Topic: A Level farce/General Education ranting

[gazzalfc]

Of course those who had their grades increased by the algorithm (so those that went to private schools) will keep their grades.

[The Gulleysucker]

We used past GCE papers as the basis for our mocks, back when Cream and Pink Floyd were the new kids on the block.

Do you remember how we were only ever given the JMB questions and never any of the Southern Board ones for mocks as they were considered too easy...

[gazzalfc]

So lets see where the accountability comes from.

Gavin Williamson surely has to fall on his sword

[Red-Soldier]

So does that mean all students now get inflated grades??

[TepidT2O]

So lets see where the accountability comes from.

Gavin Williamson surely has to fall on his sword

It could not have been more badly handled if he had tried.

More U turns than a twisty turny thing.

[Red-Soldier]

So lets see where the accountability comes from.

Gavin Williamson surely has to fall on his sword

With this government? I doubt it.

[CraigDS]

I love the total (non) apology from the head of Ofqual. Basically saying sorry for students not understanding.

"I would like to say sorry," he told the BBC.

"We have recognised the difficulty that young people have faced coping with the receipt of grades that they were unable to understand the basis on which they were awarded."

[killer-heels]

It’s amazing how shit this country is at everything.

[Snail]

I love the total (non) apology from the head of Ofqual. Basically saying sorry for students not understanding.

"I would like to say sorry," he told the BBC.

"We have recognised the difficulty that young people have faced coping with the receipt of grades that they were unable to understand the basis on which they were awarded."

I feel slightly sorry for the fella being the one that gets hauled in front of cameras, whereas Williamson just gets to quietly release this "apology":

This has been an extraordinarily difficult year for young people who were unable to take their exams. We worked with Ofqual to construct the fairest possible model, but it is clear that the process of allocating grades has resulted in more significant inconsistencies than can be resolved through an appeals process.

He added: “We now believe it is better to offer young people and parents certainty by moving to teacher assessed grades for both A and AS level and GCSE results.

“I am sorry for the distress this has caused young people and their parents but hope this announcement will now provide the certainty and reassurance they deserve.”

[TSC]

A-level and GCSE students in England will have results based on teacher assessments after U-turn

A u-turn? Must be a first for this government.

[Skeeve]

Of course those who had their grades increased by the algorithm (so those that went to private schools) will keep their grades.

It'd be fair enough for the unis to have to count theirs as the higher grade, but just bizarre that they actually keep those increased grades even taking into account the private school factor.

Hopefully, all those who were initially fucked over by having the "wrong" postcodes will strongly remember this when it next comes time to vote.

[TepidT2O]

Ah..the cap has gone on university places

Good?  Well it is unless you’re a non Russel Group Uni that will now struggle to fill itself and may go bust!

[Nobby Reserve]

So lets see where the accountability comes from.

Gavin Williamson surely has to fall on his sword

Not a chance.

Robert Jenrick literally got fingered for accepting bribes from a billionnaire to sweeten and rush-through a housing development, and the Tory high command just shrugged their shoulders.

Sheer incompetence is not an impediment to a successful career with the New Brexit Party.

Only showing moral fibre (Julian Lewis) or not being totally on board the hard Brexit train gets you sent to see the prefects for 6 of the best, trousers down.

[12C]

It could not have been more badly handled if he had tried.

More U turns than a twisty turny thing.

They’ve been inflated to C Turns.
Like a U turn but sideways

[Nobby Reserve]

As for the U-Turn, my eldest daughter is over the moon.

She was at a school that has been improving year-on-year for the past 5 years from a not-great position (after being OFSTED-judged to be failing 7 years ago, new super-head brought in and strict discipline imposed). Her year was noted as particularly gifted and expected to smash all previous school GCSE grade records.

It was precisely this sort of situation that would be most hit by downgrading through the 'algorithm'.

I think she'd still have passed all her subjects, but the teacher assessments should give here 6-8's in everything.

[TepidT2O]

As for the U-Turn, my eldest daughter is over the moon.

She was at a school that has been improving year-on-year for the past 5 years from a not-great position (after being OFSTED-judged to be failing 7 years ago, new super-head brought in and strict discipline imposed). Her year was noted as particularly gifted and expected to smash all previous school GCSE grade records.

It was precisely this sort of situation that would be most hit by downgrading through the 'algorithm'.

I think she'd still have passed all her subjects, but the teacher assessments should give here 6-8's in everything.

Great to hear!

[TepidT2O]

Haha

He’s blamed it all on the head of Ofqual... wonderful..

