Shop Class

I just finished watching "James May: My Sisters' Top Toys" (For those who don't know. James May is a presenter in Top Gear. An automotive show presented by BBC in the greater part of Europe). It was about the toys his sisters, including him, grew up with.

Anyways, while I was watching the show it just occured to me that here in the Philippines when we say shop class it just deals with basic circuitry. Usually a bulb, bulb base, a few wires, battery and a switch. On wood works, a hammer, nail and a board. Projects usually come pre-assembled. In creating figurines the mold could be pre ordered not made by hand. We're usually spoon fed.

In Europe or even in the U.S. shop class means you actually get to create things. They we're taught how to use heavy machinery and power tools. They carve the wood to the desired shape, weld iron together, use milling machines to create precision metal parts.

They were taught how to weild metals to the desired form. Heating and hammering the iron or metal to get the desired output. To turn them to useful things or pieces of artwork. They were taught basic engineering. (not to mention basic automotive skills).

These things are actually being taught to them in school. Which is far from being done here in the Philippines. I came from a private school and we were no where near on what they are being taught. Here you have to enroll yourself to do these things. I was wondering why they didn't teach us these things? Are they too scared that we might get hurt? Or schools won't teach these stuff to cut costs of buying the expensive equipment and added teachers to teach? I don't know. Some schools even teach electronics. Creating robots even in grade school. I couldn't even solder even if my life depended on it. I just wish I knew how to do stuff like that. And I wish I had the resources to try it out for myself and enroll my self in short courses just to add to what I can do. Just my .02 cents.