What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

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What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

It's been said that government did not use teacher grades because they would be high. That's no problem as everyone would affected, supply and demand would have pulled everyone down to about the right level. The broken algorithm and U-turn put some to the back of the queue and they have now missed out.

The whole algorithm idea was political time bomb - screwed whichever way it went. If there was no malicious intent, it shows an even worse collective incompetence. The minister is supposed to be a politician - frankly he should have seen it coming and made sure he knew exactly what Off-Qual were playing at.
 
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I hope I'm not completely out of order here but why is there so much concentration on everyone going to university these days?

I didn't - I always joke I wasn't brainy enough, and there is more than a smidgeon of truth in that as i was not at all an academic prospect. I preferred the metal and woodwork classes. My academic achievements were spectacularly brief but my world came alive in technical college when I started learning about cars and I've never looked back. After a brief period in racing I carved out a nice carrer in vehicle workshops then as a trainer. I'm not a rich man but my career has enabled me to live a good life, support myself and a wife and bring up 3 children. Now living a reasonably comfortable retirement. All this without a degree to my name - just lots of City and Guilds and other trade qualifications.

I can't help thinking there must be many youngsters today who, like me, are not academically inclined and, because of all this concentration on academic achievement, their strengths are being lost to the community and they are missing out on living a good productive and worthwhile life.

What do you think folks?
 
My first daughter took history at university because she enjoyed it at school. She got an average grade so employers don't see it as anything useful.

At the time I was being shoved out of the way due to divorce but suspect she'd have still done what the school wanted. She's happily married now so it's all fine but she could have done so much better with careers.
 
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I hope I'm not completely out of order here but why is there so much concentration on everyone going to university these days?

I didn't - I always joke I wasn't brainy enough, and there is more than a smidgeon of truth in that as i was not at all an academic prospect. I preferred the metal and woodwork classes. My academic achievements were spectacularly brief but my world came alive in technical college when I started learning about cars and I've never looked back. After a brief period in racing I carved out a nice career in vehicle workshops then as a trainer. I'm not a rich man but my career has enabled me to live a good life, support myself and a wife and bring up 3 children. Now living a reasonably comfortable retirement. All this without a degree to my name - just lots of City and Guilds and other trade qualifications.

I can't help thinking there must be many youngsters today who, like me, are not academically inclined and, because of all this concentration on academic achievement, their strengths are being lost to the community and they are missing out on living a good productive and worthwhile life.

What do you think folks?
Ha! Now it is four times.

I quite agree with your sentiments there.

I went to a grammar school, got 6 'O'-levels, but couldn't wait to get out of general education and go work with motor cars. Boss at the small garage where I worked found a 2-year full-time course at Bournemouth college, gaining a 'Diploma in Automobile Engineering' awarded by IMI (The Institute of the Motor Industry) This also included the City & Guilds that an apprentice mechanic would get after 4 years of day release. The course covered not just practical work, but the science and maths behind how it all works, so we were seeing 'A'-level and degree level maths and science, but applicable to cars, engines, suspension, etc. Still got some of the workbooks somewhere, with some horrendous formulas in there. Best left under the dust.
Some people went on to work for motor manufacturers, others, like me, went into junior management in the motor trade. Two went on to become professional golfers, but that's another story, but not because they flunked the course.

At that time, university was seen as the elite, and a degree was a badge of honour.
Then some time in the intervening years, we were no longer allowed to tell anyone that they were less able than others, in any area, so everyone gets praised, even if they are crap at something. Expectations are raised beyond reality, technical colleges became universities, devaluing the whole process rather than elevating everyone. (common denominator?) Now everyone expects to be awarded high qualifications, without any abilities, and be given a high paid job where no work needs to be done.

My grandfather used to say, University is for education, college is for work.
An uncle, after a discussion at work about degrees, said "anyone can get a degree". To prove his point, he enrolled on a degree course, not sure how/where, and two years later got a degree in mechanical engineering. Some prior knowledge of the subject, but no real interest. Continued to work as a clerk for the MOD.

The company I worked for in Oxford would take on 10-12 graduates each year on a 3-yr program. After several years of this, they eventually realised that most of the graduates were actually of no use to any business, and all the good ones had moved off having got the big company name on their cv, so we were left with the rubbish, mostly. We did manage to keep 3-4 good ones out of about 50.

There are so many jobs that do not need degrees, but practical skills, and these are being lost somewhat, perhaps this year is an opportuity to redress that.

From my experience, practical skills and academic skills are like two ends of a see-saw. (We're not allowed tham any more, in case we break each other's backs) There are always some that are good at both, but generally moving towards one end, reduces the skills from the other.

With teaching youngsters to drive, generally the more academic ones are more difficult to teach, struggling with the motor skill functions, and wanting to analyse every situation before action. (No time to analyse, just GO!, there's a truck coming.) The ones with less academic skill, are so much easier to teach.
I found a lad, almost illiterate, but very good at building work, very good. Struggled with his theory test, but knew all the answers if asked, drove very well, and learned quickly.
A girl, done one degree, did another, then on to a MA. In tears because driving was so difficult, the only thing she'd ever failed at. We got there. her Dad, clever professor of some sort, hopeless at any DIY, helped illustrate different skills doesn't mean 'useless'.

