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[ruttyboy]

I take it there's no chance of this vote actually going through, even with Lib Dem abstention, right? Or are, by some miracle, the Tories boned this time?

---------------------------------

About my last interview. It was for a door-to-door sales job flogging home insulation, so I was of a mind to refuse it anyway, but thought I might as well stick the interview process out for practice's sake, if nothing else. So, the initial chat went well, and I and another candidate were called back for a second interview the following weekday. When we got there, we were told that we would take part in the daily "morning meeting" the firm regularly have. No problem, I thought as I waited in their small yet nicely plush reception while watching Scrubs DVDs on their PS3.

Then we were brought into the meeting room, and suddenly everything...well, "changed" doesn't quite sound right, but "became clear" seems like too much of a slight. There we were, two n00bs in a room full to humidity of yuppies. You guys remember yuppies, right? Young, go-getting, utterly insufferable twats who only care about money? Guess what - they're not extinct. And this room was chock full of them, with their iPod speaker in the corner blasting out generic house at a needlessly excessive volume, while their self-congratulatory chatter managed to even drown that out at times.

It got worse, as the meeting itself started with the In Crowd forming into a semi-circle as the boss, who we had met in the interview before, started doing his best impression of a hyperactive 10-year-old trying to recite the company training manual off by heart for ten minutes. Then it got worse, as the results for last week's KPIs were announced, and each individual achievement was rattled off one-by-one, followed by the person responsible running around the semi-circle and giving high-fives to everyone. One after the other, nearly everyone in the room ended up performing this ritual, giving the meeting the semblance of twenty Steve Ballmers at their sweatiest and most Microsoft-loving. It was like a cult.

Needless to say, both myself and my "competitor" made our excuses and ran far away.

Never going for a sales job again. That experience has burned itself into my retinas, never to leave.

Wow. I feel your pain man.

Reminds me of an interview I once had at a TV shopping channel. They had an 'office dog' (which would have been cool except it was a rat) and they were so full of themselves because they worked in TV (the Holy Grail in their eyes)! I told them that I much preferred reading to TV for the lolz. Suffice to say I didn't get it

 

[SteveWD40]

To be fair, business to business sales jobs (such as IT, Software and the like) can be very proffesional, what you saw there was the ugly side of consumer sales and to make it worse a product most people don't want.

Oh and of course yuppies still exist, where do you think they find the cretins for the Apprentice, they can mostly be found at letting agencys or car showrooms.

The Oatmeal nails why our generation may see the end of these pushy sales types.

 

[Songbird]

To be fair, business to business sales jobs (such as IT, Software and the like) can be very proffesional, what you saw there was the ugly side of consumer sales and to make it worse a product most people don't want.

Oh and of course yuppies still exist, where do you think they find the cretins for the Apprentice, they can mostly be found at letting agencys or car showrooms.

The Oatmeal nails why our generation may see the end of these pushy sales types.

It's mostly that, caring and commis chef roles you find at Job Centre. Shady as hell. I responded to one sales ad and they wanted me to pay to begin.

 

[Yen]

I've made two big mistakes:
1) Reading a Daily Mail article on gay marriage.
2) Reading a Daily Mail article's comment section on gay marriage.

I don't really understand why the government and the church can't find more important things to worry themselves about. If two people love each other, they should be able to marry where they like.

130 downvotes

 

[Dambrosi]

I made one big mistake yesterday - I read a Daily Mail headline suggesting that online porn is acted out by kids exposed to it.

As if kids being curious about sex is somehow a new thing, and not a natural part of growing up for millennia.

Seriously, fuck the Mail and everybody who keeps it in print. They're the true enemies of Britain.

 

[SteveWD40]

I made one big mistake yesterday - I read a Daily Mail headline suggesting that online porn is acted out by kids exposed to it.

As if kids being curious about sex is somehow a new thing, and not a natural part of growing up for millennia.

Seriously, fuck the Mail and everybody who keeps it in print. They're the true enemies of Britain.

Yes, they are.

