Kid is hero...

[The_Penguin]

LONDON (AFP) - A 10-year-old British schoolgirl saved the lives of hundreds of people in southern Asia by warning them a wall of water was about to strike, after learning about tsunamis in geography class, British media reported.

Tilly, who has been renamed the "angel of the beach" by the top-selling tabloid The Sun, was holidaying with her family on the Thai island of Phuket when she suddenly grasped what was taking place and alerted her mother.

"Last term Mr Kearney taught us about earthquakes and how they can cause tsunamis," Tilly was quoted as saying by The Sun.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050101/wl_uk_afp/asiaquakebritainangeloffbeat&cid=1538&ncid=2337

[jamesrage]

It is nice to know that school girl had common sense.

[historyteach]

Yes, she did have common sense.
BUT, it was brought about by education!
Next time you see a teacher -- thank them. It was the teacher that gave her the knowledge to become that "angel of the beach!"
L'Chaim!

[jamesrage]

Education doesn't mean squat if you do not have the common sense to apply it.

[Blueangel]

Education doesn't mean squat if you do not have the common sense to apply it.Whilst I agree with you both to some extent, don't you think that certain things from your school days sink into your memory better than others?

A truely gifted teacher can arouse the interest of any child, and use their powers of presentation of information to make a deep and lasting impression.
My closest friend has been my best mate since we were 5yrs old, and we were in the same class right throughout school. Obviously, we remember the same teachers, but more strangely, we both have abiding memories of the exact same lessons that made an impact upon us.
25yrs later, we can still remember a clutch of Religious Education, English Literature, Biology, Geography and History classes that had a profound impression upon us. That's no mean feat and only screams that we were lucky enough to have some very talented teachers.

To think that this girl is only 10yrs old yet had been so impressed upon by a class in school, speaks volumes for the talent of her teacher. She could just as easily have been so impressed by a programme on the Discovery channel...(who can't list a few of them that have made a lasting impression?)...but attributes it to her teacher.
I hope he is immensely proud of his achievement.

[jamesrage]

Whilst I agree with you both to some extent, don't you think that certain things from your school days sink into your memory better than others?

Maybe,But still that knowledge is useless if you lack the common sense to apply it.I have seen this with some of new(cherry) soldiers when they first arrive to a new unit.Every infantry soldier goes to Fort Benning Georiga for basic there are no other army infantry basic training postall,all the drill instructers(drill sergeants) are all infantry soldiers,so roughly everything is taught the same.Some of these soldiers arriving at their unit for some reason can not seem to apply what they learned in basic training and are under the impression like many civilians are that the military is like a 9 to 5 job.So they show up to formation unshaved,late,try to **** off(shamming) during the day,and not use proper military courtesy and respect when speaking to a NCO,warrent officer or commisioned officer.Almost everything in basic training is focused on unity and that if you screw up it will cost others.They only realize this after they been disiplined several times for a few weeks sometimes a month.Not every new soldier is like this most of them already have the common sense to apply thier training to every day military life.