good parts in school plays etc. This built their egos but shattered mine, what was I good at? I was crap at sports crap at school and the message I recieved from teachers was I was crao at anything else even the things I beleived myself to be good at.

what kind of benifit is there to comparing one childs work to another.

I remember I was so proud of my handwritting, it was good and I knew it!!

One day a child from a younger class was sent in to us to show how good his handwritting was, the teacher said "Ill show this to the people in the class who have bad handwriting" the bitch had pointed it out to me just because I was crap at everything else she assumed my handwritting must be crap..

This might seem minor but situations like this occured everyday and made me feel like ****!!!

My mind would wander I was so bored all the time, so I got no work done and was forced to catch up at home in my own time!! So while my siblings were off enjoying themselves I had to sit and do school work on top of homework, none of which I was capable of doing because I simly wasnt paying attention.

My life has been completely damged by this ****.
I left school to get a trade and hated it hated the job after that and the job after that etc
Now Im on the dole and pissed off!!!!
NONE OF THE BLAME FOR THIS RESTS ON MY SHOULDERS!1
It rests on the shoulders of me as a child and the education system, Im in this mess because of the shortsightedness of a 16 year old and the incompetence of teachers.

Overheal

You view the world very, very cynicaly.

What I mean by that is when someone shows you an example of good handwriting, instead of saying "yeah that is good, but I like the way I do it" you are saying "What, are you saying my handwriting is crap? Well f*ck you then, bitch."

NONE OF THE BLAME FOR THIS RESTS ON MY SHOULDERS!1

There it is again. Its never your fault? Ever?

When a teacher fails some people, they dont sit and cry: some people say "Right, I'll just learn it myself"

My mind would wander I was so bored all the time, so I got no work done and was forced to catch up at home in my own time!! So while my siblings were off enjoying themselves I had to sit and do school work on top of homework, none of which I was capable of doing because I simly wasnt paying attention.

So you wouldn't pay attention, so how is it the teacher's fault?

You have a lot of anger to work through either way. I think you need to talk it out; going to see a counselor wouldn't be a bad idea.

edit: side-note, The Irish Education system did so much more for me than the American Education System ever did or ever would, so I shan't talk very ill of it.

The OP has a point. Not everyone's brain is meant to sit in a classroom or office for most of their lives. Intelligence does not equate to academic performance and those smart kids who just aren't able to cope with rigid educational rituals are shunned or sidelined, resulting in the complete absence of any opportunities down the road.

I don't think it is his fault. He was a child, and everything that happens in childhood contributes to your development as an adult. Kids can't "choose" to pay attention in class - either they can or they can't.

Education is a shambles in this regard, I agree. It nearly happened to me but I somehow made it to college through sheer intelligence.

OP what you have to concentrate on is getting off the Dole and getting a job. With the recession this may be difficult, but what interests you? List off your interests or talents and look up courses which match these - maybe FÁS?

LegacyUser

Stop playing the victim.

Everyone has had a hard time of it at one stage or another in our lives we can dwell on it or GET OVER IT!!

anladmór

if this was in america, or perhaps eastern germany the op would have been on the news by now.

The Sweeper

OP, the best advice I ever got in my life came from my father.

He told me that even if you have a really hard time, and a really tough start, and a really bad life, people will eventually get sick of listening to you.

That may sound mean, but I don't want it to.

If you have serious self esteem issues, you need to seek professional help to deal with them. Plenty of us got a hard time in school, but not all of us it cling to it as the excuse for not being able to sort out our adult lives.

I couldn't care less if this isn't your fault - and nobody else will either.

So it isn't your fault.

It is your problem.

Subsequently you are the only person who can do anything about it.

As coconutlulz pointed out, you need to get off the dole and get a job. If you hate everything, then you need to seek counselling and sort out what your issues are, because nobody hates everything. The "I coulda been a contender" thing won't do anything but contribute to your continuing bitterness at what you feel are your own missed chances.

You need to work through your anger and realise that it's completely unproductive. Then you need to get busy getting on with life. That way, in five years time, you can say "Look how I've succeeded in spite of my schooling" as opposed to "Look how miserable I still am because of my schooling".

Education in Ireland is very academically-geared, but just because you didn't thrive in school doesn't mean you can't do anything at all. You don't elaborate on what made you hate the trades you tried to train in.

