Today we see another batch of A level results delivered into sweaty eager hands. As ever we can expect the pass rate to have soared to ever more dizzying heights, as Nanny proudly tells us that her educashun policies are the best since sliced bread (which of course is very bad for you, as it contains too much salt!).However, there is a small fly in her oinkment. The trouble is no one believes Nanny when she says that she is turning out well educated citizens.
Last month Sir John Rose, CEO of Rolls Royce, admitted that it is being forced to look overseas for talented graduates; he warned of the skills crisis in the UK.
Rolls Royce is now getting around 25% of its annual intake of graduates from overseas, mainly America and Germany. However, Sir John warned that this will rise as British graduates favour poncy subjects, such as media studies and hospitality.
Last year, for example, more people did A levels in media studies than physics. Since 1990, the Institute of Physics said that the number of people taking physics A level has fallen nearly 40% from 45,334 to 28,119.
Director General David Frost of the British Chambers of Commerce echoed Sir John's views, seemingly bosses have been telling him that Polish workers and other Eastern Europeans are their number one choice for many jobs.
These workers have "higher-level skills and a far better attitude to work than local people." Most of them are "enthusiastic" and "committed", compared to their British equivalents who are low-skilled and lazy.
It is predicted that China and India will soon be producing 5 million graduates every year, including 600,000 in science and engineering.
A survey, from the Association of Graduate Recruiters, said that bosses complain that some graduates have difficulty holding a proper conversation, struggle to make decisions and are not motivated.
Qualifications are of little use if you do not have the skills, abilities, and drive to make your way in the world. The Nanny state takes away these skill sets, as it destroys people's self reliance and discourages people taking responsibility for their own actions.
Spot on.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest claims no great interest in the subjects she is studying and no desire for learning. She just wants a degree 'cos she has been told it is what people require.
Quite sad really.
I keep hoping it is just a form of nihilistic bravado.
Was talking to a teacher friend and another friend who is the son of teachers last night. One comment that came up was in order to show how much standards have degraded, some teachers have taken to pointing at large binders full of stuff they no longer need to teach.
ReplyDeleteExtrapolating from the "improvement" in grades, very soon more than 100% of pupils will achieve an A-grade.
ReplyDeleteEverywhere I go I find young people who cannot comprehend their own language or perform elementary arithmetic.
Something is awry here.
But Grant, tell your youngest not to bother with tertiary education, because she will be a slave of the Chinese. That is the fate of anyone under the age of 30. A degree won't be much use to her in a coalmine. Indeed, it could prove dangerous.
TF,
ReplyDeleteI think she may have worked that out subconsciously already.
I was considering suggesting they she learns a few Asian languages for when the call centre expansion happens and India, China, et al, need more people than they can find (cost effectively) locally and so outsource to the UK.
The trouble is that non-English language skill are less than evident in our family so it seems unlikely.
The eldest can add up a few numbers and mostly get them more or less right so it seems she is in great demand with the Accounting Houses after she graduates next year.
Hopefully she will learn enough about accounting to help me protect my (predicted) meagre pension without Turpin Brown blagging too much more of it.
As a university tutor i would say that the problem with the students that i meet is that they spend too much time in classes learning what they should think rather than being educated in how to think. If you are told a "fact" you may remember it, you may not (this probably depends on how dedicated the student is to passing their exams) but if you know how to analyse and to be critical then you should be able to weedle out the truth. This is the skill that should be taught in schools. 15 A*'s at GCSE or 5 A's at ALevel is no more an indication of intelligence than having feet is of being a world class dancer. I don't want students who have been suffocated by 10 years of headache inducing summers locked in school libraries cramming for that all important SAT's mark, or their 6th ALevel. Cut back on the hot housing and we will produce intellectuals who are curious of the world around them and who want to learn rather than just jump through the university hoop on the way into that job in the city. But there is the crux of our problem, the government wants a highly educated populace (a badge to wear on the international stage) without it being intellectual (who can question them). How often does the government mallign the useless talk of the 'liberal intelligencia'? But when did it become wrong to be liberal and intelligent? What is our other choice: A stupid dictator? Recognise anyone Nanny.
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