I do joke with my friends sometimes though about how spoiled today's teenagers are for porn. I am 32, when I was a lad finding a dog-eared copy of Razzle on the old train lines was about as good as it got, softcore movies, maybe some hardcore but only boy girl fucking.

Imagine some kind now losing his virginity and basing it all on what he saw in porn, the girl would look like she was the victim of a hate crime, "what? doesn't everyone do you in all 3 holes, spit in your gaping orifices and then invite his friends round to fill you out like an application form and bukkake you?"

 

[SmokyDave]

I made one big mistake yesterday - I read a Daily Mail headline suggesting that online porn is acted out by kids exposed to it.

As if kids being curious about sex is somehow a new thing, and not a natural part of growing up for millennia.

Seriously, fuck the Mail and everybody who keeps it in print. They're the true enemies of Britain.

If you think the widespread distribution of the most hardcore porn on mobile phones ain't changing human sexual behaviour, you haven't spoken to many teens lately.

Hmmm. Not sure that Chris Moyles is the true test of the validity of an argument.

*Insert informative post here*

Woah, thank you for that.

 

[Wes]

Oh dear Dave. Cameron getting rattled at Leveson. Texts from Brooks are not doing him any favours.

 

[SteveWD40]

Oh dear Dave. Cameron getting rattled at Leveson. Texts from Brooks are not doing him any favours.

Not got it on, expecting him to just crack and yell "fuck off poor people! you are not in our club!"

 

[Dambrosi]

Yes, they are.

I do joke with my friends sometimes though about how spoiled today's teenagers are for porn. I am 32, when I was a lad finding a dog-eared copy of Razzle on the old train lines was about as good as it got, softcore movies, maybe some hardcore but only boy girl fucking.

Imagine some kind now losing his virginity and basing it all on what he saw in porn, the girl would look like she was the victim of a hate crime, "what? doesn't everyone do you in all 3 holes, spit in your gaping orifices and then invite his friends round to fill you out like an application form and bukkake you?"

That's...kind of funny, but also kind of wince-inducing.

---------------------------------

So, the Tories are proposing bringing CISPA-like surveillance of people's Internet interactions by law enforcement/private corporations/their mates in the Old Boys' Club/whoever to the UK under the guise of "fighting serious crime and terrorism". Same old behaviour, same old excuses, same old New La--hold on, wait a minute.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18434112

Details of internet use in the UK will have to be stored for a year to allow police and intelligence services to access it, under government plans.

Records will include people's activity on social network sites, webmail, internet phone calls and online gaming.

Home Secretary Theresa May said the change was needed to keep up with how criminals were using new technology.

But senior Tory David Davis said it was "incredibly intrusive" and would only "catch the innocent and incompetent".

The Communications Data Bill has been published in draft form - but the government faces a battle to get it through Parliament intact, with Lib Dem MPs and Conservatives such as Mr Davis calling for it to be watered down or abandoned altogether.

Local authorities are likely to be stripped of their current powers to access phone call data in an effort to win over critics but the proposals have still been branded a "snooper's charter" by civil liberties campaigners.

Oh, Theresa May - soon to become the most hated minister on the Internet. I can't wait for Anonymous to DDOS her blog in retaliation.

You guys know what to do - write, email and call your local MP and tell them "NO" to the Snooper's Charter!

 

[radioheadrule83]

God, they're fucking idiots. They don't need that kind of power, and its ridiculously intrusive ergo - it will be incredibly unpopular. I'm pretty sure I could run PR for the Tory party -- sit behind a desk a few days a week basically telling people like May to fuck off because their ideas are utter bollocks -- I'd probably lift them a few percentage points!

I'll write to my MPs, both my local one in Bristol and again, when I move back to Sefton in a few weeks.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

It's draft legislation right?

If so, then expect this to amount to very little as it is published then put into a drawer and forgotten about. I very much doubt this government will push this through Parliament, the Lib Dems will probably bring down the coalition over it, and there will be a lot of anguish on Tory benches as well.

 

[SteveWD40]

99% of "bills" and "draft legislation" never gets anywhere close to being passed.

