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[Nickbat]

I was fascinated to read this:

"Would you like a GCSE in science? Don't worry, you may not need to know much science actually to get one. Last Monday, Graham Stuart, the Tory MP for Beverley and Holderness, read out to the Commons Select Committee for Children, Schools and Families a question from a recent GCSE science paper: "A nuclear power station is to be built. (1) It will provide more employment in the area. But (2) any release of radioactive material would be very dangerous. Which of these two statements argues in favour of siting the nuclear power station in the area?"

Mr Stuart then asked if "the department is really sure that we are providing pupils with a rigorous scientific understanding?" But he was answered by Jim Knight MP, the schools minister, with "Yes. I am absolutely happy that we are, and we have set up Ofqual to provide more public reassurance."

Are you reassured? The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is not. Last Thursday, it published the results of a naughty experiment. It corralled 1,600 bright 16-year-old children and set them chemistry questions from O-level and GCSE exams of the past 50 years. And the society found that, whereas children scored only an average of 15 per cent on questions set during the 1960s, they scored 35 per cent on questions set today. The questions are now much easier."

Full story at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/30/do3007.xml

As a secondary school governor, this is an issue which causes me some concern.

What are your views?

[albitz]

Dumbing down,in schools,on tv,in newspapers.Its everywhere.
As long as the quango can produce press releases with statistics to tell us everything is improving,no one seems to care.Its all about eqallity,bring everyone down to the lowest common denominator.
Everyone is academic enough to go to university and learn nothing much .

[BigAl]

Dumbing down,in schools,on tv,in newspapers.Its everywhere.

that's what they want - more labour voters  
More people were upset about John sargent being forced out of "strictly come dancing" than the police arresting an MP in the Lower House!

[albitz]

your right Al,a bit of a sad reflection on the world.
You should read Richard Littlejohn in the Mail,I think you might like him.

[Martin_1962]

I am happy with the education my daughter is receiving

[LJay]

Vaguely remember my A level human biology exam including questions like:
What is the gas produced by cows and what effects does this have on the environment?
What is photosynthesis? Why does it occur?

Only a small percentage of the questions were human related, hence my 'U' grade!
I don't have too much faith in educational standards, my 4 year old son came home from his first week at school with a reading book which described the functions of the respiratory system with diagrams obviously aimed at much older children. When questioned his teacher explained that he could choose his own books. I know promoting choice and independence is important but that was ridiculous. The next week he came home with a pre school age book!

[HolyCount]

In my day you took GCE if bright and CSE if not so --- suddenly it merged into one .... GCSE. Surely a dumbed down version of the GCE !

We only took 3 A-Levels -- that was tough enough ... these days they manage a dozen !!!!  How ?

At Uni subject such as Biology, Chemistry, History etc were studied -- now you can do a degree on Star Trek ( would enjoy that one though!)!

Go figure .......

Also -- while in rant mode ... why can't the government adequately fund schools these days, yet still spends millions in war zones not of our making and, worse, find squillions to bail out greedy mis-managed banks!!!!!!

[Marks DTM Calib]

What do you expect....streaming is frowned upon as its not politicaly correct so you have to dumb down the lessons to a lower level....the brighter ones dont get challenged and the yobs still cause havoc

The only outcome is you have not streamed pupils.....and the consequences are dyer.

I still comment on a nieghbours daughter (age 17 at the time), her parents were going to Belgium for a holiday and she asked 'what country is that in'.

That ones who need futher help dont get it and they dont get any practical lessons as health and safety have stopped that.
The old secondary moden and grammar school setup did work well for this!

[STMO123]

What do you expect....streaming is frowned upon as its not politicaly correct so you have to dumb down the lessons to a lower level....the brighter ones dont get challenged and the yobs still cause havoc

The only outcome is you have not streamed pupils.....and the consequences are dyer.

I still comment on a nieghbours daughter (age 17 at the time), her parents were going to Belgium for a holiday and she asked 'what country is that in'.

That ones who need futher help dont get it and they dont get any practical lessons as health and safety have stopped that.
The old secondary moden and grammar school setup did work well for this!

Is it in Germany?

[Martin_1962]

What do you expect....streaming is frowned upon as its not politicaly correct so you have to dumb down the lessons to a lower level....the brighter ones dont get challenged and the yobs still cause havoc

The only outcome is you have not streamed pupils.....and the consequences are dyer.

I still comment on a nieghbours daughter (age 17 at the time), her parents were going to Belgium for a holiday and she asked 'what country is that in'.

That ones who need futher help dont get it and they dont get any practical lessons as health and safety have stopped that.
The old secondary moden and grammar school setup did work well for this!

My daughter may be streamed next term for maths - year 7

[HolyCount]

What do you expect....streaming is frowned upon as its not politicaly correct so you have to dumb down the lessons to a lower level....the brighter ones dont get challenged and the yobs still cause havoc

The only outcome is you have not streamed pupils.....and the consequences are dyer.

I still comment on a nieghbours daughter (age 17 at the time), her parents were going to Belgium for a holiday and she asked 'what country is that in'.

That ones who need futher help dont get it and they dont get any practical lessons as health and safety have stopped that.
The old secondary moden and grammar school setup did work well for this!

Is it in Germany?

Nah -- it's in East Angular  

[albitz]

What do you expect....streaming is frowned upon as its not politicaly correct so you have to dumb down the lessons to a lower level....the brighter ones dont get challenged and the yobs still cause havoc

The only outcome is you have not streamed pupils.....and the consequences are dyer.

I still comment on a nieghbours daughter (age 17 at the time), her parents were going to Belgium for a holiday and she asked 'what country is that in'.

That ones who need futher help dont get it and they dont get any practical lessons as health and safety have stopped that.
The old secondary moden and grammar school setup did work well for this!

Bring back grammars nationwide. call them special needs schools for the acedemically able. if those who are way below the average can have their needs catered for,then why should the same not apply to those way above the average?

[Martin_1962]

What do you expect....streaming is frowned upon as its not politicaly correct so you have to dumb down the lessons to a lower level....the brighter ones dont get challenged and the yobs still cause havoc

The only outcome is you have not streamed pupils.....and the consequences are dyer.

I still comment on a nieghbours daughter (age 17 at the time), her parents were going to Belgium for a holiday and she asked 'what country is that in'.

That ones who need futher help dont get it and they dont get any practical lessons as health and safety have stopped that.
The old secondary moden and grammar school setup did work well for this!

Bring back grammars nationwide. call them special needs schools for the acedemically able. if those who are way below the average can have their needs catered for,then why should the same not apply to those way above the average?

Expensive though

http://www.rgsao.org/