David Johnson wrote:
> > 6. Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools.
> > 7. Young people achieving some of the best ever results at
> 14, 16, and 18. ----Utter nonsense. If this is true why has the
> CBI and bosses of Tesco and M&S complained that many school
> leavers are unemployable? Why have many university chancellors
> say that they have to give remedial literacy and numeracy
> lessons to new students? And presumably some members of this
> board were educated during the Blair era - the illiteracy here
> is often truly shocking.
>
> I cant remember a time when universities havent complained
> about students. In 1997 more than half of all schools saw less
> than 30% of their pupils get five good GCSEs including English
> and Maths. 10 years later only 270 schools fail to reach this
> benchmark
>
I did some research on this and the problem with the five good GCSEs is that subjects such as cake decorating and clarinet playing have the same status as maths and English. A distinction in a grade five music exam is given virtually the same status in the league tables as a grade B in a traditional subject such as history. League tables rank schools on their pupils' best results in any five subjects at grade C or above. This meant, for example, that Selly Park Technical College for Girls in Birmingham could boast that it "added most value" for pupils aged 11-16 with 84 per cent of pupils achieving five A* grades. If the school included maths and English the figure drops to 43%. Nationally, if maths and English were removed, the proportion of pupils passing five good GCSEs would be 44.3%. Take out the independent schools (which focus on core subjects) and the figure drops to 42%. For boys in state schools only 37.8% sitting maths and English achieved a grade C or better.
So, there has been a slight improvement but nothing like the "record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools" that you claim and this even with the exams made easier.
Not a good week....
Re: Not a good week....
Quite right EL.
Far too many mickey-mouse subjects and a general dumbing-down of standards across the board, all with the well-meaning but utterly misguided aim of making sure that there are "prizes for all".
- Eric
Far too many mickey-mouse subjects and a general dumbing-down of standards across the board, all with the well-meaning but utterly misguided aim of making sure that there are "prizes for all".
- Eric