By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 19:50 - Sep 19 by ColDale
I'd argue that preparing kids for the outside world of work is something schools should be doing. Unfortunately, the culture these days is to train kids to pass exams rather than instil them with knowledge.
Yeah, it's a purely results based industry now.
0
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 20:13 - Sep 19 with 2603 views
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 19:48 - Sep 19 by mingthemerciless
You make some good points but surely there should be more to education than just equipping kids for the world of work alone.
When you say " Real World Learning " what is it you have mind ?
Project based learning is the way forward. The High Tech High example proves that giving learners a project based challenge leads to deep learning , not just something to pass an exam. The process often takes learners into uncomfortable places but thats where they learn to fail and then be resilient enough to try again. My favourite HTH story involves a student studying water quality in the Bay. He posited that the water he could scoop from a boat on the surface mighe be different to the water on the sea bed. But how to get water from the sea bed? His solution was to build a submarine that could collect what he needed! These are real life problems which require deep learning and usually they are judged by experts from business or a university. Teachers provide the encouragement and some possible ways forward but dont teach "stuff" that needs to be churned out in exams and promptly forgotten . Exam content is covered as a result of the direction kids projects take. The demands of publishing projects and presenting for critique tend to produce highly engaged learners with the skills to learn what they need to using learning skills and attitudes they have come to appreciate . Equally they become lifetime learners often taking more qualifications than peers and staying in education and training for longer.
I can give you some links if you are interested.
[Post edited 19 Sep 2015 20:16]
0
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 20:14 - Sep 19 with 2601 views
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 19:50 - Sep 19 by ColDale
I'd argue that preparing kids for the outside world of work is something schools should be doing. Unfortunately, the culture these days is to train kids to pass exams rather than instil them with knowledge.
True true TRUE! Schools are just exam machines. Pupils are just data.
0
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 13:13 - Sep 21 with 2509 views
Education shouldn't be FOR anything. It's an end in itself. Children need to be force-fed physics, latin, art, literature etc., all of which they can reasonably be expected to hate, but may come back to in later life. Education is a lifelong adventure. It's schools' jobs to plant the seeds.
1
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 13:20 - Sep 21 with 2499 views
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 13:13 - Sep 21 by Bobbyjoe
Education shouldn't be FOR anything. It's an end in itself. Children need to be force-fed physics, latin, art, literature etc., all of which they can reasonably be expected to hate, but may come back to in later life. Education is a lifelong adventure. It's schools' jobs to plant the seeds.
It'd help if every child (barring those with learning difficulties) arrived at the age of 16 able to read and write to a basic standard.
It beggars belief that some don't - after 11 or 12 years. That's a very long time for the system to fail them.
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 13:13 - Sep 21 by Bobbyjoe
Education shouldn't be FOR anything. It's an end in itself. Children need to be force-fed physics, latin, art, literature etc., all of which they can reasonably be expected to hate, but may come back to in later life. Education is a lifelong adventure. It's schools' jobs to plant the seeds.
I still try to learn something new every day because that was what I was encouraged to do as a schoolboy.
'Lifelong adventure'. Exactly that.
“It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooledâ€
0
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 16:11 - Sep 21 with 2425 views
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 13:20 - Sep 21 by D_Alien
It'd help if every child (barring those with learning difficulties) arrived at the age of 16 able to read and write to a basic standard.
It beggars belief that some don't - after 11 or 12 years. That's a very long time for the system to fail them.
I think you are ex NHS like me ?? When I trained it was almost like a sandwich course, 2 weeks in a hospital with patients, 2 weeks academic. It seemed to be a good balance. Now it seems you start will a hell of a lot of academic stuff first in some areas before you actually deal with patients ( perhaps I am wrong as I have been away a while but I have relatives who have also gone into the NHS) . A lot of people who feel they want to work in a hospital end up not hacking it ( pressure, coping with tragedy etc). As a result by starting with actual work at least they gave up early rather than find out later they don't like the practical side. Although you certainly need a brain to work in the NHS there are a lot of other hand on skills that are more important
I wonder if other professions have had similar changes when training new entrants
0
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 16:17 - Sep 21 with 2423 views
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 17:47 - Sep 18 by D_Alien
Your logic, also, is flawed.
Cuts in defence spending and to police budgets don't equate to failing to protect us.
UK defence spending, at around 2.2% of GDP, is pretty average by international standards and double that of Germany for instance, who spend around 1.1% of GDP on defence.
The spending has to follow the perceived threats, both short and longer term, in costing what type of armed forces we require. Clearly, numbers of "boots on the ground" is diminishing, and rightly so. What's required needs to be smarter and leaner. Would you agree with that?