Actually, re-reading your post, go to see your GP. You may be suffering from something like an adult version of attention deficit disorder or aspergers or something like that. If you can't focus on anything long enough to get a job, have anger management problems, find yourself building resentments through frustration over things that other people can usually cope with, it may be the case that you actually are wired differently to everyone else. Perhaps if you have that confirmed, it would be a first step on the road to getting somewhere better.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

randylonghorn

The Irish education system isn't perfect. Classes are too big in many cases; the system does tend to reward academic intelligence; teachers spend far too much time nowadays dealing with unruly behaviour and in "being parents" to all intents and purposes; and yeah, not every teacher is brilliant or suited for the job.

We believe you.

Now, as other posters have said, how does our believing you help?

You have a choice that only you can make: to-day can be the latest in a long line of days that you rant about the system ... or it can be the first day of the rest of your life.

Which do you want it to be?

Overheal wrote: »

edit: side-note, The Irish Education system did so much more for me than the American Education System ever did or ever would, so I shan't talk very ill of it.

Glad to hear that, Overheal.

LegacyUser

I had a friend who did really bad at school. He was the lowest marked in the lowest class. Years later he found he was dyslexic(it was a foriegn teacher who spotted it) He was really annoyed for what he what he saw as wasted years and education. He even wanted to sue the education system

OP You just have to make the best out of the and you are dealt.

LegacyUser

Unregistered wrote: »

My life has been completely damged by this ****.
I left school to get a trade and hated it hated the job after that and the job after that etc
Now Im on the dole and pissed off!!!!
NONE OF THE BLAME FOR THIS RESTS ON MY SHOULDERS!1
It rests on the shoulders of me as a child and the education system, Im in this mess because of the shortsightedness of a 16 year old and the incompetence of teachers.

NONE OF THE BLAME FOR THIS RESTS ON MY SHOULDERS!1
I left school
Now Im on the dole

You're responsible end of!!! no one else will help you but yourself.
You can sit in the dark whinging to yourself about how everyone is to blame and life sucks OR you can do something about it, retrain re-educate etc
Given your attitude I'd suspect you'll be more comfortable whinging how its others fault and yours to justify it to yourself

quad_red

I agree that the wrong school environment can be damaging. And, from my own personal experiences, many educators take little interest in addressing their students needs. Again, this is based on my own experiences. The secondary school I attended treated anyone outside the top three classes as a waste of space (unless you were a good footballer).

It's only moving to another environment allowed me to express myself and I went on to do very well academically.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that:
A) Not every school/learning environment is the same
and
YOU have to seek this out. You can't sit there waiting for it to happen.

You seem to have a good idea why you weren't able to flourish and that self awareness, combined with a determination on your part to re-capture your perceived educational lost chances and a totally new learning environment can take you anywhere you want to go.

Blame all you want but until you decide to address your problems nothing is going to change. There are a myriad of ways and schemes to help you continue your education which will improve your skills, increase your confidence and increase your employability.

Check this out
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/education/adult-and-life-long-education/adult-education

Wibbs

anladmór unhelpful posting is not welcome on this forum. Only warning.

paperclip2

If you want to talk about the education system failing someone have a look at my dad. He left at 12 years of age, able to read and write but that was about it. Up until his retirement through ill-health a couple of years ago he was never unemployed.

There are plenty of people out there who didnt let lack of formal qualifications get in their way. Charlie Bird, doesnt have a leaving cert, dont think Bill Cullen does either.

The problem isnt your ability or perceived lack of it. Its the attitude thats holding you back. There are lots of adult education centres out there now where you can get a qualification, where you will get help with any learning issues you may have. If you are aged over 23 you can even go on to college as a mature student without having a Leaving. There is also a national network of guidance and information services that can tell you what options are in your local area. Contact details are here: http://www.ncge.ie/adult_details.htm

As has been said above the only person who can make any realistic change to all of this is you. You have the choice to stay festering or get up and do something about it. If you are waiting for the education system to come a-knocking to apologise then, my friend, you are in for a long wait.

