Jonathan Levy Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Its about time that we said to the young teenagers out there well done instead of `o the exams are getting easy` not well done you have worked hard so well done ? Its not been a good year for teenagers. Its all been bad press for the teenagers from this town. Hear hear though not just bad press for teenagers from this town, nationally more like. Regardless of whether or not A Levels are becoming easier, many students are still getting excellent results and that should be praised, and I'm not just saying that because I receieved results yesterday. My results were fine but many students nationally are getting higher results that really do deserve much praise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 My results were fine Which means you were in the top 98%. Well Done I feel really sorry for the other 2% , what a stigma to carry round for the rest of their lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 supprisingly easy. My 14year old son can make my car move, I gave him a play in it on a feild once. but he cant drive. So he can't drive and he hasn't passed his test I ask again - How do you pass the driving test if you can't drive??? By the way - I haven't got any A, O or any other letter levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 I bet you never had an 'L' plate either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 What his driving teacher meant was that he/she would make sure they crammed enough information in their heads to pass the book part but if you want to actually know how to drive you have to have practical experience. I think whats been removed from schools is the basics(reading, writing,physical education and maths) - over and over so that the learner gets it. Instead in a typical day it's a 1st year or a 10th year student they get all sorts thrown at them (like sound bytes of many concepts) all day long. Or like adverts all day long - then they wonder why kids can't sit still - with everything changing all day long what do they expect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Tara: Don't think folk are criticing the kids, but rather the Government for trying to artificially manufacture success. Horace: I used the term "middle class" for want of a better term, perhaps "champagne socialists" may have done; but in essence class divisions nowadays are based on attitude and lifestyle, and the set of Herberts who are running the country are a million miles from most average folk and certainly the under-class as seen on the Jeremy Kyle Show! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horace Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 We shouldn't be blaming the kids, the teachers or the government for dumbing down the A Levels. It is true standards of education have fallen generally, but the reason is the monster that sits in the corner of the living room. It's called the television and, although it could be a force for good it is, in educational terms at least, a force for evil. Particularly since it started spewing out all these Sky channels which seem to fascinate children but teach them nothing. How many kids watch Blue Peter (which might occasionally teach them something) compared to the cartoons? It's all junk - and should be banned from all homes containing school-age children. But that's the parent's job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 So lets blame the TV, what sort of nonsense is that? Setting the various governments aside, the main culprits in this falling of standards are the ones at the sharp end THE TEACHERS. The majority are salary gatherers rather than the educators from my schooldays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 We have parents who are naturally ambitious for their kids; some even move home or change religion to get them into the "best schools", but neglect to address the influences that retard interest and motivation; their own limitations, peer group pressures and the dumbing down of TV programming and current mania for computer games. If you don't or can't inculcate a thirst for knowledge in the young, at an early age, you've got a problem. This is then excacerbated by the X-factor culture, a belief that, irrespective of ability and effort, one can magically reach the top - the top usually meaning personal wealth and fame, and not any altruistic desire to prepare one to make a contribution to society as a whole. Then we have the dogma of the political class, with it's obsession for University entrance as the be all and end all of one's existence; and their social engineering (dumbing down) to make reality fit their theories of equality. This of course is a generalisation, many families develope a culture of interest in learning from an early age, some disadvantaged youngsters make the grade, even through transit through the so-called worst schools against the odds. However, we're discussing the relative pass grades of current GCSEs etc; what of all the kids who don't even qualify to take these exams in the first place; many who nowadays arn't even reaching basic standards of numeracy and literacy - are these being consigned to the pond life of society - to survive on the benefits culture, resort to crime, the lottery or a TV reality show, to realise their dreams of wealth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Just as the Police can't police because they are too busy filling in reports, the teachers can't teach because they are too busy filling in Term plans. For every 1 child who wants to learn you have another 20 who don't want to and because of a total lack of discipline it's the 20 who win. GCSE's are not worth the paper they are written on. What other test could you be 98% certain of passing??? Personally I don't know what all the fuss is about over A levels and GCSE's. I can't recall entering an exam never mind passing one. That was probably the main difference between me and other candidates for a job - they had qualifications and I didn't, and yet I have never been out of work or claimed benefits apart from child benefit for my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 supprisingly easy. My 14year old son can make my car move, I gave him a play in it on a feild once. but he cant drive. So he can't drive and he hasn't passed his test I ask again - How do you pass the driving test if you can't drive??? By the way - I haven't got any A, O or any other letter levels. no your first question was worded slightly diffrently in that it included the all important word learning. there are many people on the road with full licences...that cannot