UK schools go from analog to digital
There are so many things that children must learn from school, it is literally a basic human right. Basic education is what they need in order to be able to survive this world. Children are sent to school or are homeschooled starting at the age of 2-3 and up where they were taught about letters, numbers, being able to identify colors, shapes, animals and more.
As they grow older, they explore even more to know more things, one of those things is being able to tell the time. Back in the days, there are so many devices that were used to be able to tell the time, there are sundials which measure the time by displaying the position of the shadow. There were also hourglasses and even water clocks, then again one of the most famous devices that were used to tell the time is the analog clock, which is still currently being used up to this day.
However, it would seem that it will be slowly taken over by digital clocks because of the advanced technology this world is seeing. Digital clocks have been around since the 1950s, and children of the 21st century seem to find it way easier to tell the time with the use of digital clocks. This is one of the major reason why some British school decided to start getting rid of their analog clocks, continue reading to find out more.
Teenagers can’t read analog clocks anymore
British School: “No More Analog Clocks”
At a young age, children are thought to read analog clocks, however, it would seem as if it is no longer a priority to some schools in England. British teenagers are apparently having a hard time telling the time on an analog clock. High schools in Great Britain are now starting to remove their analog clocks from their hallways since their teenage students are unable to identify the time with them, this is all according to the head teacher’s union.
Those who will be taking the GCSE, as well as their A-level exams, were provided with a digital clock in the room that was installed by their teachers. According to the secretary of the Association Of School And College Leader, Malcolm Trobe, teenagers and below have now been using gadgets that has a digital clock on it, which is why they are now more accustomed to it compared to the analog clock.
He even said in an interview that the youngsters of this generation are definitely not good at reading time on an analog clock. Gadgets such as mobile phones and computers give them the digital representation of a time hence they are mostly exposed to seeing the time with a number on it and not a face of a clock that has the arrow for hands.
As an educator, he believes that teachers only want their students to be comfortable at all times because if they’re not, they would most likely be distracted and wouldn’t be interested in listening and learning. Trobe even referred to this as an unnecessary stress to the students.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with changing the clocks in a school especially if it is slowly affecting and disrupting the education. Teachers have been complaining about how their students tend to raise their hands only to ask what time it is and it could be very distracting to both them as teachers and the students.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Analog VS Digital
Because of this news, late show host Jimmy Kimmel decided to have his team go on Hollywood Boulevard and ask children to read the time using an analog clock. His theory is that the children of the United States may be having the same problem.
Turns out that asking children what time it is while looking at an analogue clock is very difficult, however, despite having a hard time, some of the kids found a creative way of telling the time by explaining how it works just like one of them who said that the second hand of the clock points to what the time is.
On a recent survey from Oklahoma City, it was discovered that only 1 out of 10 children who are 6-12 actually owned and uses a watch and because of that, only 1 out of 5 children can actually read an analog watch.