Good luck.

all the stars

Unregi53452 wrote: »

NONE OF THE BLAME FOR THIS RESTS ON MY SHOULDERS!1
I left school
Now Im on the dole

You're responsible end of!!! no one else will help you but yourself.
You can sit in the dark whinging to yourself about how everyone is to blame and life sucks OR you can do something about it, retrain re-educate etc
Given your attitude I'd suspect you'll be more comfortable whinging how its others fault and yours to justify it to yourself

Some people aren't great at school in general - I could never read a book and memorise it - like we were asked.
So, i was delighted when Leaving Cert Applied came in. It was actually a massive amount of work, but all project based and totally in your hands.

While the education system may have failed you then, probably it wouldn't now. Plenty of courses out here you can do in your free time or evenings.
I happen to know someone who only did junior cert and was told they's never get into a college - they just graduated an honours college course this year.

Ways & means of doing anything if you want it bad enough.

I myself never ever did science in school - and recently enough passed ITEC exams in Anatomy & physiology - which is 1st year nursing standard. Everyone told me i hadn't a hope of passing it as i had no science... and while most of the others had done biology for years - lots of them failed.

If you want it, go get it.

The only person who can ever limit you- is yourself.

St Bill

I've a friend who used to claim that the education system had failed her. This totally jarred with my view of how the system treated her....on several occasions, she was taken aside and spoken to try and figure out why she wasn't attending school, or getting the marks she could so easily get. The principal called her in along with her parents to get to the bottom of things, but yet this wasn't enough either. There were 32 people in our class, the teacher could only give so much attention to each pupil. In a perfect world, there'd be one teacher for every pupil, (a perfect world called private tuition!).
What it boils down to is that yes teachers (along with parents, who play the larger role) are there to help you grow to be the best that you can be. However, they can't possibly do that mammoth job if you're not prepared to take part.
I work in a primary school, and unfortunately I can see children who are already on the wrong path (from what they've learned at home and in the wider community). You'd need to be a full-time psychologist (working one-on-one) to make in-roads with children like these. As a teacher, all I can do is keep saying positive things to them, I know for certain that these things are going in one ear and out the other because these children have learned to look for the bad in life, not the good (by observing their role models - some of these so called 'role models' should be taken out and shot but that's a rant for another day).
Bottom line OP is that you need to respond and give to the people around you instead of complaining about how hard everything is. It'll make living life much easier for you.
Good luck

cantdecide

In principal, I agree and sympathize.

I was music mad in school but my school was a GAA school, which I had no interest in. My sister loved music, studied it in school, studied it in college, went on to study other things and is doing a phd. I was out in the cold in my education and it can lead to a slippery slope.

OP, you need to dust yourself down and stop your downward spiral. If you stay on the dole for long enough, you can go to college on the tax payer. I would if I were you.

Wagon

When i first read you post i was expecting a miserable self pitying rant but it actually does make sense. I also went to a **** school for years and frequently got bullied and kicked around a bit and also pretty much was called a waste.

I think the problem stems from that fact that you aren't doing what you want to do and learning what you want to learn. Look closely at what you like doing in your hobbies. see if you can use those in getting a FAS course or a job etc... See a doctor as well, your self esteem issues are also a major factor in this. Being unemployed is also extremely depressing so talk to someone.

I agree that school isn't for everyone but we're made to go through with it anyway. I've gone through secondary school, and college and I've done it all and evennow when I look back on it I still think it was absolutely bollocks and can still remember the teachers that shouldn't have been in the job. But most people have that experience. How you deal with it is the difference.

Pub07

OP if you had've been going school in the 50's or 60's, (maybe 70's too?) worrying about teachers not nurturing your intellect or saying your handwriting was poor would be the least of your worries. Alot of my relations got the absolute sh*t kicked out of them and were verbally humiliated on a daily basis when they were in school, many of them dropping out at 16. Everyone single one of them now have made very nice lives for themselves and you dont hear them whinging about what they went through which would've made your experience look like a holiday camp. And I think they got an average run at school for the time, some of the kids back then got a far worse run, my ex's aunt for example suffered brain damage at the hands of a teacher. Time for you to take responsibility for your own life.

cantdecide

The world has moved on since the 50s/60s/70s. Education is absolutely critical culturally and economically and there has been a massive shift in the way people are able to be mobile within our society which has led to it's own problems and pressures. Not going 'beyond your station' and not getting past junior cert are relics of the past and that's where they belong. Neither of my parents went beyond the junior cert but at the time, that was standard.

