UK Identity as to its own Educational System undermined

News 15 10 2009: School exams data to be published

Ministers under the “National Challenge initiative”, announced last year, demand that at least 30% of pupils at every school get five A*-C grades, including English and maths, by 2011.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families website are to publish information from local authorities providing a breakdown indicating where targets were being met while highlighting failure as to others. Sir Michael Rake (Chairman of BT) talks of the International Baccalaureate that provides a broader range for people in the stem subjects while also mentioning that since it is International it would be "less interfered with," adding that it was increasingly seen as "more credible" by Universities.

What is most interesting is the absence of the word “jobs” to which Education be so necessary in the cart pulling the horse!. What defines a General Education; what defines a higher education?. To announce changes to Education is a pre-election stance while post change meddling yields chaos as measurements to new standards subsequently follow in attempts to prove that such changes were so necessary. Change upon change upon change all providing new symptoms for treatment as a conveyor belt education system be built using “super teachers” and league tables as an accelerator to drive forth Standards. Of late the brakes have been put on Public Spending whereby its proposed that Heads be shared amongst Schools as Gov positions as to education be cut on central Standards.

Sir Michael Rake infers the adoption of an offshore Standard yet that would involve “change” again while more importantly denouncing British Values as to its Identity in setting Standards so admired Globally.

 

 

OLD News:

02 07 2008 BBC News - E-mail leak of 'degree inflation'. A leaked e-mail shows how university staff are being urged to increase the number of top degree grades to keep pace with competing universities. Last week, the higher education exams watchdog warned that the university grading system was "rotten". Earlier this year, staff at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Kingston University were caught urging students to falsify their responses to improve the university's standing in league tables.

28 07 2009 Mandelson - Universities must stop failing working class.Lord Mandelson set out his vision for higher education in his first speech to leading vice-chancellors since taking responsibility for universities as the Business Secretary. It heralded an end to universities’ reputation as ivory towers catering solely for full-time, young undergraduates living away from home.

01 08 2009 Universities 'fail on standards'.Universities in England are failing to safeguard degree standards, according to a damning report from MPs. "Inconsistency in standards is rife," said committee chairman, Phil Willis. The cross-party committee attacks university leaders for failing to "give a straightforward answer to the simple question of whether first class honours degrees achieved at different universities indicate the same or different intellectual standards". And the MPs question why universities have failed to explain the rapid increase in the number of top grade degrees being awarded. The report says it is "unacceptable" for higher education to receive £15bn in taxpayers' funding "but be unable to answer a straightforward question about the relative standards of the degrees of the students".

MPs also recommend a national system of bursaries to support students, removing differences in the amounts offered by individual institutions.

18 08 2009 Students 'left with £23,500 debt'.Students heading to university this autumn will graduate with debts of up to £23,500, new research suggests. The study also reveals students in England owe considerably more than their peers in other parts of the UK.

19 08 2009 Traditional subjects 'dying out'. Traditional A-level subjects such as mathematics, the sciences, history and geography are disappearing from many secondary schools, official statistics have shown. Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb, who obtained the figures through parliamentary questions, said the disappearance of these academic subjects was "extremely worrying". Mr Gibb said: "The disappearance of core academic subjects in many state schools is extremely worrying. These subjects provide the rigorous academic training that enables children to succeed across a number of fields later in life."

20 08 2009 Record number of A-level passes.Experts predict the pass rate will rise again this year for what will be the 26th year in a row. Last year the pass rate topped 97%

20 09 2009 Student loan mess – The Government knew. The Government were aware of potential problems with the student loans system as early as 27th January, the Tories have claimed. Minutes show a senior Government official was at ………………………….

09 10 2009: New students still without funding. Up to 175,000 students (16%) in the UK may still be waiting to receive their student loans and grants, a week after most courses started. The Student Loans Company (SLC) blamed late applications and technical problems while an early applying student complained of lost paperwork (Birth Certificate and a P60). While University Vice Chancellors demand their funding the Government and the SLC at an intermediate level argue over their problems. In the News (of 20 09 2009 (see below)) minutes of a meeting between the Gov and the SLC talk of “cuts” and “funding gaps” while the SLC admits to never applying for resources to answer all phone calls!. Interestingly the SLC also stated that it was waiting for confirmation on the attendance of tens of thousands of students at university before releasing payments.