Exam inflation

[asperity]

The rising number of pupils passing with higher grades is testament as to how, under a Labour Government, qualifications are for the many, not just for the privileged few who can read,

[Peter T]

Perhaps we need a skills test as opposed to a box ticking test. That would sort the chaff out.

[Lt Kije]

Exam results were going up under the Tories as well

[Bazj]

Exam results were going up under the Tories as well

 

treu, but that was up along with educational standards. The Labour tribe have lowered standards in order for the many to obtain qualifications which used to be the reserve of the few

 

Dumbing down in other words!

[Paul Kennedy]

That is probably true, but I sense that those who excel at their subject now are as good as those who excelled in the past. In a global economy those countries with the best educated and trained people will be the ones who forge ahead. It is interesting to note how many far east students come to study at the UK's top universities....and then return home.

[Paul Kennedy]

Exam results were going up under the Tories as well

 

And if they do tighten up the marking when & if they form the next Government, the pass rates will fall, for which no doubt they will be criticised....yet it will be because standards will have been raised.

[Lt Kije]

The Tories when they were in got blamed for dumbing down and now Labour, I am not an expert and would not claim to be. But when you ask a teacher they say there has been no dumbing down. Education is to important to be used as a political weapon by any party and should be taken out of political control

[Bazj]

The Tories when they were in got blamed for dumbing down and now Labour, I am not an expert and would not claim to be. But when you ask a teacher they say there has been no dumbing down. Education is to important to be used as a political weapon by any party and should be taken out of political control

 

and given to who? Europe!!

[Lt Kije]

Baz

Where do you get educational standards were going up under the Tories, they starved it of money like they did with the health service.

 

As to your other point away has to be found to stop education from being a political football, ideas please

[observer]

Think we need to remember in the dumbed down world of current exams, that even with modular examination, exam specific coaching etc: we still have around 50% of pupils leaving school with next to none or no qualifications (certainly for Uni); they (in a world of menial or no employment), have no purpose, no motivation in life, save for a go at the X-Factor etc - sad. As for those that make University; a large proportion of the dumber kids will opt for mickey mouse degrees, which are of no use to our National skills requirements. And after over 10 years of micro-management of education, of attempted improvement to social mobility; the very opposite has occured - with middle and upper class folk increasing their presence in the higher professions. So, the verdict on New Labour has to be - FAILED, you are the weakest link - good-bye!

[Peter T]

So, the verdict on New Labour has to be - FAILED, you are the weakest link - good-bye!

 

Very good obs.

[Geoffrey Settle]

Observer and Pete exactly what are your degrees in that give you such an insight & was it hader for you to obtain them than it would be today?

 

The youth of today can only take/pass what is put in fromt of them so why continuously pull the younsters to bits through your continuous barrarge?

[Bazj]

Observer and Pete exactly what are your degrees in that give you such an insight & was it hader for you to obtain them than it would be today?

 

The youth of today can only take/pass what is put in fromt of them so why continuously pull the younsters to bits through your continuous barrarge?

 

I'm guessing yours wasn't in English language Geoff!!

[observer]

So perhaps Geoff, you can tell us how a degree in Media-studies or dance will enhance the economic prospects of the Nation - the reason such mickey mouse subjects are entertained as education, is that they are easier to absorb by educationally retarded school leavers. It's about ticking boxes, rather than turning out folk with a well rounded knowledge base, that will allow them to quickly adapt to changing economic patterns and skills requirements, and also produce the traditional professions that we depend on.

[Lt Kije]

Obs are you going to answer Geaffs question, tell us about your degree in education

[Peter T]

Kije,

I would suggest that he has answered Geoff's comment.

Is anyone knocking the kids or is the system that is being criticised?

Too many people seem to be living in a plastic bubble and not seeing how the country is changing and becoming dependent on the rest of the world.

Apart from the IT industry, skills are becoming a thing of the past.

God help us if there is ever another war.

[Lt Kije]

Peter T

 

We have always been dependent on the rest of the world

 

Mechanization and cheap labour means its more cost effective to import than to keep a skill base in the UK. Take alook in your house, how far do you support are industry, is your Tv and fridge made in the UK. Its great to harp on about how we have no skills in the UK. But have you bought British to keep people in work in the UK. Because if you have not you are partially responsible

 

Its easy to blame governments whether it be Labour or Tory but it's a sad fact that we no longer have a mass car manufacturer in the UK because no one bought there cars.

[Geoffrey Settle]

Kije,

I would suggest that he has answered Geoff's comment.

Is anyone knocking the kids or is the system that is being criticised?

Too many people seem to be living in a plastic bubble and not seeing how the country is changing and becoming dependent on the rest of the world.

Apart from the IT industry, skills are becoming a thing of the past.

God help us if there is ever another war.

 

Don't think he has Pete nor yourself come to that.

 

Given you two didn't take degrees then what 'A' levels did you both pass.

 

Ans as for the IT industry that changes so fast that you need to keep running fast to keep up, so by your reckoning we're doomed.

 

Glad I don't have your pessimistic outlook on life.

[Bazj]

Kije,

 

you can't blame people for not buying British goods when it is the companies that manufacture the goods that are ultimately to blame.... They see an opportunity to make more money and so ship all their manufacturing off to China and leave the UK in the crap....

 

I try to buy British wherever I can and use local labour and suppliers but if they are not available, what options do we have? make them ourselves?

 

I am already trying that by restoring a Corsair that was initially built in Halewood, but boy is it tough getting bits for a 42 year old piece of British engineering!

[Lt Kije]

I don't blame anyone Baz, I was just making a point about our shrinking skills base, and people moaning about it while doing nothing about it

[Bazj]

But not much we can do about it when the current and past governments have over seen a mass exodus of jobs to foreign shores.

 

Our labour laws encourage the scrapping of UK jobs above other countries as companies have easier redundancy paths to follow here.... A company sacking people in france or Germany would never get away with what the big multinationals can do over here to get rid of labour and unfortunately our government have done nothing to discourage it!

[Peter T]

Kije,

I would suggest that he has answered Geoff's comment.

Is anyone knocking the kids or is the system that is being criticised?

Too many people seem to be living in a plastic bubble and not seeing how the country is changing and becoming dependent on the rest of the world.

Apart from the IT industry, skills are becoming a thing of the past.

God help us if there is ever another war.

 

Don't think he has Pete nor yourself come to that.

 

Given you two didn't take degrees then what 'A' levels did you both pass.

 

Ans as for the IT industry that changes so fast that you need to keep running fast to keep up, so by your reckoning we're doomed.

 

Glad I don't have your pessimistic outlook on life.

 

And some fell on stony ground.

[Peter T]

Peter T

 

We have always been dependent on the rest of the world

 

Mechanization and cheap labour means its more cost effective to import than to keep a skill base in the UK. Take alook in your house, how far do you support are industry, is your Tv and fridge made in the UK. Its great to harp on about how we have no skills in the UK. But have you bought British to keep people in work in the UK. Because if you have not you are partially responsible

 

Its easy to blame governments whether it be Labour or Tory but it's a sad fact that we no longer have a mass car manufacturer in the UK because no one bought there cars.

And some fell on stony ground.

[asperity]

I left school at 15, didn't sit A levels. I'm qualified to command any merchant ship afloat. Degrees? Who needs them? What about you Geoff, what are you doing with your qualifications that allow you to sit in judgement of the rest of us plebs?

[Bazj]

He's a Parish Councillor.......