What were you like when you were at school?

My primary school teacher wanted me to be published at 11 but I don't think my mother understood her. Was very quiet until secondary school until I just broke out and become rebellious. I had a huge group of friends and we were all inseparable. I did no study whatsoever but ended up getting into university anyway. Spent seven years studying in colleges, which surprised me as I didn't really like school. That's a lot of time to be in schools overall.

I reckon I was a young boy.

Just today I found an old school picture of my Class (aged about 10, taken in 1960)
The picture appeared in a Museum Gallery through which I was browsing, and headed 'An unknown group of boys taken in 1940.'

It was a shock to see my 10 year old self beaming out at me, ears sticking out like the Sam Maguire Cup from being dragged about by those appendages by thugs who called themselves 'teachers.'

Those were the days when students didn't have to learn anything, voluntarily.
It was beaten into us instead.

Donald Poor Riffraff wrote: »

but no way on god's green earth I'd go to a reunion. Half the bastards haven't moved outside a five mile radius since anyways so I don't know what the point would be.

Had a funny moment myself about 12 years ago.

I was back home on holiday from Japan, and went to a bar I used to go to.

I walked in and there were the boys themselves, like they'd never moved since I last saw them, including one lad (we'll call him Joe) that you might have expected to leave and not come back. But there he was, talking the same auld shyte as ever.

I remember commenting to the friend I was there with that it was a bit sad to see them all still there, especially Joe.

Got talking to Joe an hour or two later and it turned out that it was his first time in the bar for about 5 years, as he'd spent most of his time in various parts of Africa. He said that when he saw me walk in his first thought was 'Jaysus, there's osarusan, sad to see him still around the place, he's somebody you'd have imagined would move on.'

DanMurphy wrote: »

Yep, no exaggerating, those were tough days indeed. Wasn't just a cane, but back-handed slaps, fists on occasion, lifted from your seat by an ear, or hair.
It didn't stop at progression to Secondary school either, just the 'weapons' were different.
The T-Square was used as a 'scimitar' during Maths Class, or the wood-end of a chisel during woodwork.
Looking back on it, some of my teachers were ****in' psycopaths!

My grandfather pinned one such teacher to the wall with a chair, for picking on someone in his class. His parents were not the deferential type, but I'm sure there were lads who would've been punished at home for doing the same,regardless of reason.

It was like a sadist's dream job back then, from what I've heard.

Ahh, I seldom think about it now, but seeing that old photo today brought it all back.
That carry-on reflected the violent society which existed back then.

I was an absolute Bollix in school, I was in a 'Special' Class for what some people call problem children, we weren't a problem, we were just cnuts, I spent an average of 3 months a year on the hop, hated the place, did me Inter and did alright considering but was glad to be out of it at 16, at 30 I worked in a university and took part in a learning disability survey and found out I was dyslexic, so it explained a lot of my troubles at school, but I'm a stubborn fecker and because I couldn't do any languages when I was in school, I decided I wanted to learn Irish, love it to this day, took me 7 years to do a 3 year diploma, but I'm proud of myself for sticking it out and finishing it

Didn't really go when I was suppose to. Ended up getting expelled when I was 10! Done nothing until I was 13, when I went back as a secondary student in first year. Actually made my conformation in first year, then left.

Went to college at 27, done diploma, then degree, and just writing my thesis for masters, so all in all not too bad

Was quiet, polite and did enough work to make sure i got away with a lot of **** because of it. I more or less took whatever days i wanted off, and half days, signed in late when i wanted to miss double maths/business studies. Don't think my parents signed a thing the whole of secondary school because i just forged everything. Just used to sign a lame excuse and hand it to the vice principal and he'd say nothing. He had to have known i was taking the piss but he never said anything.

Dossed off P.E with the same forged notes for a long time until the teacher got wise and made me go and borrow a tracksuit from a friend in another class.

Me and my friend (another quiet one) didn't attend a Religion class for a whole year, we just went to a free class that was never supervised. The religion teacher used to come in at least once every fortnight looking for whoever the two missing people out of his class were. For some reason he didn't have our names. Some laugh!

I was an average enough student. Got good marks in some subjects, was terrible in others. Didn't really put much effort in and can't say i was encouraged to by teachers either. I feel like if i was given some encouragement i would have done more higher level subjects. I suppose that's the problem when you're an average to good student. You don't excel at anything and you don't cause any trouble either so you're kind of skipped over by the teacher.

Certainly wasn't cool, confident or popular but i always had friends and got on with pretty much everyone. As for reunions - i don't like them. I went to the ten year one and it was grand but a lot of the people who wouldn't look twice at you in school act are all 'oh hiiiiiiii' - can't be arsed with the fakeness. My feeling is that if you want to keep in touch with people you will do it. My two best friends are from secondary school and we've stuck it out. Other people i was very close to just drifted apart pretty soon after we finished. It happens!