In other words, 'It could have been worse' doesn't really cut it in what we like to believe is an enlightened time.

LegacyUser

OP, no offence but the experience you describe here is pretty average stuff. Life is not fair and teachers are fallible like the rest of us.

I had brains to burn but I was sent to a sh1t school and forced to do subjects I was bad at and prevented from doing ones I really excelled at due to a combination of my mothers misguidedness and a "careers guldance" teacher who's years work consisted of grunting and pushing some photocopied applications for secretarial college at us.

She never informed us of the closing dates for college/nursing etc so girls who planned to be nurses were twarted at the first steps unless their parents were on the ball. Going to college was openly sneered at as attempting to get above your station, I could go on and on....

The point is, of course the education system was not a level playing field, you will get your priveleged ones who were treated like fine bone china and spoonfed and hothoused and go into the workplace expecting the same treatment.

Then you will get your semi-neglected kids like you and I who may have had some outstanding talents or abilities but were mishandled and fell through the net due to the incompetence of others, always getting the message "sure you're not worth the paper your written on"

There is indeed no justice but you cant lie down and die, you've got to pull yourself up and fight on

Dudess

I was completely failed by the educations system it never showed me my strenghts never worked to help me achieve my full potential and never offered any support or understanding

You talk about what it did and didn’t do… what did you do?

I didnt fit the standard and so was disregarded while the "good" students had their confidence and self esteem built up all their lives people like me were put down, we convinced ourselves we were stupid or unsuited to learning and opted out at an age when we couldnt have known any better, and we never knew any different, we left school looking for alternatives that werent suited to us but were simply alternatives to the phsycological beating that was the scholastic system. And when we left some of us without ever having sat even one state examination we found that any trade we wished to pursue was the same **** all over again

Some very victimish language here. Be honest with yourself – did you make an effort? It’s easy to look back on your school days if you’re disappointed with how life’s panned out on the education/career front and say “the system failed you” rather than acknowledging you were a messer/waster. I mean, my friend and I were discussing similar stuff recently – she’s disappointed she didn’t go to college and is working as a checkout girl but she fully admits she was too lazy and undisciplined at school and that’s why she didn’t get into college. Going back to college now isn’t an option for her as she is a mother but she’s addressing it by doing as many part-time courses as possible.
I was on a PLC course a few years ago and there were all these people in my class who were exceptionally intelligent and going on about how they only got 150/200 points in the leaving but it was "the system", not their fault.

FFS, these were people who could have got 500 points without even pushing themselves that far. And funnily enough, a bunch of them are in university now and cruising it.
They got crap leavings for one simple reason - they didn't bother their arses making an effort.

I agree, the system is a one-size-fits-all one and the way the points work is a joke – not getting into medicine because of a C in French, despite A1s in biology and chemistry etc… The curriculum is also extremely dull. There should be subjects on offer like psychology, legal studies, media, social/cultural studies etc. But these don’t take away from the fact that the leaving cert is doable if you’ve any brains at all.

I know I am inteligent I know I was a good intelligent child but any effort to express it was never nurtured by teachers, they had favourites who were given all the praise they could need and given extra little perks like always getting good parts in school plays etc. This built their egos but shattered mine, what was I good at? I was crap at sports crap at school and the message I recieved from teachers was I was crao at anything else even the things I beleived myself to be good at.

I know where you’re coming from on that score - I was crap at sports too and went to a sports/competition-obsessed school and yep, that dented my confidence. But you can’t be bitter about it forever.

what kind of benifit is there to comparing one childs work to another.

I remember I was so proud of my handwritting, it was good and I knew it!!

One day a child from a younger class was sent in to us to show how good his handwritting was, the teacher said "Ill show this to the people in the class who have bad handwriting" the bitch had pointed it out to me just because I was crap at everything else she assumed my handwritting must be crap..

This might seem minor but situations like this occured everyday and made me feel like ****!!!

Maybe you were reading into things a bit much and assuming they were personal when they weren’t? I bet the majority of the incidents you remember weren’t even intentional.
You know, most teachers just want to do their job - many of them actually have a passion for educating. As with all walks of life, you get the odd vindictive individual, but the vast majority of teachers aren't "out to get you"...

My mind would wander I was so bored all the time, so I got no work done and was forced to catch up at home in my own time!!

And? What’s the problem with that? You weren’t the only one...

