Classical Civilisation

Discussion and advice on GCSEs

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silverysea
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Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by silverysea »

How does one become a "City Type" if there is no family history of it? I though you had to be a maths whizz.
Amber
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Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by Amber »

silverysea wrote:How does one become a "City Type" if there is no family history of it? I though you had to be a maths whizz.
One of my in-laws is one such. And he doesn't know the first thing about any kind of civilisation, classical or otherwise.
Yamin151
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Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by Yamin151 »

I guess by stepping onto this forum at all I am in a way relinquishing my right to have a dissenting opinion, but this thread does make me feel a bit sad. I guess we all have high aspirations for our children, but I like to feel that first and foremost I want them to be happy with their choices in life, and I'm sure that is the case for everyone here. But sometimes, just sometimes, it can seem as if the future proofing, money making possibilities, prestige element can overtake . This classics thing is a good case of that. It seems to me that this is a subject that some students feel passionate about, and whilst they need an eye to future jobs, it saddens me that any student would be discouraged on the basis of it being a 'soft' option.
My degree was in no way related to what I ended up doing, a career in which for 20 years I earned a fab salary with lots bells and whistles. I think a degree (ok, the days of media studies etc not so good), but surely a degree in theology or Latin or classics is heavy enough to demonstrate learning ability and cognitive competence to a high level? Combined with interview skills and a degree of cannny-ness this can surely lead to a lucrative, or at least happy, or at best both, cAreer? am I really expected to persuade my children away from what they love to what they 'ought' to do? That saddens me.

I realise that the thread here is simply stating how this subject is seen, but it does illustrate how tied up we all are in whT ought to be done to get our precious ones to the front of the career tree. I wonder if our parents agonised as much over our careers? Final wonder, is it REALLY so difficult out there that we need to worry about what our children choose at gcse? Maybe it is, maybe I am naive. I find it all terribly stressful, and yet here I am!
Amber
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Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by Amber »

Yamin151 wrote:I guess by stepping onto this forum at all I am in a way relinquishing my right to have a dissenting opinion,
Good heavens no! Why do you think that? There is no point in a discussion forum if it never gets beyond 'oh, I agree'...not much of a discussion then.

I did ask why this person could not study the subject without having to take an exam, especially as it seems that it is being done outside school and therefore (presumably) in addition to a full range of exam subjects already. So in that sense I agree with you. Sadly our education system is so exam-driven that there is very little scope for taking a subject purely because you love it any more.
Jean.Brodie
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Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by Jean.Brodie »

Daogroupie, It would be useful to know what sort of student wants this Classic. Civ. GCSE and why.

I'm afraid that every Classics grad I know would not dream of studying Classic. Civ. at any level without also being highly accomplished in Latin and, probably, Greek. They all regard it as a natural part of studying ancient languages.

At GCSE, every selective school pupil I know does regard it as a soft option. And isn't an important point of IGCSEs that they should not be soft options?

At home, one of us studied the basic two term Latin at a well know London Uni college as an evening class. The students were mainly adults, some middle aged, some senior citizens, with a few local London Uni undergrads thrown in. We all thought the cultural and historical stuff was wonderful but most of us found the grammar and the vocab horribly difficult. Half the class dropped out, including all the young undergrads.
ToadMum
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Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by ToadMum »

Apologies to DG if I've got this wrong, but possibly the enquiry was more to do with personal development than education of offspring?

Whilst naturally being one of life's little dissenters generally, I quite agree with Yamin151 here :). My heart sinks when I see posts along the lines of 'I don't care whether the school would actually suit my child at all - or vice versa - I just want him/her to go to the one that's at the top of the league tables / sends the most pupils to Oxbridge'. The latter always reminds me of my German teacher at school who (seriously or otherwise) tried to put me off going into nursing, suggesting that I could apply even for something totally irrelevant to most things like Anglo-Saxon and Norse, just that I should be aiming for Oxbridge instead. (And incidentally I would probably find myself a nice husband as well :lol: ).
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Yamin151
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Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by Yamin151 »

ToadMum wrote:Apologies to DG if I've got this wrong, but possibly the enquiry was more to do with personal development than education of offspring?

Whilst naturally being one of life's little dissenters generally, I quite agree with Yamin151 here :). My heart sinks when I see posts along the lines of 'I don't care whether the school would actually suit my child at all - or vice versa - I just want him/her to go to the one that's at the top of the league tables / sends the most pupils to Oxbridge'. The latter always reminds me of my German teacher at school who (seriously or otherwise) tried to put me off going into nursing, suggesting that I could apply even for something totally irrelevant to most things like Anglo-Saxon and Norse, just that I should be aiming for Oxbridge instead. (And incidentally I would probably find myself a nice husband as well :lol: ).
Much better put than me. Ditto all of thAt! :)
aliportico
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Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by aliportico »

Jean.Brodie wrote:I'm afraid that every Classics grad I know would not dream of studying Classic. Civ. at any level without also being highly accomplished in Latin and, probably, Greek. They all regard it as a natural part of studying ancient languages.
Odd then that there are so many Classics/Classical Studies degree courses that don't require prior knowledge of Latin or Greek, and might not even require you to study the languages at university! The vast majority of school children don't get any chance to study Latin, and hardly anyone does Ancient Greek. If you were right, then they wouldn't ever be allowed to study Classical Civilisation, which is clearly ridiculous.

On the contrary, I would imagine that many Classics graduates know that it's often the stories, the history, the art, etc that gets people interested in the first place, and then that inspires them to learn the languages.
And isn't an important point of IGCSEs that they should not be soft options?
No, the point of IGCSEs is that they are accessible internationally.
Rob Clark
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Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by Rob Clark »

I don't know about GCSE level but many (many) moons ago I studied this at A level. I know nothing about it and hadn't studied it before but thought it would be a good complementary subject to the English and History I was studying. I enjoyed it so much I ended up doing it in my first year at university too, before deciding against a joint-honours degree.

It definitely wasn't thought of as a soft option at A level – I got offers from the likes of Birmingham, Reading and Warwick with it as one of my 3 A levels.

I did do Latin up to O level, but there was no crossover between the two and it certainly wasn't necessary to have studied Latin or Greek – I read Aeschylus, Euripdes and Homer, but all in translation :lol:
southbucks3
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Re: Classical Civilisation

Post by southbucks3 »

I read Aeschylus, Euripdes and Homer, but all in translation :lol:
Rob we are not worthy...You read these as a teenager!

Personally I think if they want to do it, let them, even if it is not hard boiled.
Also I think that I enjoy far more history of all types, and literacy now than when they were forced down my throat at school, so it is ok to save some learning and new knowledge for later years, rather than just ticking extra boxes on gcse lists.
My a level history seemed to take a hundred years to wade through at school, just like the Anglo French war, which filled a lever arch file on its own. (They cut the curriculum in half the following year, because the pass rate was dire) As for my o level literacy...endless blooming third rate plays by that little known writer William something or other :wink: and the wasteland flogged to death, when all the time I was thinking no wonder Sylvi plath shuvved her head in an oven, if she read thus stuff.

Hopefully things have improved, if they enjoy history...go for it. :D
Last edited by southbucks3 on Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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