This is where NVQ comes from. I think a Japanese idea where skills are compared across different disciplines. A guy I worked with a long time ago had been a Japanese prisoner of war, rarely talked about it, but being an aircraft technician, was deemed to be of a particular skill level, and was put to shipbuilding. Similar skill level. As such he was better treated than many officers, who had no skills apart form being a career army officer. This resulted in many officers being badly treated, as they were the lowest skilled, but the most literate so able to report the poor treatment, skewing some reports. My colleague was better treated and slightly better fed as a result of being more highly skilled. They respected skills, not rank.

Good grief. What a diatribe. Sorry to all those who've made it this far. I'll stop now and we can all have a lie down.
 
Day of quotes for the C3 today.

Buying the thing 7100 quid, they retail at about 9200 in same spec/age mileage so not bad.

New all season tyres...320 quid. Current tyres are fine (they are Michelin it's done 12k) but I saw my wife nearly plant it into a wall opposite our house last time it snowed on her way back from work 45 mins late on a 10 minute trip...so think that's wise.

New heated electric mirror with repeater..it's was clipped twice in the 1st 6 months we had it I rebuilt it ish...but a piece fell out after it got hit again and I couldn't find it so has a thumb sized hole in it. 130 quid + Fitting if we get it fitted, cap is OK at least so can be re-used.

Dent in rear door and car park crease TBC...

Heated seats 420 quid...Citroen or indeed PSA in general don't fit heated seats at anything less than 25k in the UK. So is a custom job not a case of buying some out of a scrap car. This is very optional but would be nice given it's sticking around.

Also extended warranty 300 quid...service plan TBC. I'd run without but my wife doesn't do finances the way I do so montly fixed figures are preferable to paying a bill if it happens.
 
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I don’t see a problem with someone wanting to do a degree but it would help if the degree actually matched what you want to do with your life. I have a friend who has a PHD in comic books which might seem mad till you find out he has a very good life as a literary lecturer in a university in Germany and gets paid very well for it.

I can understand why these students would get annoyed about the system, if you do and exam then you get a chance to prove yourself but people who studied hard as a result of their mock results probably now feel they can’t do anything to better themselves.
Also if you got a good grade in a mock and you had it marked down that’s a bit of a kick in the teeth, if may be the difference between doing the job you wanted or not at all, when my wife did A-Levels she screwed them up then spent years in university trying to get back to the place she wants to be which was training to be a doctor, as a result she is now a Dr .... BSc (hons) MSc MBBS.

I didn’t go to uni till my late 20s but after a series of crap jobs I could see if I didn’t I wasn’t going to really progress in any career and the gamble paid off but then I did a course I could turn into a good career.
 
Day of quotes for the C3 today.

I have targeted adds switched off on almost ever platform I use and block cookies anywhere I can which I’m guessing means that the algorithms that decide what ads to push on me are going by what ever is on the page I’m viewing, in this instance I blame you because on the Fiat forum I’m getting a lot of adds for a Citroen C3 lol
 
Weird thing about that is I've spent all day googling around for quotes on body repairs, warranties and tyres...

I'm getting Honda lawn mowers and homebase!

You never know maybe they would buy advertising on here given there's a new one out. "You sir with the Fiat, clearly you're a discerning gentleman who's not scared of the odd electrical fault! May I interest you in the latest offering from Citroen?
 

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The media has been telling us that the poor universities will have far fewer international students, due to Covid, and more teaching will be on online. So surely, they can make more places available if more students have now achieved the grades ?
the intentional students were self funded, to fill their places with english or uk kids it would require Tories to put money in the pot
 
When I worked in a secondary school

The Head of subject was attempting to get some of the low.achievers to sign up for 6th form

They only had to attend twice and the Gov.t paid for the year.

Roll forward 25 years..

Parts of the UK where Uni is cheap:free

Those that dont want to work go to uni..

Well they enroll .. attendance appears optional.

Frustrating if your 'groupwork' marks rely on a group made 50% of them.. :(
 
sorry yo change subject, 11 days ago had lighting strike . they finally admitted it was the router and not the line .now have to go through 27 emails . they call this progress, i hate to think when it gets to health and safety ??>?>>>>

A friend has a similar problem with their EE TV box. No fuse at plug, as plug/transformer is one unit. My guess is that would get the zap before the box, so likely to be the victim, or both bits.
EE sent them a new box. Strangely didn't work, so now a new power unit is on its way.
Why not send both the first time?
 
This:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53830947

For context there were 1,770 Road deaths in Great Britain in 2018, plus about 25,000 seriously injured.

About 1000 deaths were car occupants, another 500 or so motorbike.

So to claim that driverless cars will reduce deaths is brave, as, for sure, technology cock ups and driver behaviour changes will add a few for each accident maybe avoided. A blanket and enforced speed limit reduction would achieve more with no investment hardly at all.

I don't believe in holding back progress there are better places to invest Gov time and money than autonomous cars.

Thoughts?
 
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