My New Law

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Having just written a very nice new post, WordPress told me I needed to write another one. I explained that my USP was apathy, and that meant the fewer posts the better. WordPress explained that the idea of a USP was to be a Unique Selling Point, with an emphasis on selling. I explained that my readers liked my style. WordPress asked what readers. I stormed off in a huff at this point.

Anyway, to cut a long, and probably quite beautiful story of reconcilliation, inner courage and obsessive anthropomorhisation short, WordPress suggested that I write about the law that I would enact were people ever so silly as to put me in power. Which I thought quite interesting.

Let me get one thing straight. I would not simply enact a law. Laws are one-a-penny these days, and I don’t want to be helping that hyper-deflation by adding my own. My ‘law’ would most likely be termed an initiative, were it put into place. A scheme, although that has connotations that suggest I’m plotting something dastardly. I wouldn’t do that. Least of all to you, dear reader.

My scheme would be in education. It would encourage two main subjects. Computing and Modern Foreign Languages. Unlikely bedfellows, but that’s the way it rolls.

Foreign languages would be compulsory from the beginning of Key Stage 2 (Year 3, ages 7+) as part of the normal school curriculum. It should continue to be compulsory until students begin to make their choices, usually around the age of about 15. This would hopefully start removing the stigma against foreign languages, and more importantly, open students up to a range of skills such as problem solving that would help them in later life.

Computing would probably not be compulsory. However, it would be a part of the ICT curriculum from the beginning of KS3 (11+). Skills such as programming are useful in everyday activities (I just ran a program to work out the age ranges of various years in the school system) and would also act as a ueful skillbase for other things. Programming very quickly gives you skills of patience, and also the ability to take apart an idea and put it together again in very small pieces.

Together, I think these are two subjects that are dreadfully underused in our society. Both play very important parts in our modern, technological, global world. Both can be used for work and for leisure. And both are worthy of being promoted in our education system.

So there you go. Maybe not quite a law, but certainly a government scheme. I understand that there is a current push to get students to learn some foreign language, and most primary schools now get someone in to teach it. I just want to ensure that this is continued.

What a Long Time it has Been…

It’s been a while, eh reader? You’ll have noticed the new theme – yes, I’ve been decorating… Also, WordPress, in all their semi-omniscient wisdom, have seen it fit to bestow on me the right to offer you the chance to ‘like’ ‘share’ ‘tweet’ ‘digg’ generally send my posts across the twittersphere, the digg-o-globe and, presumably, the Facebook-o-circle. Yes, reader, go, spread the word: There is a new – or at least not very famous – blogger on the scene, and he’s exactly the same as all of the other blogs out there, except maybe not quite as good. It’s true. I can’t even do pictures very well.
So, new term, new school year, new school even. (I think it might also be Jewish New Year, but don’t quote me on that.) What is happening in the crazy land of Johz?
Well, I’ve moved schools, as my old school has run out of years for me to be in. The new school however, goes all the way up to Year 13! That’s right the way up to the age of 18, at which point I assume that I will be thrown out of my house to go and get a debt, which, I hear, is what universities are for these days.
Interestingly, I am abandoning my comprehensive ways, and going to a grammar school. Yes, I know, and very weird it is too. For some odd reason, instead of doing rugby in PE, I’m doing ‘rugger’ in ‘games’! What on earth is ‘rugger’, anyway? Still, I suppose I brought it on myself.
Also, exam results! Yes, those dreaded things! Not too badly here, a few A* grades, but mainly As, and a D in Physical Education to match my D in Citizenship. Not too bad, overall, but I know that, had I worked harder, maybe I would have acheived more?
On top of all this, I have just started the Bible in One Year, a Soul Survivor initiative, whereby they have mixed up the Bible a bit, and split it all into daily chunks. The idea is that we all start on September the first, and Mike Pilivachi will finish on August the thirty first, with the rest of us having given up at various points along the way.
Joking aside, this is actually a very good idea. I mean, I call myself a Christian, but I’ve never really had the chance to make my own mind up about what the Bible actually says, and, being as the Bible is a rather large cornerstone of the Christian faith, I feel that I may be missing out slightly. I’d recommend you try it to, especially if you’re an atheist trying to argue that we’re misguided fools. At the very least, you’ll be able to know our weaknesses…
Finally, in the grand round-up of all things Johz, I feel that, so far, I appear to have neglected perhaps the most important thing…

I T ‘ S – M Y – B I R T H D A Y ! !

Well, it’s not my birthday, it is merely the first aniversary of this blog, and it isn’t for about a month or so yet. However, if you can think of an absolutely epic-ly wonderfully awsome way of celebrating this momentous occasion, please, I would love to be able to hear it.
You can tell I’m excited. I don’t think I have ever used the word awesome in my life.