So while my siblings were off enjoying themselves I had to sit and do school work on top of homework, none of which I was capable of doing because I simly wasnt paying attention.

Yep, you weren’t paying attention/concentrating. Who else should have?

My life has been completely damged by this ****.
I left school to get a trade and hated it hated the job after that and the job after that etc
Now Im on the dole and pissed off!!!!

My god, do you think you’re the only one? What makes you so special? And the fact you hated the trade and the subsequent jobs – very few people have a job they love going into every day… even people with lots of qualifications. You’ve got to make the best of things sometimes, but it seems like you’re determined to only focus on the negative.

NONE OF THE BLAME FOR THIS RESTS ON MY SHOULDERS!

Oh yes it does – even you admit you didn’t concentrate. Take some responsibility for yourself instead of blaming external factors, for god’s sake…

It rests on the shoulders of me as a child and the education system, Im in this mess because of the shortsightedness of a 16 year old and the incompetence of teachers.

Exactly. That child/teenager was YOU. Ok, most of us are immature and make silly mistakes as children/teenagers. But when you become an adult, you accept those mistakes and deal with the consequences. It’s a very fundamental part of life. I wish I studied my ass off for the leaving and got enough points for psychology, something which I know I could have achieved. But it was my decision to not apply myself sufficiently at school.

Wallowing and playing the victim/blame game certainly won’t improve things for you, so get on to Fas and do a computer course to start you off. Then build things up from there. But don't expect it to be easy and don't cave in every time the going gets tough...

littlebug

Mooching around feeling bitter about the past isn't going to get you anywhere. Use the time you have on your hands now constuctively. Most universities have access to degree courses for people like you who fell through the education net at some point. Do your research... figure out what is it you'd like to do and put a long term plan in action.

thebaldsoprano

OP, it's not to late to go to college by a long shot. Afaik the grants for doing so are fairly good if you happen to be on the dole. Get in contact with a few colleges about applying as a mature student for courses you're interested in. Applying as a mature student means you won't necessarily need the usual educational requirements. I saw a nice quote the other day albeit from a dubious source:

"It isn't about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep going" - Rocky Balboa

beth-lou

OP you are failing yourself by letting what happened in your past control your present and your future. Take control of your life now, otherwise you are going to be a prisioner to this for the rest of your life.

If you are on the dole you have lots of free time to go back to school and learn again and literally do anything you want to if you just apply yourself.
It's free and accessable to those that want it.


Get up, get out there and go for what you want.
The only person stopping you now, is you.

partyguinness

OP- So you feel like you had a tough break all them years ago. Boo Hoo..

Question now is...

What are YOU doing about it now?

How are YOU making the best of what you got today?

Get off your ass and stop feeling sorry for yourself.

Monkey61

OP of course it is your own fault to a certain degree. Yes I'm sure there are cases of bad schools and people being left behind, but at the end of the day school work, if you have a bit of intelligence, isn't difficult. If you aren't particularly clever, then it's not the schools fault if you can't do the work. The problem with the majority of schools is that they have to cater for the majority, those of below average ability and those of above average ability tend to be ignored and are not pushed to their full potential.

You can sit around blaming the education system all you like but it's not going to get you anywhere. There's no reason why you can't do your leaving certificate now. Do an Open University course. See if you can do some kind of University access course. In modern Ireland, there is no reason why anybody has to fall between the cracks. Once you are an adult and take responsibility for your own life all the opportunities are there if you want them.

The first step would be to approach your doctor and see if you can get some counselling sorted out. Then you need to sit down and have a good hard look at your life and figure out what you want to do with it. You can do anything that is within your ability.

VO

I went to get out my violin to play for you but its out of tune. You poor unfortunate victim, you are absolutely right you have been let down by the education system and as you rightly say you have no responsibility for this at all. You have been walked on and shat on by the education system, society and all of mankind.

why not sue?

Ddad

Crap school, check. Crap family life, check. thrown in with the 'thick' class, check.

yep, been there. i felt like I'd wasted my time in school and I'd been disadvantaged.

i got over it, I set out to find something that I loved, I got a vocatinal qualification, I got a degree, I'm getting a masters.

I am not thick, I am good and the only thing that held me back after i got out of the cluthches of the gits that I shared a classroom with; was me.

