I decided that, instead of doing my university assignment, I'd troll through the mountain of results after Googling the name of my old high school, East Hills Boy Technology High. Deep into the results I found (what I think is) a very interesting link. Following the link will take you to a page where there is a strip of head shots towards the bottom. The first person from the left side was my years 11 and 12 economics teacher, Mr. Jacobs.

I guess he must have had a bit of knowledge to be appointed to that position, chairperson of all places. If only I could remember anything that we talked about it that class ...

Actually, I do remember a bit from the two years, but really, only two things stand out: how good a guy Mr. Jacobs was, and how he would always, without hesitation or doubt, engage in a debate about how awful and 'wrong' communism. I think that he only did so to pull the chains of the people who towed the Red line - a pair of twins from China who said that it was the greatest economic and social theory to date.

If I had any real interest in the subject, like a few of the people in the class, then having Mr. Jacobs for the subject would have been equivalent to having the greatest economist as your teacher. But even though I wasn't, I still managed to score rather high with my marks, understand a heck of a lot of (what I now see as) complicated jibber jabber, and turn it into a contributing subject to my UAI.

I also remember that he was very much against the ideas, that are soon-to-be policy, of 'reward schemes' for paying teachers. I can distinctly remember the topic coming up a couple of times in class, and Mr. Jacobs had a very good argument against it. A shame I can't remember it now. It was probably similar to what everyone else says about the idea though.

Anyway, this is just a mindless ramble. I'll close with something meaningful I guess. A good teacher goes a long way. How's that?

Thomas.