Underpinned of course, by the nuclear deterrent, which when averaged out at about 2.5bn per year over the projected 40 years when renewed, accounts for around 4% of the annual expenditure on defence - that's why I regard it as pretty good value.
As for police spending, again, it's about budgeting for what the perceived criminal activity is likely to entail. Bobbies on the beat might make us feel safer, but in fact the crime rate - especially violent crime - is falling year on year. Against this backdrop, police activity is changing.
In sum - your argument that we're not being protected is false.
[Post edited 18 Sep 2015 17:52]
i think the line that crime is falling is flawed. There is massive under-reporting of crime, because people have come to accept there is little point in reporting a whole raft of crimes. I dont believe that a left wing government will leave us unprotected, after the second world war, we had everyone working in the national interest, boosting the economy,nationalising vital industries for the common good. We are not the world power that we used to be, we should accept that, and stop trying to be world policemen,which increasingly makes ordinary brits targets around the world
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 13:13 - Sep 21 by Bobbyjoe
Education shouldn't be FOR anything. It's an end in itself. Children need to be force-fed physics, latin, art, literature etc., all of which they can reasonably be expected to hate, but may come back to in later life. Education is a lifelong adventure. It's schools' jobs to plant the seeds.
You are of course right that learning is a lifelong adventure, the problem is that too few people continue to learn because their schools filled their heads with piles of "stuff" that they will never need. The requirement of having kids turn up for work literate and numerate is, i agree fairly crucial, however given the change in amount of information now available compared with even a few years ago, attempting to force feed today's kids with information that the Victorians thought was useful does not seem to me to be a smart move. especially when you consider that the knowledge requirement will be different for next years school leavers to that of this years.
The ability to learn and to know what you don't know is now a critical skill - sadly many of today's schools are entirely focused on a body of knowledge known as "The National Curriculum" and not giving students space and time to pursue the things that they want to learn about.
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 16:58 - Sep 21 by flyerdale
Oink oink
can you imagine the reaction of the press had the pig's head story been about Corbyn? As I've said, not a fan of his, but every possible bit of tittle tattle has been front page stories these last few weeks but the Cameron story seems somewhat ignored - at least based upon today's front pages. I dread to think what the reaction would be had it been Corbyn implicated with a pig's head. They'd be cutting down trees just to cope with the coverage of it
1
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 18:00 - Sep 21 with 2360 views
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 15:03 - Sep 13 by tony_roch975
Danczuk says "Not a single person (I spoke to) believed they would support Labour if he was the leader." He didn't speak to me - Corbyn's election is the only reason I would vote Labour. What a team player Danczuk is... plotting coups before the ink's dry on Corbyn's landslide result! Why doesn't he have the courage of his convictions and resign from Labour with whose Membership/beliefs he is so clearly out of touch & join UKiP or whichever party more closely represents his views. He can form a new 'Gang of Four' with Tristram Hunt, Rachel Reeves, Chris Leslie & Liz Kendall and be equally irrelevant.
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 17:21 - Sep 21 by ColDale
can you imagine the reaction of the press had the pig's head story been about Corbyn? As I've said, not a fan of his, but every possible bit of tittle tattle has been front page stories these last few weeks but the Cameron story seems somewhat ignored - at least based upon today's front pages. I dread to think what the reaction would be had it been Corbyn implicated with a pig's head. They'd be cutting down trees just to cope with the coverage of it
Exactly. The right wing press don't know how to cover this major scoop, incidentally first reported on by ultra right wing rag daily mail. Is this the Tories moving into position ahead of the EU referendum trying to get an anti EU person in charge of their party by shaming the pro EU current leader?
1
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 18:24 - Sep 21 with 2347 views
Already signed. Not looking good with the revelation of a smearing email coming from his ex advisor full of false allegations against an ex mayor and council leader. The party surely has to do something about his removal now.
1
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 18:34 - Sep 21 with 2344 views
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 16:11 - Sep 21 by Nigeriamark
I think you are ex NHS like me ?? When I trained it was almost like a sandwich course, 2 weeks in a hospital with patients, 2 weeks academic. It seemed to be a good balance. Now it seems you start will a hell of a lot of academic stuff first in some areas before you actually deal with patients ( perhaps I am wrong as I have been away a while but I have relatives who have also gone into the NHS) . A lot of people who feel they want to work in a hospital end up not hacking it ( pressure, coping with tragedy etc). As a result by starting with actual work at least they gave up early rather than find out later they don't like the practical side. Although you certainly need a brain to work in the NHS there are a lot of other hand on skills that are more important
I wonder if other professions have had similar changes when training new entrants
That's true, about weeding out those who can't hack the pressure early on.