Me....me....me. If you want to find answers to life look within yourself. If you want to find reasons why your life sucks look at the situations that you choose to live through.

Sorry, to sound unsympathetic but if you want your life to improve it won't be handed to you on a plate, it starts with you.

Dublin_Gunner

My mind would wander I was so bored all the time, so I got no work done and was forced to catch up at home in my own time!! So while my siblings were off enjoying themselves I had to sit and do school work on top of homework, none of which I was capable of doing because I simly wasnt paying attention.

So, your mind would wander, you had to catch up in your own time, and you wouldn't pay attention.

Exactly how is that anybody elses fault? Sure, you might not have been encouraged, hell, I dont ever remember a teacher coming to me and saying 'good job' 'you're great', but I still got the job done, and did it for myself, noone else.

I really can't stand the type of self pitying rant that comes out of people like you.

Yes, the education system could have, and should have been better (it is now), but its not like you were the only person having to go through it.

Plenty of friends of mine were not that great academically, but they gotby, concentrated on what they were good at, and made a success of themselves - and thats a bigger 'up yours' to the system than posting on boards complaining because you couldn't be arsed.

If you want to make something of yourself, YOU have to get up and do it. No one else will do it for you.

If you're happy to waste your time complaining, and collecting benefits, so be it - god knows there's plenty of folk like that out there.

[sarcasm]Unfortunately decent jobs require knowing what you're doing[/sarcasm]

That however does mean

1. Education (in that area at least)
2. Hard work
3. Motivation
4. Self confidence


Judging by your post, you lack all of the above, and you need to sort it out rather than moaning that the world + dog can't help you. There are plenty of resources, cheap/free courses etc to help people get on and start a career for themselves.

Stop moaning - get out and make something of yourself.

iguana

Sorry OP, the school system fails most people to some degree and it's ok to be annoyed about that. The school system failed me, I hated nearly every day I was there and it came close to destroying how much I love learning. Because of this I am inclined toward home educating my children as I'd like them to spend their formative years learning for enjoyment instead of to pass exams.

However you can't blame that for the way your life turned out. It's not fair that most of us have to go through this awful education system, learning by rote and needing to study subjects which have never been used in our adulthood. But most of us manage to get on in life in spite of the school system. There comes a point where we have to take responsibility for ourselves and the good news is that it is never too late to change if we really want to.

LegacyUser

I dont whinge about this at all, I got pissed off about this last night and posted this on impulse. I dont know what I was looking for by posting it really.
I dont go on about this all day everyday.
It is I know alot to with my fault, which makes it all the worse!!
I went to do a course and loved it, I got everything I never got out of school from it
friends, self respect the respect of my peers a great instructor. I guess when the course finished it was a bit like the world disapeared from under me and I was back to the same ****.
Again I dont know what I wanted by posting my angst here.
I dont consider myself some kind of victim there are loads of people in this situation many of whom are doing quite well and I aim to join them, but I have so many fecking ideas I dont know where to start.
I dont dwell on my past although it still pisses me off when I think about it, maybe its because I have nothing to do an my mind is completely un ocupied.
A point I tried to get across is that this is the fault of a younger me and now I have to live with that decision as dudess said.
I left school and had my confidence even more battered by the people I worked for and worked with they were scum.
I want to get out of this rut and I want to do well I am a hard worker and intelligent but its fustrating becasue I dont know how to use these things and I have so many ideas I dont know which to start at first.

Allso I dont want to tar all teachers with the same brush, I had some great ones aswell but they never stuck around long enough.
Thanks for all your help even though some of you may think Im a gob****e

Kidchameleon

Hi OP,

I agree with you to a point, the education system is far from perfect. But youve gotta take all that negative energy and turn it into positive action. Get yourself on a nightcourse (your on the dole, day courses) do something that interests you that way you wont be bored and when your done you can hold your cert/diploma/degree and wave it in those lousy teachers faces.

Regards.

Ps. Most courses will let you onboard regardless of Leaving Cert results.

Lollipops23

you sound like a very bitter person,grow up and start taking responsibility.there is nobody here who had a 100% positive experience with the education system, i'm sure we've all had a bad teacher at some point!but the fact is,most people just take it on the chin and move on with it. they don't sit around bemoaning the fact they were "let down" for years afterwards.