Still, make a noise about it, they won't stop and if we do then it could happen.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Absolutely right, even though it is draft legislation people should make it known that they won't stand for the introduction of such oversight of our private lives.

Shitty government. Fuck all of them.

 

[Pie and Beans]

Not sure what I'm going to do pornography wise after the Leveson Enquiry finishes. Watching cunts squirm has never been so enjoyable.

 

[Dambrosi]

"We're definitely in this together", eh, Cam? You fucking Chipping-Norton toolbag.

Tainted by the stink of Murdoch for the rest of your life? Yes You Cam!

Holy shit, Channel 4 News putting the boot in. You go, Jon Snow (and fit curly-haired news lass whose name I forget)!

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Oh, she mad.

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has demanded that Britain enter negotiations over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

President Fernandez was addressing the UN Committee on Decolonisation on the 30th anniversary of the UK territory's liberation from Argentine occupation.

She said history and geography backed Argentina's claim. But an islander told the committee Argentina was "bullying".

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said there would be "no negotiation".

Earlier on Thursday, the Falklands marked the end of Argentina's 74-day 1982 occupation with a service at Port Stanley's Christ Church cathedral.

Veterans of the war then led a military parade to the Liberation Monument for an act of remembrance, paying tribute to the 255 UK servicemen and three Falklands civilians who died in the war.

An estimated 650 Argentines were also killed during the conflict.

The BBC's Barbara Plett said President Fernandez made as much as she could of her platform at the United Nations, where a majority backs Argentina's demand that the Falklands' status be negotiated.


David Cameron: "When it comes to sovereignty, there will be absolutely no negotiation"
The president was accompanied by more than 90 delegates and raised the diplomatic stakes by travelling to New York personally on the sensitive anniversary of the islands' liberation, our correspondent said.

 

[Songbird]

We (the uk) must not feed the troll.

 

[SmokyDave]

We should invade and occupy Argentina. They won't see that coming.

 

[Speedymanic]

Oh, she mad.

trying to preempt the referendum by the falklanders, eh?

Silly mare, everyone knows how they'll vote. she needs to accept the inevitable and calm down.

 

[SteveWD40]

Beat that war drum, keep the Argentinians from thinking about how fucked their economy is!

I read a more detailed account of their claim, despite them not being a country when we claimed the islands and them lying about us "removing" indigenous peoples they seem to think they inherited the Islands from Spain.

Fact is, the islanders want fuck all to do with them and they lost any right to diplomacy when they invaded 30 years ago.

 

[killer_clank]

Is she claiming that because it's closer to argentina, they should automatically get it? LOL.

I'm assuming she's similarly outraged about French overseas territories, and believes all of them should automatically be part of the nearest country?

 

[SteveWD40]

Is she claiming that because it's closer to argentina, they should automatically get it? LOL.

I'm assuming she's similarly outraged about French overseas territories, and believes all of them should automatically be part of the nearest country?

And Alaska should go back to the Canadians / Russians.

That's the main part of their claim, the other is that they think they inherited the island from Spain (despite Spain abandoning them).

Boils down to Oil and distraction measures from domestic issues.

 

[Saiyar]

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has demanded that Britain enter negotiations over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

...

Mr Summers tried to pass a letter offering talks with the Falklands government to President Fernandez but could not get close enough.

Argentina's foreign minister refused to take the document telling the legislator to "send it to my embassy".

It couldn't be any more obvious that this is purely about looking good at home. I guess the collapse of their economy is begining to take it's toll.

 

[radioheadrule83]

Question Time was thoroughly entertaining last night. Peter Hitchins from the Mail was on, and he is a magnificent bastard. Magnificently eloquent, but a total bastard. He really riled up a few people in the audience, laying blame for 'problem families' on fatherless families. I think present but effectively absentee parents are worse, frankly. He also defended Gove's ridiculous teach-5-year-olds-poetry idea, with a very eloquent and impassioned argument for high standards in learning... which was nice actually, but a teacher in the audience pretty much nailed it on the practical side of things, and the general consensus (thankfully) was that politicians should stay the hell out of determining the curriculum and leave it to the professionals (teachers). Good appearance from Greg Dyke too. The Labour politician was unbearable -- especially when she tried directing some faux outrage at Hitchins. Well worth a watch on iPlayer!