[Circa1892]

Ah..the cap has gone on university places

Good?  Well it is unless you’re a non Russel Group Uni that will now struggle to fill itself and may go bust!

13 Unis were likely to go bust anyway this year. This announcement means some big names will be in the mix. Hopefully massive regional employers in otherwise poor areas (Teeside for example) survive this.

[Zeb]

13 Unis were likely to go bust anyway this year. This announcement means some big names will be in the mix. Hopefully massive regional employers in otherwise poor areas (Teeside for example) survive this.

Best friend is senior admin at a major northern (non-RG) university. She can't see how this works out on top of all the cumulative stuff already there, both coronavirus related and the issues there prior, and the longer term problems caused are going to bite just as hard. Maybe not so obvious as this summer if that's the government's reasoning.

[Circa1892]

Best friend is senior admin at a major northern (non-RG) university. She can't see how this works out on top of all the cumulative stuff already there, both coronavirus related and the issues there prior, and the longer term problems caused are going to bite just as hard. Maybe not so obvious as this summer if that's the government's reasoning.

Probably a colleague of mine as that’s my reading of it too. We’re fucked basically.

The real pain of it all is that the demographic dip was about to turn around aswell. Covid has just accelerated the decline of international admissions aswell, Mays hostile environment followed by Brexit was fucking all that over anyway.

[Mutton Geoff]

 supposed to be helping out this Thursday on results day, it is normally quite a good day not sure if this one will be though:

[Circa1892]

Weird little c*nt Williamson posed for a photo after all this. On his desk was a little red book and a whip, basically him daring anyone to sack him. Tried something similar before May told him to fuck off. Little shitstain.

Oh and no fucking computer on his desk. Lazy useless c*nt.

[12C]

Haha

He’s blamed it all on the head of Ofqual... wonderful..

He’s a weasel in a suit

[Circa1892]

supposed to be helping out this Thursday on results day, it is normally quite a good day not sure if this one will be though:

Hopefully now people are more likely to get what they want so it should be alright. If not, always good to have positive people about to reassure them it’s not the end and point them in the right direction for what they could do next. Oh, and to remind them who’s fault all this shit is...

[TepidT2O]

Aged well.

[gazzalfc]

Looks like this u-turn only applies to GCSE's, A/S and A-Level (and equivalent international baccalaureate) results. BTEC and vocational exam results still fall under the algorithm and wont be changed.

For context a 1 grade drop in BTEC is the equivalent of 2 A-Level grade drops in terms of UCAS points.

[Circa1892]

Looks like this u-turn only applies to GCSE's, A/S and A-Level (and equivalent international baccalaureate) results. BTEC and vocational exam results still fall under the algorithm and wont be changed.

For context a 1 grade drop in BTEC is the equivalent of 2 A-Level grade drops in terms of UCAS points.

Unsurprising - nobody has been rooting their horn.

Actually been quite irritated by some of the journalists being lauded by this. Lewis Goodall being treated as a hero on news night when basically he’s spent 5 days talking about people who missed out on oxford offers as if that’s all that matters... one of the people featured missed out on Oxford and got in at Liverpool. Hardly the end of the fucking world. Sadly with BTECs etc, nobody with any kind of voice or platform gives a shit.

[Motty]

It’s amazing how shit this country is at everything.

Been thinking the exact same thing these last few days especially. It's not even just a couple of things they get wrong, it's everything like you say.

[Iska]

I can’t believe they saw what happened very publicly in Scotland, yet ploughed on.  In fact better than anything that must demonstrate that the simply don’t see Scotland from down there.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

I was doing a full time job (for free!) until I left school

I'd say school taught me next to nothing - except for Physics and History - cos of top teachers

Both worthless in my life

Does School matter? Yeah maybe for some that have to be taught.

I'm pretty much self taught.. Been doing that for a while

I was never sure the purpose when I was there. But I accept that there are things to be learned.

[Jake]

13 Unis were likely to go bust anyway this year. This announcement means some big names will be in the mix. Hopefully massive regional employers in otherwise poor areas (Teeside for example) survive this.

Teesside ranger checking in.

The only good thing in an otherwise disaster of a town.

Morrissey didn't sing every day is like Sunday about teesside, it's even worse.

[TepidT2O]

Oh FFS.

Now I am getting email after email asking why they got their centre assessed grade and how they appeal it (they chat).

FFS.

I'd say school taught me next to nothing

What can we say! 

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Oh FFS.

Now I am getting email after email asking why they got their centre assessed grade and how they appeal it (they chat).

FFS.

What can we say! 

And yet, magically, I have been in full-time employment at the cutting edge of tech for around 40 years. And getting paid to do it and to drive it and I can absolutely guarantee If I had had to get a degree to do what I've been doing for decades I would have failed to get that.

