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EDUCATION – FALLING STANDARDS?

 

Literacy and Numeracy:

 

Teacher trainees have to pass basic skills tests in literacy, numeracy and ICT (information and communication technology) before they qualify for the classroom. The pass mark is a modest 60 per cent, but a fifth failed both the numeracy and literacy tests first time round. Yet are the questions difficult?

 

In numeracy the questions included:

* Teachers organised activities for three classes of 24 pupils and four classes of 28 pupils. What was the total number of pupils?’ [184]

* A teacher completed an 18km sponsored walk for charity. Thirty pupils sponsored the teacher 5p per kilometre. How much did the teacher raise? [£27]

* For a practical task a primary teacher needs 25 millilitres of liquid for each pupil. There are 28 pupils in the class. How many millilitres of liquid are needed? (Answer: 700 millilitres)

And in literacy, this was asked:

* There were no [blank] remarks at the parents’ evening. Is the correct word: dissaproving disaproveing dissapproving disapproving? [disapproving]

* Nadine was _________ that she had passed her Geography examination. Is the correct word: releived, relieved, releaved or realived? (Answer: relieved)

* Apart from the _________ details, the art lesson was truly inspired. Is the correct word: administrative, adminstrative, administretive or adminstretive? (Answer: administrative)

 

• The questions – too easy? What should they be replaced with in order to ensure high standards in the teaching profession?

 

 

Spelling:

“The teaching of literacy in schools is a major worry. It seems highly likely that one of the reasons Britain and other English-speaking countries have problems with literacy is because of our spelling and the burden it places on children. In Finnish, once you have learned the letters, you know how to spell, so it would be ludicrous to hold spelling tests. In countries like Italy and Spain it’s similar. But with English it’s not phonetic, and there are just so many irregularities,” Professor John Wells told The Times.

• But what do you think of the following suggestions?

Short vowel sounds
Drop the final e from words if the preceding vowel sound is short: Give becomes giv but love remains love

Double consonants
Allow double consonants when the preceding vowel sound is short: River becomes rivver; model becomes moddel

Danger, Anger, Hanger
Replace the soft g with a j: Danger becomes danjer
Use a double g after the n if the sound is hard: Anger becomes angger
Use a single g if the sound is elided: Hanger remains hanger

Embrace Americanisms
Many people already use an s in “practice”, as in the US. Also, the American version of organize with a z is accepted. Why not thru?

Abolish the apostrophe
Get rid of the two types of its (it’s and its) as it is hardly likely to confuse your meaning. If removing the apostrophe is a problem, then leave a space: We’ll becomes we ll

Their, there and they’re
They all sound the same and the meaning is unlikely to be lost if we just use “there” in each case

David Crystal, Honorary Professor of Linguistics and author of the book Txting: the Gr8 Db8, believes that Professor Wells’s crusade for simplified spelling is doomed because, no matter how sensible it may be, sooner or later people rise up against such reforms. But he agrees that a shift to a more phonetic form of spelling will eventually come about. “Change has to be [from the] bottom up. It is already happening on the internet – people are simplifying spelling all the time. Type the world rhubarb into Google without the ‘h’ and you will find thousands of references to it.”

On the other hand, Lynne Truss says ‘You pour thing, if you don't see the point of spelling correctly. Well, the pour/pore example is a pretty good place to start, actually. Write, "I have been pouring over my books" and you will find it leads to tricky extra questions, such as, "Pouring what?" The argument goes that the spelling of English words is, by and large, "irrational". Why is there a silent "p" in "receipt" and not in "deceit"? Well, the quick answer is: life's a pain sometimes; stop whining; if you don't like it, go and speak German.

EXAMINATION RESULTS IN SCHOOLS

A-level passes have risen for the 29th year in a row, although not by much as overall the A-level pass rate rose slightly from 97.6% to 97.8%.

A-LEVEL RESULTS

 

However, 15 of England's universities now want applicants to have at least one A* grade. The new top grade was brought in last year, together with changes designed to make the A-level more challenging to bright students. This year A* was awarded to 8.2% of entries - up from 8.1% last year.