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Jimmy Carr, I knew he was a cunt.

It's not the 1% tax rate that irritates me, it's his berating other tax avoiders and being a complete hypocrite which I hate. The 1% tax rate is the fault of successive governments not acting to close loopholes and people will take advantage of it. However, to preach and hector other tax avoiders while paying a net 1% rate is very galling. I hope people boycott his shows and live gigs from now on.

 

[radioheadrule83]

Jimmy Carr, I knew he was a cunt.

It's not the 1% tax rate that irritates me, it's his berating other tax avoiders and being a complete hypocrite which I hate. The 1% tax rate is the fault of successive governments not acting to close loopholes and people will take advantage of it. However, to preach and hector other tax avoiders while paying a net 1% rate is very galling. I hope people boycott his shows and live gigs from now on.

I feel there is an onus on people like Channel 4 and booking agencies here. If he's running his contracts through Jersey, and taking his pay as a salary and additional 'loans' via K2 - then his employers in the UK are just as complicit to me. They don't have to agree to pay somebody through a third party... they could do a little due diligence and ensure the money isn't going to be funnelled this way.

He's little league compared to some of the country's bigger tax avoiders, and corporate level tax evasion/avoidance, but yes, his hypocrisy is a little sad.

Tax avoidance needs to be out in the open and so socially repugnant it stops everyday people doing business with the perpetrators imo... but people are too busy in their own lives to give a shit.

 

[Taffer]

He's been hoping for a condemnation from politicians for years and now he's actually earned one. Are you allowed to present satire if MPs look down on you?

 

[radioheadrule83]

He's been hoping for a condemnation from politicians for years and now he's actually earned one. Are you allowed to present satire if MPs look down on you?

Suppose he can say he's not the one presiding over the silly loophole and that all of their friends do it..

 

[zomgbbqftw]

I feel there is an onus on people like Channel 4 and booking agencies here. If he's running his contracts through Jersey, and taking his pay as a salary and additional 'loans' via K2 - then his employers in the UK are just as complicit to me. They don't have to agree to pay somebody through a third party... they could do a little due diligence and ensure the money isn't going to be funnelled this way.

He's little league compared to some of the country's bigger tax avoiders, and corporate level tax evasion/avoidance, but yes, his hypocrisy is a little sad.

Tax avoidance needs to be out in the open and so socially repugnant it stops everyday people doing business with the perpetrators imo... but people are too busy in their own lives to give a shit.

Indeed, I blame the media companies as much as Carr in all of this. HMRC don't get off lightly either and the current government needs to look at closing this loophole. It is used mostly by people in the media industries and there isn't much danger of Britain losing the business as their careers depend on being in the UK.

I'm less bothered by corporate tax avoidance as the money is recycled into wages or profits which goes to investors. Personal tax avoidance of this kind means more money ends up in the hands of the wealthiest people and they are the least likely to spend it. Of the £1.5m a year that Carr has avoided very little will be recycled back to the real economy. Corporate avoidance shovels profits back to investors, of which most goes to pension funds to plug the massive blackhole created by the previous government preventing a complete systemwide meltdown.

 

[blahblah...blah]

This commenter on a Metro article says what we all wish we could articulate:

The all th same this Celebritys the get a OBE aSir and Dame Title for what?
Cheating the Taxman and put it all in Taxhavens and this Gary Barlow if the get an OBE british is great but not for there Money greedy lot. Well I dont even know who Jimmy Carr is

 

[zomgbbqftw]

This commenter on a Metro article says what we all wish we could articulate:

I really hope that person is foreign, if not it is an indictment of our state schools system. D:

 

[JonathanEx]

Gove to mess with education system. Uhhhm.