drive. driving is a skill, the test is an exam. I know how to play darts, however I lack the skill needed to play anything you could call a game. is there anyone else who can explain it better han me to eagle. I'm not good at explaining things..but then I do have an English O'level...shows somewhat what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Once they have explained it to Eagle, can you ask Eagle to explain it to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted August 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 You can easily pass a driving test without any skill in anticipating what other road users may do, without the ability to react quickly and correctly to the unexpected, without any ability to drive appropriately in darkness or poor weather, without any ability to navigate - or even read road signs in English, without any understanding of the capabilities and limitations of your vehicle, and without ever developing basic road sense. In short, you can pass a driving test without developing the ability to actually drive. Similarly, you can today pass an A-level without the depth of understanding of the subject which used to be required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Thanks for the explanation pete (I think) but I don't remember asking for it. Legion, no O Level in observation then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 You can easily pass a driving test without any skill in anticipating what other road users may do, without the ability to react quickly and correctly to the unexpected, without any ability to drive appropriately in darkness or poor weather, without any ability to navigate - or even read road signs in English, without any understanding of the capabilities and limitations of your vehicle, and without ever developing basic road sense. Sorry I asked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 No emergency stop then? ability to react quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 I saw 'learners' car recently promoting crash courses (their words) in passing your driving test in 7 days. That is scarey... and should NOT be allowed... blummin' dangerous if you ask me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 See we've moved onto driving tests?! Presumably any test should be based on the standard one wishes to attain - which in the case of the driving test is extremely laxed, judging by the performance one sees on our roads daily. Whilst the physical function of "driving" can be learned fairly easy, road (or common) sense can't. A knowledge of the Highway Code, like any other exam, will rely on the individual's capacity to retain information, and regurgitate it at the appropriate moment. Perhaps more controversial, if we were to aspire to improving "standards"; would be the addition of psycological profiling and higher standards of medical examination - which I suspect, would empty our highways at a stoke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 Its about time that we said to the young teenagers out there well done instead of `o the exams are getting easy` not well done you have worked hard so well done ? Its not been a good year for teenagers. Its all been bad press for the teenagers from this town. Hear hear though not just bad press for teenagers from this town, nationally more like. Regardless of whether or not A Levels are becoming easier, many students are still getting excellent results and that should be praised, and I'm not just saying that because I receieved results yesterday. My results were fine but many students nationally are getting higher results that really do deserve much praise. I too find it strange that www posters are once more on the rampage against the youngster?s success. Surely 'A' level students are studying for subjects that they are interested in and being taught by teachers who want to succeed - why then do you want to see them fail? From what I can see of the first posters claims about Maths the content is similar to what I studied in Pure and Applied Maths. I find the argument that it is at 'O' level just because some of the topics are the same. Duh of course they are but they are studied at a higher level - guess what you can also go on and study them at degree level, I know because I did. Perhaps the big difference now is that children aren't so hot on mental maths because they use their phones and calculators so much. Ok it may be lazy by our standards and they will probably get ripped off when buying things in cash but that's technology and progress for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 I think we have now established that they have always been easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 many students are still getting excellent results and that should be praised, I would be among the first to praise them if there was any evidence to support your assertion. However, the facts that it appears almost impossible to fail an A-level today, and that not one of 3 so called "A grade" students could cope with a paper from 1993 would tend to indicate that the latest results are far from "excellent" in comparison to previous years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 So there should be nothing to discuss then? Afterall in my opinion it's the people who dish out the University places and jobs that are the judge of how useful these peices of paper are otherewise why take them in the first place. It's the quality of the person behind the result that counts in the eyes of a future employer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 ...but if an "A" grade today is only equivalent to a "D" or "E" from as little as 15 years ago, then prospective employers don't have an objective measurement to compare candidates of different ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 The comparison is a matter of opinion and why should they hark back to the past. They should be assessing the candidates by their current grades and assess what those grades mean for themselves, in my opion the wise ones will be and they are the one's that the bright candidates will go for. I'd argue that comparing the two systems is a fruitless exercise so much has changed. Todays results are under today's conditions and should be judged in that light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 Seems the Universities are testing entrants themselves; however, at the other end of the process, they are under pressure to dish out degrees in order to retain popularity and the money that goes with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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