Dudess

Unregistered wrote: »

It is I know alot to with my fault, which makes it all the worse!!

Well that's good, you're not blaming external factors - you did originally say none of it was your fault.

I guess when the course finished it was a bit like the world disapeared from under me and I was back to the same ****.

But that happens to plenty of people - it sucks but it's not a reason to be so down. Might you have depression? A typical symptom of it is being bothered by negative yet unremarkable, everyday stuff. Would you consider counselling? Even if you're not ill with depression, it really seems like you'd benefit from it. You appear very negative - help with thinking positively seems quite vital for you.

there are loads of people in this situation many of whom are doing quite well and I aim to join them, but I have so many fecking ideas I dont know where to start.

Another example of just not focusing and getting on with it. Write these down. Organise them.

I dont dwell on my past although it still pisses me off when I think about it, maybe its because I have nothing to do an my mind is completely un ocupied.

Oh by jebus you can be sure of it!
You remind me very much of when I was looking for work. Having too much time to think made me focus a lot more on the negative than was good for me. And the disorganised thoughts thing too. I think you seem like a person who craves a bit of structure - I know I do. Why not look around for any bit of work at all - a factory, supermarket etc. Just to have something to do. That bit of focus makes you so much more motivated to do other stuff. That friend I was talking about is pissed off about being on a checkout, but at least it gets her out of the house and gives her a bit of routine. And she's doing a computer course, the hours of which are flexible and can be organised around her work.

I left school and had my confidence even more battered by the people I worked for and worked with they were scum.

Stop with the blaming. I know some people have it more unlucky than others, but I firmly believe your attitude actually causes negativity.
I know a girl (friend's sister) who seems to have something wrong with her every day of the week - it's as if she's only happy when she's complaining about something. Now she's had a few knocks in life no doubt, but nothing utterly catastrophic and some of them have been caused by her - e.g. wanker guys breaking her heart. They were pricks but it was her choice to keep running back to them. Now she's got issues with her weight and is blaming everything/one she possibly can for this except herself. What I'm saying is, life can be hard, but there comes a point when we have to stop using it as an excuse. AND we have to learn to deal with how hard life can be.

I want to get out of this rut and I want to do well I am a hard worker and intelligent but its fustrating becasue I dont know how to use these things and I have so many ideas I dont know which to start at first.

Again, you're not being pro-active by just sitting there wondering how you go about doing this - talk to someone. A recruitment agent, a careers advisor, your old career guidance teacher maybe? Start by using Google.

Thanks for all your help even though some of you may think Im a gob****e

No you're not. If your response had been "oh you're all ganging up on me" then yeah, I'd probably have thought you were one, but it's anything but. You just need some guidance...

Best of luck.

spurious

OP, I'm not sure where you are located, but if it is Dublin, contact Pearse College in Crumlin. It is a college dedicated to giving people like you a second chance in the education system. The staff there have years of experience helping students to overcome the damage bad educational experiences have caused.

Outside Dublin, contact your local VEC.

I completely understand the devastation a throwaway comment or remark can have on a young person and I am sorry you had to suffer them. I teach with a colleague who was told by a teacher she was 'too stupid to do the Leaving', took him at his word and left school at 15. Only through second chance education did she get the chance to be the fantastic teacher she is today.

It's not too late to go 'back to school', it will not be like you remember it, I can promise you. It's never too late to do your Leaving if you want, to go to college if you want, to get a degree. Of course, it will be a big step, but you won't regret it.

smileyhappy

OP, have you been assessed for a specific learning disability or ADD/ADHD?

If you're highly intelligent (as you say) yet this doesn't translate into the work that you attempt you may well be dyslexic.

yellowcurl

God you're so bitter!

There are so many successful people out there who also felt that the educational system failed them, but they got off of their butts and did something about it. Not whinged on about it.

If you don't like the trade that you're doing apply to FÁS and do a course in something else. Re-train. Build a better, less bitter life.

LegacyUser

Hi OP,

Education system to blame eh???? ( who cares ) It really doesnt matter. The only one that will change YOUR circumstance is YOU.

I didnt get a great leaving, didnt get a get course BUT I didnt let that stop me, sure I was pissed off, but it was mainly with myself that I realised the true blame lied. I went back and did what I needed to do to get on. Not an easy task but it can be done. You can do the same , its worth the struggle in the long run