10m Tim Shipman (Mail) ‏@ShippersUnbound
EXCLUSIVE: GCSEs to be abolished. O-Levels to return. See tomorrow's Daily Mail

7m Tim Shipman (Mail) ‏@ShippersUnbound
BREAKING: Gove will also scrap the national curriculum in secondary schools to give heads freedom

5m Tim Shipman (Mail) ‏@ShippersUnbound
Top 75% will do O-Levels. Others will do simpler exam in english, maths and science like old CSE

4m Tim Shipman (Mail) ‏@ShippersUnbound
Pupils starting GCSEs in Sept 2013 will be last to do them. Kids starting in Sept 2014 will do O-Levels

3m Tim Shipman (Mail) ‏@ShippersUnbound
First subjects to go back to O-Level will be English, Maths and the 3 sciences. History, Geography and modern languages in second wave

 

[radioheadrule83]

Gove to mess with education system. Uhhhm.

God, he is such a dog whistling fuckface... what the fuck is the point? And what will this cost?

O levels = GCE O levels = General Certificate of Education - Ordinary Level
GCSEs = General Certificate of Secondary Education

This is a policy designed to cheer up a sad, cynical, sect of society (of which Daily Mail readers are a part) and harken back to the days of O levels, when people believe that times were better and education was tougher.

Employers don't give a shit about GCSEs as long as they're all above C, and I would assume the same case would apply here -- at best, they'll respect them for a few years before kids start getting good at them.

 

[killer_clank]

They've been in the process of changing the education system in scotland for years. It's a right clusterfuck to implement. Gove will need balls, as teachers seem to hate implementing changes.

 

[JonathanEx]

Full story is on the Heil Online. No link, as it's banned.

In a bid to end the slide in standards, pupils will have to study complex subjects like calculus to get an A grade in O-level maths. English literature pupils will be banned from taking set texts into exams and will be expected to write longer essays.

FUCK OFF GOVE

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Full story is on the Heil Online. No link, as it's banned.



FUCK OFF GOVE

I don't see what the problem is, at least with those to specific measures. English Literature was a complete joke, I took in the poetry anthology and had pretty much all of the answers with me, it wasn't much of a test and unsurprisingly I got an A*.

 

[JonathanEx]

Not the Maths thing, but the English Lit thing. Saying the problem is that you can take a book in... well, set better questions which understand knowing the books. I think learning quotes by rote distracts from what's important to learn (the analytical side of it, understanding wider context). You end up learning "here are your quotes on the topic of LOVE". I think questions/way it's dealt with are a problem, not being able to cite and back things up.

And then the combination of that AND expecting writing more? That bugs me.

 

[shock33]

I don't see what the problem is, at least with those to specific measures. English Literature was a complete joke, I took in the poetry anthology and had pretty much all of the answers with me, it wasn't much of a test and unsurprisingly I got an A*.

Because making changes like he's described (adding calculus for example) would seem perfectly feasible to do under the current system? But no, instead it's required to trash everything so that even if it does go wrong you have to just push on regardless - note that this isn't a Tory rant, labour were guilty of it as well

Edit: note that I actually have no issue with the proposals around making subjects more challenging, but I'd prefer it driven by experts rather than by an obnoxious ex news international journalist (personally speaking)

 

[Pie and Beans]

Examining an ability for memorisation isn't teaching a child shit. Its actually filling them with a redundant belief that cram enough in there and you're sorted.

Anyway, on the topic of education being shit and needing change (just not from the clumsy hands of tory tossers), this speech from Ken Robinson animated last year is a real concise and bang on analysis of some of the problems with today's school systems just not engaging the young minds they should be:
http://youtu.be/YeIupBTstso

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Not the Maths thing, but the English Lit thing. Saying the problem is that you can take a book in... well, set better questions which understand knowing the books. I think learning quotes by rote distracts from what's important to learn (the analytical side of it, understanding wider context). You end up learning "here are your quotes on the topic of LOVE". I think questions/way it's dealt with are a problem, not being able to cite and back things up.

And then the combination of that AND expecting writing more? That bugs me.

The English Literature GCSE test sure as hell didn't test me. It was basically a copying exercise, from the anthology to the exam answer booklet. I'm certain that I'm not the only person who thought of doing it and by allowing texts to be taken in it gives people a way of cheating without actually cheating.

