When Canada went metric around 1980, I remember that the custodians came into our classrooms and added red stickers* to our wall clocks one night. They left the standard hour settings the same, but using red numbered stickers, they affixed the numbers 13 to 23 on the inside of the circumference. Did they put a 0 as an alternative under the 12? I can’t remember, but they should have.
Inexpensive stickers or not, they stuck. I am sure that if I were to return to my classroom of 45 years ago, the same clock and stickers would be there.
I asked the grandkids if similar clocks (with the 0, not the 24) are in their current classrooms. They are, but my kids are in newer schools, so I suppose the clocks were purchased that way, for I can see them advertised on Amazon and elsewhere as in the above images.
Having said that, when I take a photo at at 1pm, my camera and software will record as 13, and it really is better than bumbling about with am and pm. For record keeping, the 24 hour notation does seem superior.
* I had always assumed that they added stickers, but maybe they replaced the covers completely. I don't think the schools would have sprung for completely new clocks, but I don't know. Whatever the truth, I have always believed that they were stickers, and I have ... um ... stuck to the stickers theory in this post.
20 comments:
Interesting. I was a student at the time metric was introduced. Don't remember your clock thing, but I do remember April Fool's jokes about changing the clocks to metric on a basis of 10......
I've never heard it referred to as "metric" before. Down here, when referring to that system we simply call it "military time".
Interesting history. Now most people use their phones and analog clocks are less and less used, it seems. And you can tell your phone to use whichever system you prefer.
I've never heard the 24 hour time as metric. Now I'm going to look at the clock choices on my phone and see what it calls it...oh dear, it just says "24 hour time" as the option. I guess I'd call it military time more often. And I just fell into the rabbit hole of looking up military time!
By the way, I've never seen a clock with military time labeled on it outside of a military base.
Oh yes always stick to your story; it saves confusion. And one of my favorite sayings is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I remember when someone or other floated the idea of metric this or that in the USA around the same time and we all just laughed, hahaha! Speaking of broke, I apologize about my blog eating your comment. I tried to apologize to you on said blog but it won't even let ME post a comment. *sigh* I will try again later. xoxo
I should have been a pro at using military time after years in TV where that's how the schedules were planned. But I always had trouble remembering without doing the math! That's a good idea with the stickers on the clock!
It is always very interesting to visit here and see what you are thinking about today. Thank you, AC. Honolulu 0709 Aloha!
I had no idea the schools had changed like that. It certainly isn't metric at all.
I use 24 time in my car and on the cat feeder (no choice there) and mostly like it. It absolves the confusion over am/pm which too many people still don't understand.
I prefer 24 time in every device I have
Interesting. I tend to think of that as military time, never hearing it used in everyday situations.
Well, we were a deprived system. We didn't have classroom clocks but did we ever have bells.
Digital time ruled. My youngest grandchildren do not understand analog time.
We didn’t teach the 24 hour clock in school or use it at all.
I prefer the tried and true way. 1:00 not 13.
Like others have said, we call it military time. It's not used too often. I didn't serve in the military, but I worked my way through college at a part-time job at Disneyland, and I would clock in and clock out using military time. I'm still pretty comfortable using it all these years later!
Yep, military time. I find it irksome but can easily and quickly figure out the time if given this way.
Metrics I never did understand. Totally confusing.
Vaguely recall that. When I got nailed was when the YD joined the military and switched to the , um, 24 hour clock. She still uses it. I do a frantic subtraction in my head and frequently do it wrong, i confess. However, I do go metric for liquid mesure, having had to reprogram my mind when we sold maple syrup. In mandated litre and 4 litre containers. (No, you cannot have a gallon. Sorry.)
When I was a security officer, we had to report everything in metric but had no clocks like that in our workplace. What a pain it was to mentally convert everything all the time. I got good at it when recording the comings and goings of workers in a secure area a few hundred times in 12 hours.
I would like a clock like that because the VA makes appts for veterans in metric !!
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