My friends son who is six has been identified as being talented and gifted at school. He was taken to Bridgewater School today to sit an entry test which he passed with flying colours. They said they would accept him as soon as after the next half term in Feb.

 

The problem is that there are no subsidised places until he reaches yr7. It will cost her ?600 a month to send him. She is dead set on sending him which means living on the poverty line for the next god knows how many years....she is a single parent so money is a big issue.

 

Is there any other way she can apply for help with her sons place at this school?

To this day, I am still b0llocksed as to why anyone, other than a microscopic minority, needs to know calculus?

 

So you can, at any given moment in the working day, differentiate or integrate y or x. Makes putting fires out a piece of piss once I had the calculus sorted.

The bit in bold is nonsense.

 

Not really, have a look at the stats. Now you could argue that those with the most money are the brightest in society anyway and therefore can aford to send their sprongs to public school with the money they have made through their hard work and talent, and not pissing around on internet football chat rooms. Therefore the kids who are at our great public schools come from the top end of the gene pool and deserve their place at Oxbridge. As for public schools being discriminated against at Cambridge don't talk such rot Crayon.

To this day, I am still b0llocksed as to why anyone, other than a microscopic minority, needs to know calculus?

 

Calculus was dropped from the Maths syllabus in the switch from O-Level to GCSE.

 

I had to learn it (A-level) to do the Maths on my degree course but you're right - havent exactly used it everyday since.

Smiffs as construction mon what do you make of these new GCSE's/O Levels they're bringing in. Where instead of all kids doing academic stuff those who aren't academic or don't want to be academic do vocational qualifications in useful things like building, mechanics, catering etc etc?

 

 

Long time overdue.

 

Not everyone is academically gifted.

 

Not everyone can make a piece of furntiure or strip an engine down.

 

But this Government seem to think that you are worthless unless you have a bagfull of qualifications.

 

So if it is obvious some kids arn't going to be brainsurgeons, then teach them a trade as soon as possible and give tax breaks to companies who can then employ them straight from school and invest in them for the future. It fills a huge hole in the grafting sector (I'd say the average age of site staff is over 40), provides sufficient labour for the future, and gives kids who have f?cks chance of getting a degree a future.

 

As for calculus.......did it during my engineering degree. Now I've used a lot of maths in my time for vaious engineering tasks, and I have yet to find a valid use for it. Trig, algebra, all day, but calculus is the work of the devil.

Long time overdue.

 

Teach them a trade and a language (Polish) as soon as possible.

Oh you uneducated fool.

 

Why do you think there is so much Polish labour on our building sites?

 

Tip: Its not because they are cheaper.

Oh you uneducated fool.

 

Why do you think there is so much Polish labour on our building sites?

 

Tip: Its not because they are cheaper.

 

because for year kid's have been brainwashed in to higher education earning degrees in media studies and sociology leaving a massive skills gap in the UK work force.

because for year kid's have been brainwashed in to higher education earning degrees in media studies and sociology leaving a massive skills gap in the UK work force.

 

Give that man a bacon butty with branston pickle flavoured ketchup.

 

Give that man a bacon butty with branston pickle flavoured ketchup.

 

 

trust me i know.

 

i was offered a job at 16 working for the papermill at stubbins, was told by pretty much everyone who was supposed to provide me with advice that i should go to college then uni etc, despite the fact Fort Sterling said they sort that for me.

 

looking back not taking that job cost me 5 years of my life twatting about doing shitty subjects a college then on to uni because that what you did.

Best solution by far is a day at Tech and 4 days at work.

 

Best of both worlds

 

Plus there's a pretty good chance that your studies are relevant to your career, rather than being the other way around.

What about education for education's sake? Now I do agree that there are subjects at university that are pointless, but I went to uni knowing full well that all that degree would qualify me for was to start applying for jobs where a degree was part of the person spec. Mind you its the GNVQ in sawdusting sick that has really been worth its weight in gold.