Although I had a degree before starting training, the three year RGN course was every bit as rigorous, if not more so. Then "Project 2000" came in and the practical hands-on side of working with patients, their relatives and other healthcare professionals took second place, which was IMO a huge mistake.
As it stands, the NHS wastes a lot of resources training staff over a three-year primarily academic course which doesn't prepare them fully for the reality and in particular, managing other staff; many fall by the wayside soon after graduating or use their degree elsewhere - including private healthcare where the standards aren't as rigorous (yes, you read that right!)
Plus, the NHS misses out on a lot of excellent people who aren't academically-minded but whose people skills (with the right training) would enable them to meet the shortfalls in both staff numbers and the "empathy-gap".
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 18:37 - Sep 21 by flyerdale
He will deny everything but will Baker implicate him now he has a better job in Bristol?
All depends if SD tries to make out it was all done by MB off his own back. Dangerous for SD though if he does, as MB knows all of the (many) skeletons in SD's cupboard.
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 16:17 - Sep 21 by rochdaleriddler
i think the line that crime is falling is flawed. There is massive under-reporting of crime, because people have come to accept there is little point in reporting a whole raft of crimes. I dont believe that a left wing government will leave us unprotected, after the second world war, we had everyone working in the national interest, boosting the economy,nationalising vital industries for the common good. We are not the world power that we used to be, we should accept that, and stop trying to be world policemen,which increasingly makes ordinary brits targets around the world
Deployment of our armed forces is very much about protecting our national interests, not trying to be "the world's policeman" which is a pretty tired cliché. We also have responsibilities as part of the wider international community, hence one of our Royal Navy vessels being deployed in the Med to help those in trouble. Would you rather we didn't?
And the so-called "massive underreporting" of crime is another myth - not because a lot of crime doesn't get reported, but simply because that's always been the case. It's only since crime statistics started to be collated in any serious way that these clichés about "under-reporting" started being bandied about.
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 17:21 - Sep 21 by ColDale
can you imagine the reaction of the press had the pig's head story been about Corbyn? As I've said, not a fan of his, but every possible bit of tittle tattle has been front page stories these last few weeks but the Cameron story seems somewhat ignored - at least based upon today's front pages. I dread to think what the reaction would be had it been Corbyn implicated with a pig's head. They'd be cutting down trees just to cope with the coverage of it
A large VAT Dave
1
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 22:54 - Sep 21 with 2216 views
I'm sorry but Cameron's made a real pigs ear of this issue. Wait while he gets up to speak in the Commons next time - The " Oink, Oinks " will ring out. He can always sue if the allegations along with the cocaine taking reports aren't true.
Don't hold your breathe though.
I always thought your employer paid you for doing a job. Lord Ashcroft seems to think it works the other way round ! I suppose this is what happens when " Thieves fall out ".
1
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 23:08 - Sep 21 with 2203 views
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 22:54 - Sep 21 by mingthemerciless
I'm sorry but Cameron's made a real pigs ear of this issue. Wait while he gets up to speak in the Commons next time - The " Oink, Oinks " will ring out. He can always sue if the allegations along with the cocaine taking reports aren't true.
Don't hold your breathe though.
I always thought your employer paid you for doing a job. Lord Ashcroft seems to think it works the other way round ! I suppose this is what happens when " Thieves fall out ".
Who gives a flying f*ck if he snorted coke or shagged a pig or whatever?
Have a laugh if you get off on that kind of thing, but it's tomorrow's chip paper.
I'm not so sure, Ashcroft's a real loose cannon and there's obviously more to come. Roll on the next edition of " Private Eye " they'll have a field day with this.
0
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 23:17 - Sep 21 with 2195 views
Hang on we're talking about the Prime Minister of the UK here. I don't take him seriously either but lot's of people obviously do. Last time I looked taking Cocaine was against the law.
0
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 23:30 - Sep 21 with 2186 views
New Labour and Blairism consigned to the dust bin of history on 23:08 - Sep 21 by D_Alien
Who gives a flying f*ck if he snorted coke or shagged a pig or whatever?
Have a laugh if you get off on that kind of thing, but it's tomorrow's chip paper.
I do, he's supposed to be our head of government. You might think drug taking and sticking your todger in a dead pigs mouth acceptable but you will find the majority don't find that behaviour acceptable from the Prime Minister of our country whether it was performed this week or 20 years ago.