 

• Is it actually possible that pupils in the UK are getting clever each and every year? With such an emphasis on achieving such high results does this put pressure on those who simply pass?

For GCSE 23.2 per cent were graded A* or A – a rise of 0.6 percentage points in the last 12 months. Around three times as many pupils now gain the top grades compared with 1988 when the exams were first introduced and 69.8 per cent were awarded at least a C – the 23rd straight increase and up 0.8 percentage points on last year.

·        Critics claim that the consecutive year-on-year increases are being fuelled by a lack of rigour in exams combined with a culture of “teaching to the test” to boost grades. What do you think?

Martin Stephen, the recently retired head of St Paul’s School, West London, says: “Why am I so opposed to these exams? The most obvious answer is that they are stultifyingly boring. Most GCSEs contain very little to stir, stimulate or challenge not only the most able, but any child who likes to think. They are inherently dull and probably the worst [exams] of their kind in the world”

Tuition fees Q and A: what do the proposals mean?

Daily Telegraph, 13 January 2011

 

What are MPs voting on?

Universities in England currently charge £3,290 a year in tuition fees and receive thousands of pounds more in direct Government funding for degree courses. Under reforms, direct funding will be wiped out for almost all subjects (other than science and engineering-style courses) and responsibility for paying will shift to students themselves. At the same time, the cap on tuition fees will rise to £6,000 and universities will be able to charge up to £9,000 in exceptional circumstances.

How much will most universities charge?

Ministers claim fees should only exceed £6,000 in exceptional circumstances. Institutions imposing higher fees will be required to take more poor students and spend more of their additional fee income on outreach programmes and bursaries. However, unions claim almost all universities will raise fees above this level. One study suggested fees would have to rise to £7,000 just to maintain current funding levels. Top universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, which already heavily subsidise courses, are almost certain to impose fees of £9,000.

How will students afford £9,000 a year?

The Government will continue to provide students with grants and subsidised loans for both fees and living expenses – as they do now – but key changes will be made. Maintenance grants for the poorest students (from families earning less than £25,000) will rise from £2,906 to £3,250. But partial grants will only be available for households will incomes of under £42,000 – rather than the current £50,000 cut-off. All students will also be able to take out loans to cover fees and university living costs, although those from families earning less than £42,000 will be able to borrow more. The Government claim this makes the system more "progressive".

How will students pay back the loans?

Under the current system, students are charged a near-zero per cent interest rate on their loans. They also repay nine per cent of their salary above £15,000 until the debt is paid off. As part of the Coalition proposals, repayments will not kick in until graduates are earning £21,000 (and this will rise with inflation). The interest rate on student loans will remain at zero until graduates earn £21,000 – when they will be charged three per cent, plus inflation. If debts are not repaid after 30 years, they will be wiped out.

How much debt will students be in?

Students taking a three year course – with basic fees of £6,000 – can expect to owe around £30,000 when living costs are added. Those with higher fees could leave university with debts of almost £40,000. Ministers say the lowest-earning 25 per cent of graduates will pay off less than they do now, but others will pay more. About half of graduates will not finish paying off the debt within the 30 year timeframe. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said students from middle-income households would be hardest hit as they borrow the most but are not eligible for means-tested support.

Can students pay back their loans early?

Technically, yes, but the Government is to consult on plan to introduce penalties for students making early repayments. It may be that a five per cent levy is added to payments made above the recommended Government level to stop richer graduates wiping off their debts quicker.

When will the changes be introduced?

The new system will be in place for students starting university for the first time in September or October 2012. Students who have already started their courses by then will not be affected by the changes.

The changes were passed by Parliament and not entirely surprisingly most universities are changing the maximum tuition fees of ₤9,000.

 

What do you think about the changes? And what is your opinion about the following comments?

• ‘Isn’t it odd that a government that is forever exhorting the British to think more responsibly about debt is simultaneously advertising a loan with the promise that it might turn out to be literally on the never-never?’