What about education for education's sake? Now I do agree that there are subjects at university that are pointless, but I went to uni knowing full well that all that degree would qualify me for was to start applying for jobs where a degree was part of the person spec.

 

Nail on head.

 

Its what this Government has been trying to acheive for a generation.

 

But the ratio of folk trying to get degrees versus situations vacant that require degrees, is all out of cock.

 

What happend when 7 out of 10 kids have them?

 

They become worthless.

The bit in bold is nonsense.

 

Not really, have a look at the stats. Now you could argue that those with the most money are the brightest in society anyway and therefore can aford to send their sprongs to public school with the money they have made through their hard work and talent, and not pissing around on internet football chat rooms. Therefore the kids who are at our great public schools come from the top end of the gene pool and deserve their place at Oxbridge. As for public schools being discriminated against at Cambridge don't talk such rot Crayon.

 

 

The bit I put in bold was your bollocks about 'often finding' people with 3 Cs at Cambridge, who have only got in because of their school.

 

Where on earth did you get that from? Where are these stats you speak of? You will not be able to give me an example of somebody who has been admitted to Cambridge with 3 Cs.

 

I am telling you as somebody who knows and is part of the system, it does happen now that there is positive discrimination towards applicants from the state sector. There are some colleges in Cambridge that somebody from a private school would be mad to apply to if they were playing the odds.

Where on earth did you get that from? Where are these stats you speak of? You will not be able to give me an example of somebody who has been admitted to Cambridge with 3 Cs.

 

Prince Edward.

What happend when 7 out of 10 kids have them?

 

They become worthless.

 

Yep, which is why I stayed and did a Masters too in order to stand out from the non-vocational degree crowd. I'm fortunate in that I get to use my degree type stuff every single day, which is a bonus for the non-vocational type of degrees I've got.

 

Appn I think an unemployable c?ckend with 14 PhDs is still an unemployable c?ckend, whereas the decent lad who can work without having his hand held and have a bit of presence, common sense and credibility but no GCSEs is probably a better bet.

Edited January 28, 200818 yr by Maggie Tate

Prince Edward.

 

Ok, I wasn't clear, but I meant 'today'.

 

One member of the Royal Family almost 20 years ago hardly proves the point....

One of the biggest myths at the moment being perpetuated is this "accreditations & qualifications" will get you a fantastic new job / career / pay-rise.

 

The LSC etc are pushing forward the notion and training companies are having a field day with adverts like "did you know that the average salary in IT is ?38,000".

 

This encourages folk to shell out for these courses and then have unrealistic expectations when they get a few letters after their name.

 

I did the whole A-Levels and degree thing because I didn't know what else to do, I was like a sheep and it was considered "the normal path". What did I do at Uni? Played a load of footy, drank shitloads and shagged lots of women - that's it and I'll bet a good proportion of students are the same. I couldn't even tell you what my finals were on and it was only 8 years ago as I never used a tiny bit of it again.

 

Getting lots of kids into Uni etc makes the govt look good to the layman, which is why they do it, but it means that there's loads of skills not being learnt in the mean time.

Not really, have a look at the stats. Now you could argue that those with the most money are the brightest in society anyway and therefore can aford to send their sprongs to public school with the money they have made through their hard work and talent, and not pissing around on internet football chat rooms. Therefore the kids who are at our great public schools come from the top end of the gene pool and deserve their place at Oxbridge. As for public schools being discriminated against at Cambridge don't talk such rot Crayon.

The bit I put in bold was your bollocks about 'often finding' people with 3 Cs at Cambridge, who have only got in because of their school.

 

Where on earth did you get that from? Where are these stats you speak of? You will not be able to give me an example of somebody who has been admitted to Cambridge with 3 Cs.

 

I am telling you as somebody who knows and is part of the system, it does happen now that there is positive discrimination towards applicants from the state sector. There are some colleges in Cambridge that somebody from a private school would be mad to apply to if they were playing the odds.

