A SCOTS businessman has shared copies of his 60-year-old savage report cards from teachers at his former private school.
Howard Renwick was branded “the most defeatist child imaginable” while he attended Rannoch School, Perth and Kinross during the early 60’s.
Now aged 74-years-old, Howard, who is originally from Monifieth near Dundee, has shared images of his savage report cards from teachers during his youth.
One report from a history teacher states: “This has been a thoroughly unsatisfactory term and there has been little evidence of voluntary effort.”
Howard deplored Latin at school and this shows in his report which states: “His standard of work has shown no particular variation throughout the term, but remains not very high.
“He does not yet realise what it is to work, or what it is to have to learn.
“His writing is quite good but reveals the element of indecision which keeps his performance at its present level.”
Alongside Latin, he also hated Chemistry and one report from this class says: “He is inattentive, idle and has done very little work this term.
“His exam result of 12% is a deserved one.”
One report from his History teacher reads: “He is quite the most defeatist child imaginable.
“Either that or he is stubbornly set upon the process of not learning.
“The result, in either case, is the same as a poor term, begun at a lower level of performance than September’s and ended at a lower level than one can easily imagine.”
His mathematics teacher said: “He seems to be sinking mathematically, I regret to say.
“His slowness is a handicap, but it could surely be overcome with more effort.
“He will have to work overtime if he is to pass in this subject next year – or the year after.”
Despite being consistently knocked back by his teachers at the private school, Howard went on to launch a successful lift business which is still in operation today.
Speaking today, Howard said: “I confess to not being a brilliant scholar but I enjoyed the skiing and activities on Loch Rannoch.
“My main interest thanks to my wonderful biology teacher, Peter Orton, sadly no longer with us, was Coleoptera and I had an impressive collection of beetles which I donated to the school when I left.
“[My] favourite subjects were biology, French and English and worst were chemistry and Latin.
“Latin exams would often result in me getting less that 10% so it’s obvious I did not excel at that subject.
“Now that I think about it, my chemistry results were not much better.
“My school reports were probably quite accurate although I doubt if teachers now would be allowed to say some of the things that were said about my scholastic efforts.”
Howard continued: “I left Rannoch School in 1964.
“After a brief spell in the motor trade I became a civil servant with the Dept. of Employment.
“In 1979 I decided to start my own business involving process control instruments and then later with a change of direction became involved with the lift industry.
“This is still trading successfully today under the efficient control of two of our sons.”
Rannoch School closed permanently in 2002 due to financial restraints.