Not taking texts in is one thing, but there is nothing written about the exam not giving relevant texts. What will probably happen is that the exam itself will come with a supplementary that will contain all of the relevant texts and the students will have to use this for their quotes etc... That means no notes allowed in.

Writing more is irrelevant, I used like two booklets for my final exam in Physics at university while everyone else used like 5-7 booklets. I still got a very good mark, better than almost everyone else. The quality of what is written is more important than the quantity, if Gove sets some kind of arbitrary target that will mean students who are more concise get penalised then that is a mistake. I don't think that will be true in practice though.

 

[CHEEZMO™]

GCSE English Lit: E

Awww yeah.

 

[radioheadrule83]

I don't see what the problem is, at least with those to specific measures. English Literature was a complete joke, I took in the poetry anthology and had pretty much all of the answers with me, it wasn't much of a test and unsurprisingly I got an A*.

Pretty much what shock33 said. This will be an expensive rebranding overhaul, with practicality consequences... realistically, they could just change the syllabus and abolish the requirement to pass <x> number of exams. The decision to go with the term O Level tells you everything about this policy's audience and intended appeal...

"Simpler CSE" exams for less intelligent pupils sounds like a waste of time. Force them through school to brand them as having taken some kind of retard exam/qualification?

Education should prepare people for work and the modern world, but to say that teaching about "food nutrition" is "mickey mouse" is ridiculous... obesity epidemic anyone? I'm all for reducing the emphasis/importance of humanities style subjects, but I still feel those kinds of subject can be mentally nourishing to some kids. This sounds like a recipe for amplification of apathy and misery in schools. And potentially a lot more rote, menial, memory exercises.

Calculus for top maths students - why not. They should teach financial principles too. I think they should touch on some comp-sci in IT too to be honest. Kids have a greater capacity for learning than we give them credit for. ..

upheaval now though... I'm not sure its a good idea. Especially for ideological, political ends. I would love to know what this plan will cost.

 

[Jackpot]

In a series of messages on Twitter Mr Carr said: "I appreciate as a comedian, people will expect me to 'make light' of this situation, but I'm not going to in this statement.

"As this is obviously a serious matter. I met with a financial advisor and he said to me 'Do you want to pay less tax? It's totally legal'. I said 'Yes'."

"I now realise I've made a terrible error of judgement.

"Although I've been advised the K2 Tax scheme is entirely legal, and has been fully disclosed to HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs).

"I'm no longer involved in it and will in future conduct my financial affairs much more responsibly. Apologies to everyone. Jimmy Carr."

Well he handled that well. If it was a politician we'd be getting "I apologise if anyone was stupid enough to find offense in what I'd done".

 

[StealthGoblin]

Very uncertain times for teachers and pupils ahead.

I like the idea of everyone sitting the same paper. It will make it easier to distinguish between the quality of the pupil in each year. I've disliked the fragmented multiple exam boards system for a long time.

I have to say I'm not a fan of schools being allowed to not follow a National Curriculum. The reason it is there is to give a benchmark 'you'll learn this at school' message to pupils and I foresee the new system being abused by schools.

Thankfully, my area is Primary teaching, so I'm largely unaffected by these proposed changes. I'm a big fan of the idea that evolution and more 'space' topics will be introduced into our Science Curriculum though. Very happy.

 

[ZombieFred]

There needs to be reforms in the educational system in my opinion. Some of the curriculum is dated and a bit of a joke and not the best way of getting the best out of pupils, this is coming from someone who pretty much has been around the school system since a child and I work at a school full time present as an IT Technician so I see pretty much what goes on. Gove does have good ideas and there's a lot of logic and reason behind the need for reform but it’s the matter of how it will be executed that’s the worry for me.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Pretty much what shock33 said. This will be an expensive rebranding overhaul, with practicality consequences... realistically, they could just change the syllabus and abolish the requirement to pass <x> number of exams. The decision to go with the term O Level tells you everything about this policy's audience and intended appeal...