And here we are

What can you say?

[Elmo!]

And yet, magically, I have been in full-time employment at the cutting edge of tech for around 40 years. And getting paid to do it and to drive it and I can absolutely guarantee If I had had to get a degree to do what I've been doing for decades I would have failed to get that.

And here we are

What can you say?

I did learn a lot from school and got good grades but dropped out of uni and like you now working in a job I really enjoy in IT without a degree.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

I did learn a lot from school and got good grades but dropped out of uni and like you now working in a job I really enjoy in IT without a degree.

Aye nice one mate.

Unlike a lot of stuff - IT has lots of people that don't need anything other than ability and drive.

And IT is doing quite well now.

Well on you mate

[thaddeus]

More misplaced exceptionalism from this pathetic government.

They saw Scotland have exactly the same issue.  They watched as the few Scottish Tories laid into the SNP.  They saw how the furore died down when Swinney reverted to the teacher assessed grades.

But they still thought they were different, that their algorithm was better, that they could just front it out like every other self-created mess.  They waited until admissions had been processed and kids put through the ringer before finally opting for the solution that was laid out for them in Scotland almost a week ago.

[Elmo!]

More misplaced exceptionalism from this pathetic government.

They saw Scotland have exactly the same issue.  They watched as the few Scottish Tories laid into the SNP.  They saw how the furore died down when Swinney reverted to the teacher assessed grades.

But they still thought they were different, that their algorithm was better, that they could just front it out like every other self-created mess.  They waited until admissions had been processed and kids put through the ringer before finally opting for the solution that was laid out for them in Scotland almost a week ago.

To be honest, the Scottish Tories were even more stupid for not realising the exact same shit was going to happen down south and end up with egg on their face.

[west_london_red]

I did learn a lot from school and got good grades but dropped out of uni and like you now working in a job I really enjoy in IT without a degree.

University and education in terms of work helps open the first door or two at the beginning of a career from what I have seen, after about 3 years in a job assuming that’s what you want to do and you have found your niche, I don’t think it plays much of a part after that. There’s obvious exceptions in terms of the medical profession and a few others like that but for most careers professional qualifications end up being more relevant and valuable. But at the same time there’s more to education then getting a job. Doing History and Economics A Level for example has taught me an awful lot about why the world is the way it is for example, hasn’t helped at work but it has helped a lot outside of it.

Plus, and I cannot emphasise this enough, university really is the best time of your life, and it was worth going as much for the education as the non-educational aspects but I only paid £1k a year in fees, £9k might well change that thinking.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

University and education in terms of work helps open the first door or two at the beginning of a career from what I have seen, after about 3 years in a job assuming that’s what you want to do and you have found your niche, I don’t think it plays much of a part after that. There’s obvious exceptions in terms of the medical profession and a few others like that but for most careers professional qualifications end up being more relevant and valuable. But at the same time there’s more to education then getting a job. Doing History and Economics A Level for example has taught me an awful lot about why the world is the way it is for example, hasn’t helped at work but it has helped a lot outside of it.

Plus, and I cannot emphasise this enough, university really is the best time of your life, and it was worth going as much for the education as the non-educational aspects but I only paid £1k a year in fees, £9k might well change that thinking.

Being able and capable and driving companies I worked for and doing the stuff I did and do is worth working for as well

Not all of us have to be 'taught' how to think and 'taught' how to be effective.

There are plenty of great people with brains in their heads that have driven forward and done amazing stuff.

Degrees are nice. Getting there without one? That's an amazing achievement.

[Elmo!]

University and education in terms of work helps open the first door or two at the beginning of a career from what I have seen, after about 3 years in a job assuming that’s what you want to do and you have found your niche, I don’t think it plays much of a part after that. There’s obvious exceptions in terms of the medical profession and a few others like that but for most careers professional qualifications end up being more relevant and valuable. But at the same time there’s more to education then getting a job. Doing History and Economics A Level for example has taught me an awful lot about why the world is the way it is for example, hasn’t helped at work but it has helped a lot outside of it.

Plus, and I cannot emphasise this enough, university really is the best time of your life, and it was worth going as much for the education as the non-educational aspects but I only paid £1k a year in fees, £9k might well change that thinking.

It probably does hold me back in terms of finding another job if I was looking, but fortunately I'm not. 

I did 2 years at uni (out of a 5 year degree) and it was in many ways the best time of my life, I don't regret going at all, but I wasn't ready for it from the academic point of view (helps that it was free for me, so only had maintenance loans to pay off).