This might come across as a very strange question but is it uncommon to find engineers who did not enjoy school or think highly of the schools that they attended? I have encountered numerous computing and IT types over the years who did not enjoy school or had bad experiences at school but very few electrical or mechanical engineers.
Which is unfortunate as engineering benefits hugely from engineers with good social skills!
Please elaborate on which particular social skills. The term social skills is broad and sweeping but in reality social skills are specific to particular situations and activities.
Andy Millar:
I disagree about the "survival skills", the workplace (for example) needs these same "survival skills", which aren't going to be learnt at home. The problem is that different schools teach (deliberately or not) different survival skills. Some skills effectively teach "keep your head down, don't get caught", some teach "stand up tall and show the world how brilliant you are". And we see these differences when people enter the workplace. I want to see every school teaching "stand up tall and show the world how brilliant you are - and that you appreciate that other people are brilliant too". It can be done, I've seen it.
Again, elaborate on the survival skills. Are you implying that children who are home educated are incomplete or missing something even assuming that their academic ability and grades are comparable with a schooled child and they are generally confident individuals? Do you know enough about home education or families who home educate in order to back up your claims that XYZ aren’t going to be learnt at home?
Which is unfortunate as engineering benefits hugely from engineers with good social skills!
Please elaborate on which particular social skills. The term social skills is broad and sweeping but in reality social skills are specific to particular situations and activities.
Andy Millar:
I disagree about the "survival skills", the workplace (for example) needs these same "survival skills", which aren't going to be learnt at home. The problem is that different schools teach (deliberately or not) different survival skills. Some skills effectively teach "keep your head down, don't get caught", some teach "stand up tall and show the world how brilliant you are". And we see these differences when people enter the workplace. I want to see every school teaching "stand up tall and show the world how brilliant you are - and that you appreciate that other people are brilliant too". It can be done, I've seen it.
Again, elaborate on the survival skills. Are you implying that children who are home educated are incomplete or missing something even assuming that their academic ability and grades are comparable with a schooled child and they are generally confident individuals? Do you know enough about home education or families who home educate in order to back up your claims that XYZ aren’t going to be learnt at home?