"Simpler CSE" exams for less intelligent pupils sounds like a waste of time. Force them through school to brand them as having taken some kind of retard exam/qualification?

Education should prepare people for work and the modern world, but to say that teaching about "food nutrition" is "mickey mouse" is ridiculous... obesity epidemic anyone? I'm all for reducing the emphasis/importance of humanities style subjects, but I still feel those kinds of subject can be mentally nourishing to some kids. This sounds like a recipe for amplification of apathy and misery in schools. And potentially a lot more rote, menial, memory exercises.

Calculus for top maths students - why not. They should teach financial principles too. I think they should touch on some comp-sci in IT too to be honest. Kids have a greater capacity for learning than we give them credit for. ..

upheaval now though... I'm not sure its a good idea. Especially for ideological, political ends. I would love to know what this plan will cost.

I think they want to junk the system so that it puts a much greater emphasis on academic subject and a reintroduction of rigour. Where this leads is kids will now be sorted at 14 where the more academically gifted will do O-Levels and those of a more practical nature will be placed in a local UTC (which are probably the best educational innovation in a long time).

I don't see a problem with this new system and the fact is that Britain has fallen behind international peers in the PISA rankings along with a decrease in basic numeracy and literacy amongst 16-19 year old school leavers. That needs to be remedied, I think this is not a bad idea.

On reintroducing the CSE, well we already have two tiers at GCSE I thought, with a higher and foundation level?

 

[StealthGoblin]

Whatever changes are made, I hope teachers are just allowed to get on with it.

If they continue to tinker with them mid-teaching and the political rhetoric shifts to complaining about the standards of teaching again. . .everyone will lose out.

I noticed that people are still bringing up Finland as a 'template' for good education. This annoys me greatly. Differences in the English language and the surprisingly high levels of children with English as an additional language largely make comparisons to Finland ridiculous in terms of Primary Education.

 

[sohois]

I can't really comment on the changes to GCSE as I only teach A-levels, though I can definitely say that A-levels need improving and some of the things announced seem like positive steps. The maths teacher in my program is always going on about how terrible the teaching of calculus is at A-Level, so perhaps this introduction at GCSE will lead to a change in teaching methods further up as well.

With regards to some of the previous posts, I will say to Galvanise_ that beyond primary level english ability seems to matter less and less and really the comparison to Finland and other high-achieving countries is not a direct comparison but more a comparison of certain methods which work well; I seem to recall talking on the subject of Finland's education system quite a while ago - one of the reasons they get great results is due to the standard of their teaching; in Finland a teaching degree is a 7-year obligation and is considered to be one of the best degrees a student can get, so the most talented aim for teaching degrees even if they don't wish to become teachers. Obviously this leads to higher standards of teacher. (Note that I may be getting confused with Iceland or some other scandinavian system, i can't really remember which country it was that had this system)

Also to zomgbbqwtf, I will say that in my experience the PISA tests are complete crap and you really should avoid relying on them.

 

[StealthGoblin]

With regards to some of the previous posts, I will say to Galvanise_ that beyond primary level english ability seems to matter less and less and really the comparison to Finland and other high-achieving countries is not a direct comparison but more a comparison of certain methods which work well; I seem to recall talking on the subject of Finland's education system quite a while ago - one of the reasons they get great results is due to the standard of their teaching; in Finland a teaching degree is a 7-year obligation and is considered to be one of the best degrees a student can get, so the most talented aim for teaching degrees even if they don't wish to become teachers. Obviously this leads to higher standards of teacher. (Note that I may be getting confused with Iceland or some other scandinavian system, i can't really remember which country it was that had this system)

Money isn't good enough for that level of enthusiasm over here. Throw in the £9,000 a year fees to pay and we'd end up with nobody!

Still, that system holds the teaching profession in high esteem because it makes it desirable. Our countries politics always has teachers on the defensive and left feeling unappreciated most of the time. If we can change peoples perceptions of the profession and get people to understand the level of work that goes into it, things would be much better.

It'll be interesting to see what they do about scrapping the levelling system at Primary level. It'll probably be something ridiculous like a child going from a Level 2C to a C2!