 

Woah Crayons calm down, being part of the system obviously isn't doing much for your health.

 

For reasons beyond my limited Comprehensive understanding I happened to frequent one of the colleges in Cambridge for a few years in the late 90s and there were a number of people I met who came from public school who performed worse in their A Levels than friends of mine who went to Leeds, Nottingham etc and where not accepted. Having said that I met some of the brightest, most talented people I ever met there who really should be getting the best education the stretch their skills.

 

I agree with positive discrimation towards the state sector as the brightest pupils are starting off with a handicap anyway, and I'm talking as someone who has watched state pupils going through Oxbridge and seen how difficult the adjustment can be.

 

You off for a quick punt now?

Oxbridge are an overrated pile of wa?k anyhow.

Oxbridge are an overrated pile of wa?k anyhow - whereas they let you in here if you can run fast or throw things a long way

 

:p

Oxbridge are an overrated pile of wa?k anyhow.

 

They are the only places in the UK that come close to competing on the world stage, such is the relative lack of funding in our system.

They are the only places in the UK that come close to competing on the world stage, such is the relative lack of funding in our system.

Rubbish - what about Imperial for starters. OK I'm a bit biased there, and they don't do arty shit, but its not full of cu?ts on punts and it has had to earn its place on the top table.

Sat here in vegas at 6am with jet lag.

 

interesting debate this. ive seen both sides of the coin.

 

My son was lucky as he went to Holcombe high which was run along grammar school lines. No problems there

 

My daughter was heading for one of the worse comprehensive schools in Rossendale. Well known for its drug culture, class disruption, high teenage pregnacy rates, violence etc etc. So I took a decision and paid for her to go to Westholme private girls school in Blackburn. Costs me an arm and a leg but she enjoys it and although she will never be the brightest tool in the box, she can learn, free from disruption and the unruly chavs.

 

Will it make her oxbridge material? no but thats not the point, having been a school governor at the local junior school for the best part of 5 years until 2005, I quickly learnt that "inclusion" of the disruptive minority or those who could not be arsed is far more important than the majority of kids who just want to get on with things that many of us took for granted in the 60's and 70's. That ideology is that New labour and all the lefty liberal thinking types who run the education authorities and the majority of politicians cling to.

 

Yet most send their own kids to private school!!!!

Edited January 28, 200818 yr by Big_Girl_Oral_Explosion

Sat here in vegas at 6am with jet lag.

 

interesting debate this. ive seen both sides of the coin.

 

My son was lucky as he went to Holcombe high which was run along grammar school lines. No problems there

 

My daughter was heading for one of the worse comprehensive schools in Rossendale. Well known for its drug culture, class disruption, high teenage pregnacy rates, violence etc etc. So I took a decision and paid for her to go to Westholme private girls school in Blackburn. Costs me an arm and a leg but she enjoys it and although she will never be the brightest tool in the box, she can learn, free from disruption and the unruly chavs.

 

Will it make her oxbridge material? no but thats not the point, having been a school governor at the local junior school for the best part of 5 years until 2005, I quickly learnt that "inclusion" of the disruptive minority or those who could not be arsed is far more important than the majority of kids who just want to get on with things that many of us took for granted in the 60's and 70's. That ideology is that New labour and all the lefty liberal thinking types who run the education authorities and the majority of politicians cling to.

 

Yet most send their own kids to private school!!!!

 

Indeed they do like that idiot Harman. What made me laugh the most was the way that we scrapped grant maintained schools (see George Toms) and then set up city academy which were the same apart from the outside interest from business. Brilliant, lets sell the tories their own ideas and prentend we made them up ourselves.

That ideology is that New labour and all the lefty liberal thinking types who run the education authorities and the majority of politicians cling to.

 

Yet most send their own kids to private school!!!!

 

Aye, it's funny how "socialists" become "elitists" when it comes to their own kids education.