Custard

[poliphilo]

And then there's custard.

Proper custard is concocted out of milk, egg yolk and sugar, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about the economy version- which is a powder you mix with milk to create a thick, bright yellow glop which grows a skin if allowed to cool. The magic ingredient is cornflour. It masks the flavour of whatever you drop it on and tastes of nothing.  I mean, what exactly is the point? 

When I was a kid they smothered it on everything. Some kids (Ailz for example) got a taste for it and adopted it as a beloved comfort food. For me it's a symbol of oppression. 

Show me the tin- with its three happy tweety-birds- and I flip straight back to Cumnor House School with its Oliver Twist-like dining arrangements and its perpetually grim-faced headmaster. Why do people who hate children go into education? Maybe because there's nothing else they're good for. *sigh*.

I feel a rant coming on so I'll shut up.
 



Alfred Bird- the Birmingham chemist- who invented custard powder for a wife who loved custard but was allergic to eggs- Awwwww.

Comments

[mummm.livejournal.com]

Errrr... Speaking for myself, and all the other teachers on my list, and yours... that's way out of line. I don't know a single teacher that I've ever been around who hated or hates children. Most of them LOVE children. And the thing about "if you can't do, teach", is simply absurd. That's why we all spend years in school so that we can go on teaching.

If you CAN DO - thank a teacher.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Sorry about that. I know most teachers don't hate children. But some do, and I've suffered under them.

I think teachers should be valued more and paid better. If we cared about our kids the way we say we do teaching would be the best paid, most prestigious job there is.

[mummm.livejournal.com]

Amen to that!

I'm sorry that you had to endure the worst of the profession. I expect that every profession has those, in fact I know that for a fact. Look what we have learned about A FEW priests!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Oh God, yes.

I've known a lot of priests (mainly Anglican)- and what a sad bunch they are!

frustration...

[pop-o-pie.livejournal.com]

I can only speak as a son and grandson of educators, but it seems that over time the constrictions of politics, curriculum and high expectations, teachers get frustrated and experience 'burn-out' over time. It's not that they 'hate' their pupils, but they do get tired of serving up the same old crap year after year.

I have an acquaintance who is a gifted high school physical education teacher and volleyball coach. She has coached teams that have won national titles and have gone on to the Olympics. A couple of years ago she reached the point where she does only what is necessary because she is sick to death of it. She's 'tenured' and will be eligible for retirement in another ten years, so she refuses to step down or change school systems. She openly admits that she is merely biding her time...