 

• ‘By making it seem perfectly acceptable for students to go in to debt, they may just     feel that all debt is fine and we may be mis-educating a generation into thinking that they should be spending money they borrow rather than just money that they earn.’

  

• Let’s not forget about the class problem. From now on it will be the well off people who will be able to pay for their children’s university education. Is it really going to be education for all? Indeed was it ever?

 

• Which is likely to happen? Fewer students may means fewer staff and fewer courses. Thus money could be saved by closing down some universities. Alternatively the universities will become more selective, and although there will be fewer students, the standard of teaching will improve – a higher teacher: student ratio, more individual attention and at the end of the day more value for what you are paying – or this is the idea.

VALUE FOR MONEY – WHERE TO STUDY FOR A DEGREE?

 

 

 

University	Tuition Fees	Teaching weeks in year	Cost per hour: English	Cost per hour: Law	Cost per hour: Biology
Aston , Birmingham	£9,000	23	£33	£29	-
Cambridge	£9,000	21	£27-£35	£43	£15
Coventry	£7,500	33	£15	£16	£13
Derby	£6,995-£7,995	31	£19	£19	£17-£19
De Montfort, Leicester	£9,000	24	£29-£37	£29-£37	£14-£25
Exeter	£9,000	25	£36	£36	£24
Kingston	£8,500-£9,000	22	£30	£30	£19
Leeds	£9,000	22	£50	£49	£19
London South Bank	£8,350	26	£25	£25	£16-£23
Manchester	£9,000	24	£34	£25	£23
Nottingham	£9,000	26	£29	£27	£20
Oxford	£9,000	24	£29-£54	-	£19-£22
Surrey	£9,000	22	£51	-	£27-£29
West London	£7,500	28	-	£22	-
UCL	£9,000	23	£43	£39	£26

 

 

KEY:

 

Bold:   Universities from before the change in 1992 when polytechnics and other colleges

were given university status.

 

Traditionally universities had three 10 week terms with Oxford and Cambridge being the exception – they always had 8 week terms. Now, however, there is considerable variation which is yet one more aspect to be considered when playing for a course.

GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT

 

More than one in three recent graduates are employed in a low skill job – something which has increased over the last ten years. In the final quarter of 2011, the unemployment rate stood at 18.9% meaning that one in every five new graduates was unemployed. Despite this graduates are more likely to get a job and also earn more than non-graduates. Without doubt the subject makes a difference as those who have studies medicine and other science related subjects are more successful in the job market than those who chose humanities.

 

• So is a university degree still something to aim for? And should there be more thought about the subjects chosen?

 

One way that graduates attempt to break into the workforce is by undertaking unpaid internships. The Government line is that;

Internships and placements can give you the chance to:

• get valuable ‘hands-on’ work experience

• prove yourself to an employer

• build your confidence

• make contacts in your chosen industry

• see whether a particular role or organisation is right for you

• boost your future employment prospects

But is this how it really works? Others have a different opinion especially as nearly half of all internships are unpaid.

 

"Unpaid internships - a practice dismissed as harmless by some - is already proving to be enormously damaging for a whole generation of graduates. It is unfair and unsustainable. Whatever our politicians and business leaders say, those of us on the ground know that unpaid work is not a solution to graduate unemployment - it is a big part of the problem.”

 

• Are graduates working for free without any prospect of being employed by the firm they are working for? And in some cases are they taking jobs that others, less skilled, individuals could do? In fact many think that the companies are simply taking advantage of the opportunity to save costs.

This is despite the fact that the TUC, backed by the government and several major employers' institutes, published the first code of best practice for high-quality internships. It states that companies offering a placement of six weeks or more should pay the national minimum wage – currently £5.93/hour for those aged 21 and over and £4.92/hour for 18-20s – to an intern if they are contributing to a company, have a list of duties and are working set hours.

• Additionally, there is the issue of how internships are found – many come through family friends rather than university career services. So is it who you know rather than what you know that will determine whether you get a job?

 Have a good weekend and all the best,

Ann Cardwell