Tomorrows midday NHK BS101 movie is THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI. And that prompted me to remember that is one of the books we did in English class in High School.
I went to St.Ives High School in Sydney Australia 1971 till 1976, a free public government school, and not the expensive private schools most kids in that area went to. The books were loaned free to us for the year, but for what ever reason, there where not enough THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI to go around to all kids in our year and I had to buy my own paperback copy at a local bookstore. Don't remember that being any big deal though.
During some lessons, kids were randomly selected to read to the class from the assigned book. And one day I was asked to read the next page or so. I did, didn't get any reaction from the teacher or anyone else, so all good I thought.
But during packing our bags at the end of class, a big Greek guy, Paul Demoes, comes up to me and asks to see my book. He wasn't a friend, but knew him. He looked at the book and was stunned to see it wasn't like the school issued book. I had read a section that was full of FAHK, and hadn't realized I had been saying FUCK, and I had said that out loud in class, more than a few times. I was so innocent, I hadn't realized the characters had been swearing like that.
The teacher hadn't let on, and ignored it.
I expect I wasn't the only one that had to buy their own normal copy of the book, but no one else ever mentioned it. Many, probably, were not listening to what anyone read. A few didn't need to listen to anything in classes, their future was secure and didn't need an education, more about that in a moment.
The only class I ever enjoyed was ART. Best, coolest, teachers too.
During my 6 years in High School there were people I thought of as friends, that just disappeared. Go on an end of term vacation, and they didn't come back. I must not have been "enough" of a friend for them to tell me they were leaving the school. Most that disappeared was because their parents sent them to a private school to "meet the right people". Never about "a better education".
The "not what you know, but who you know", that means so many in positions of power don't know anything and are actually unqualified for their position.
"17 per cent of NSW Supreme Court judges went to one exclusive Sydney private school. A SBS TV Feed analysis revealed over 60 per cent of judges went to Sydney University and 15 per cent of male judges to one exclusive high school."
Saw from my 20th High School Reunion Book that a few that never seemed to work at all in school, and didn't leave to a private school, just went on to inherit the big family business. So different from my own experience.
The kids in Private Schools didn't really associate with those that didn't. Except my best friend, had left to a private school, and I remained friends with him, and met a few other Private School kids through him, or friends of his. I remember visiting a Private School kids house a couple of times that was the grandson of the mega rich founder of one of the cheap Supermarket chains. The guy next door was in my class at school, a family of mega rich coffee merchants, and saw me there once and asked "How do you know him?!". They didn't mix, and I didn't become friends with either of them...
Took me many many years before I actually saw ( even though I had always been told) and REALLY realized that nepotism was so significant in Australia. Having the "right school or church" association counted for so much.
I used to car pool going to university in the final year or so with 2 other guys. One I went to the same High School with, the other had gone to a Private School, and talked a lot about how much better that class of people were😒.
At the end of University, the first job I was offered was in Industrial Control. I had been the most experienced practical guy doing electronics and firmware they had interviewed, and couldn't wait for me to start. The Private School guy I car pooled with told me "that was supposed to be his job, his brother-in-law worked there", even though he had never had electronics as a hobby and passion like I had. University certainly didn't teach anything practical in the field. I learnt that all in my own spare time from Electronics Australia, ETI, Elector and BYTE magazines and building and programming my own things since about Year 4 of High School.
The day before I was to start at the Industrial Control company, I received a TELEGRAM saying the job was no longer available. Did the bother-in-law get it back and give to his relative? I don't know, and I never met that Private School guy after University finished.
It came as a real shock, but I soon got a better offer at Fairlight Instruments Pty Ltd. A good start to my career.
I think now, in 2025, that a significant reason why it took 14 years to build the Sydney Opera House, was Australia has never had "the best people" for leaders. Jobs for friends and relatives is the way it usually goes. But having said that, have read the same thing happens in Japan here and the UK.
20 years before I retired, I saw appropriate tech positions I applied for, and was never ever called in for even an interview, go to members of THE HILL SONG CHURCH, at both ResMed and Cochlear. I knew people at both places. I can't say that was the only reason, but it seems to have been a significant factor in the time from when I went back to Australia in 2001.
We can be found at ArtAndTechnology
