Author Topic: New exam changes ahead ?  (Read 8110 times)

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Fly

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New exam changes ahead ?
« on: September 17, 2012, 07:33:05 PM »
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/sep/17/gcses-replaced-english-baccalaureate?newsfeed=true

Can't see what was wrong with the old system before the tories changed it back in the 80's ??
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/low/dates/stories/june/20/newsid_2516000/2516847.stm

Discuss.
I've got O'levels and CSE's
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Alsatian

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2012, 09:43:28 AM »
Quote from: Fly
Discuss.
I've got O'levels and CSE's
[/quote

I've got an RSA!  C:-)
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chesterfieldchris

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2012, 10:26:07 AM »
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Pete

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2012, 11:04:04 AM »
I must admit I was always good/lucky at exams, but I knew that there were others in my class that were better overall.

So the new system would suit me, but not the diligent types that were really nervous about exams.
I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left.

k4blades

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2012, 11:26:18 AM »
Amusing interview on the politics show yesterday.
Andrew Neil was questioning a Labour representative over the changes. Her stance was that they, Labour, have poured billions into education and seen standards grow over the past couple of decades. He responded by saying that that is the common line from some of those in education and the Labour party, but that every single independent international measure has seen us slip down the league tables, in some cases substantially and this is backed up by employers and universities who say todays school leavers are just not as educated as they used to be. He pressed his point several times but she refused to address his question and finally admitted that Labour, if they win the next election would probably keep the changes.
The fun continued when they then started to discuss welfare cuts and she sat there slagging off the Govt for what cuts they are doing to benefits. So he asked her if the welfare budget would increase under a Labour Govt to which she replied no. He then said in that case, you would have to cut something, so what would you cut. She said we don't know yet. HA HA

If labour want to be credible, its about time they stopped constantly slagging off the Govt. and put forward their own ideas, solutions, etc. 

therealjr

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2012, 05:09:42 PM »

So he asked her if the welfare budget would increase under a Labour Govt to which she replied no. He then said in that case, you would have to cut something, so what would you cut. She said we don't know yet. HA HA
If labour want to be credible, its about time they stopped constantly slagging off the Govt. and put forward their own ideas, solutions, etc.

Firstly I assume thats a typo on your part because if she said no to the welfare budget increasing there would be no need for cuts elsewhere.
Secondly (and less pedantically) as I've said before if you go back to the general election campaign you will find that BOTH the parties said that cuts would be necessary but neither were willing to say what they would cut. That held true right up to election day, let alone 2 years out.
Finally much as I hate defending politicians (unless I'm getting paid to do it  ;) ) answer me this. You are as far as I am aware (and I say this with the deepest of respect)  a one man band in a small niche part of the economy, correct? If I asked you today to give me a clear picture of the predicted state of your business on June 1st 2015 how accurate could you be? What imponderables would you wish to take into account? What basis would you use for predicting income? Expenditure? Growth?
Now imagine a government trying to do the same thing. Whilst having to react to things outside of its control. Like the Euro zone crisis or wars or natural disasters? Why do you expect them to be any accurate than you could be simply because you want a soundbite from a junior opposition minister on a TV programme?
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Fly

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2012, 05:48:36 PM »
Quote
It was actually the callaghan labour government that decided on making the changes. The Tories just delayed it until the mid 80s.

I didn't know that, it wasn't really a tory bash I posted, just a statement.
Could the tories not have gone with the changes ?

Surely kids should be taught the 3r's throughout the initial school years. Plus a mixture of others.
Then decide which lessons they want to pursue for the later years of their education.
I can't see getting grades at different years, then polling them later helps.
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Slacker

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2012, 06:10:37 PM »
Problem withe altering exams over the years is how does an employer compare like with like?

Fly

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2012, 06:20:41 PM »
I don't think they can Slacker.
Bit like the NVQ's, don't want an argument with K4 on this one again though.

What's the GCSE equivalent of my:
GCE Grade C Physics. (O'level pass)
CSE Grade A Physics. (O'level equivalent pass)

See, I've got 2 O'levels in Physics  8)


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chesterfieldchris

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2012, 06:43:26 PM »
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Fly

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2012, 06:47:06 PM »
I couldn't agree with you more Cc, nice post  :)
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Pete

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2012, 06:48:48 PM »
Congratulations K4 - you've won "Hypocrite of the Month" award!

If I'd posted that about the Conservatives, you'd have squealed like a little girl.
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Alsatian

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2012, 07:44:26 PM »
I couldn't agree with you more Cc, nice post  :)

Me too, remember reading an emailed job application that was without a single punctuation mark , people were amazed when I consigned it to the bin. My explanation was that, if that was the best they could do - which it should have been - then that just wasn't good enough.
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k4blades

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #13 on: September 18, 2012, 08:00:46 PM »
Firstly I assume thats a typo on your part because if she said no to the welfare budget increasing there would be no need for cuts elsewhere.
Secondly (and less pedantically) as I've said before if you go back to the general election campaign you will find that BOTH the parties said that cuts would be necessary but neither were willing to say what they would cut. That held true right up to election day, let alone 2 years out.
Finally much as I hate defending politicians (unless I'm getting paid to do it  ;) ) answer me this. You are as far as I am aware (and I say this with the deepest of respect)  a one man band in a small niche part of the economy, correct? If I asked you today to give me a clear picture of the predicted state of your business on June 1st 2015 how accurate could you be? What imponderables would you wish to take into account? What basis would you use for predicting income? Expenditure? Growth?
Now imagine a government trying to do the same thing. Whilst having to react to things outside of its control. Like the Euro zone crisis or wars or natural disasters? Why do you expect them to be any accurate than you could be simply because you want a soundbite from a junior opposition minister on a TV programme?

She was objecting to the Govts cuts, suggesting that they would reinstate them. The Govts intention is to reduce the welfare budget, (though I suspect they will fail), so for Labour to reinstate any Govt cuts, would increase the budget from what the Govt get it down to, unless they cut something else.

No, I can't plan exactly what I will be doing with my business in 2 years time, if thats what you are asking me. However, I won't be spending the next 2 years slagging off my competitiors either. I will plan a "framework" of where I want to go, and though events may get in the way of specifics, I won't promise my customers one thing, knowing that I will never be able to deliver it. A good example, prior to the election, one of my major clients was a provider of Home Information Packs. Both the Cons and Libs made it clear that if they won the election, they would scrap HIPs, which they did almost straight away, losing me a lot of business. But instead of moaning about it, I planned for it, was flexible, and adapted my business accordingly.
No one expects a line by line breakdown of what might happen to the Govts accounts, but the people who vote for politicians deserve politicians who will be honest, and stick to the principles.

(And as for Labour saying they would have to cut if they won the last election, only half true, some, like Ed Balls, still think we should be spending more.) 

k4blades

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Re: New exam changes ahead ?
« Reply #14 on: September 18, 2012, 08:06:19 PM »
I don't think they can Slacker.
Bit like the NVQ's, don't want an argument with K4 on this one again though.

What's the GCSE equivalent of my:
GCE Grade C Physics. (O'level pass)
CSE Grade A Physics. (O'level equivalent pass)

See, I've got 2 O'levels in Physics  8)
Oy, I don't think I've ever argued about NVQs have I?

I agree with Slacker though, too many different qualifications, including A levels, AS levels, etc and a single exam that even extends into vocational learning would be simpler to understand and compare.

I also agree with CChris, as someone who spent years hiring and firing, I learnt to ignore the exams on the application forms and pay more attention to how it was filled in. And I've seen countless examples of people with degrees been given a job, then not having an ounce of common sense.

 

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