Exam results

Lancslass1

The cynic in me thinks that teachers might inflate grades .
It amazes me that nearly every year more and more students are gaining A* grades.
It is my opinion that the idea that everyone should go to University and study "subjects" that will be of no use to them when they leave is pointless.

How many people do you here tga5 are doing "Media Stsdies for example?
I watch University Challenge.
In the"old" days students were studying Maths,Physics,Geography etc.
Now it is Spinning and hand loom weaving with ballroom dancing.
(Well not quite!)
I once listened to a programme on the radio and the person interviewed was a professor of Pop Music.
I kid you not.
Words failed me.

I find this attitude really depressing. Education should not be confused with training for a job - they are different things - and an insistence that all students should learn ‘useful’ subjects would result in the UK becoming even an even more philistine nation than we already are.

A degree in Art, Literature or Classics (as examples of many other non-vocational subjects) teaches students critical thinking, research skills and numerous other things that stand them in good stead in the workplace, such as self-discipline, independence and time-management.

Subject knowledge is often gained ‘on the job’ in any case, as it is company or role-specific. It is the more general skills that mark out a graduate, and these are gained whether the student studies music (pop or otherwise) or whatever.

Without relevant subject knowledge, and without knowing the content of a particular course it is impossible to comment, but I would be very surprised if the pop music degree (or was the professor responsible for particular modules on a more general degree?) were not as rigorous as any other subject.

I would hate to see education become the preserve of the elite (what do you think of Prince William’s Art History degree, for instance?) with vocational training the only option for the rest of us. A civilised country should educate its citizens in cultural subjects if its culture is not to be reduced to the lowest common denominator.

Oops I meant 3 or 4 years' time .... with an apostrophe!
Ellianne (not reading English)!

Lucca

Ellianne

Double figures ?? I think I once managed 8....

I have a clever husband Lucca who is good at the music and history ones!

Years ago I watched uni challenge one lunchtime (at home with small baby). Two Days later same episode was on in the evening. I didn’t let on to OH (who was fiercely competitive) and answered loads of questions..... OH was furious ? ?

That's brilliant!

I was surprised, but pleased, to see 3 females on the Reading team this week. Quite unusual. They didn't do particularly well though against a strong Birkbeck College.
A poster way back in this thread said something along the lines that each exam makes the previous one less important. Let's hope once the current A level students get their degrees in 3 or 4 years time, their A level grades of 2020 will be a distant memory.

Not on topic really but I brought up University Challenge.
Next week just listen to what a lot of them are studying and ask yourself how on earth they can use that knowledge in any sort of job.
Secondly this started as a programme for students not for people who have already graduated and are doing PhDs
Recently the average age of some teams have gone up a lot.
Thirdly in a lot of cases the team that wins has one person in it who answers most of the questions and more often than not there is one poor person who possibly because he or she is not quick on the buzzer doesn't answer any question.
I love the programme and will eat my words if next week each one of them is doing a subject which will help them get a job
One person mentioned "daft" subjects.
I don't think zi used that word but please tell me whtpy there has to be a professor of pop music at one University.

Coming back to a comment up thread about resitting exams in the autumn. Anyone else heard of schools and sixth form colleges strongly discouraging this, because they will have no extra space or teaching time in which to help the resitters?Schools will have their hands more than full supporting next years’s exam candidates, so resits easier said than done.

His Mum (in particular) and his Dad have always had to fight every inch of the way for him - even to get him to that special school etc. My daughter has already stated she would go to war with the exam board if he does not get into the Uni course he so much wishes to go to. We are not too worried, but will be glad when we actually get the results in the morning.

FarNorth

^It’s also shameful that John Swinney hasn’t offered his resignation.^

SueDonim will you be looking for resignations in England and Wales too?

I understand the Welsh are in a better position because there are still AS exams, which will count towards the final grade.

Fingers crossed for you and your son Franbern. His mock result sounds as though he would be in a good place, if he needs to appeal.

We are going through a situation which nobody has ever had to go through before and therefore everyone, even our leaders, are feeling their way along unfamiliar routes. I have to admit I was shocked by the downgrading of teachers' estimates and heartbroken for my lovely GD. And over the moon at the swift U-turn and apology. The governments of the other three countries now have a chance to get it right first time and save thousands of young people the anguish that the Scottish children went through last week. Meanwhile my GD has bounced off happily to school today, the start of her final year, with her head held high and a determination to prove she deserved her teachers' grades.

Well done to your grandson Franbern. If he doesn’t get what he’s hoping for you should chain yourself to the exam board ‘s railings IMO.

Icanhandthemback. - Such a great pity that the system of AS levels was stopped by Gove and Co, If we still had those in place it would have been so much more straight forward to determine this years A level grades.
My g.son is in an unusual position - he is autistic and attended a special school up to GCSE's as a weekly boarder. Then he requested to go to local college to do his A levels, so he could live at home. They would only permit him to start one in the first year, commencing a second alongside it for the second year. Thus at the end of the third year he had two A levels under his Belt. B for Maths and A for physics. He had by then also finished first year of Chemistry - his chosen subject for future study, and on the second year of that iCollege suggested that he take a fast-track one year A level in Further Maths He had always been very disappointed with his B in Maths.
This means that when these final two A level results come out tomorrow it will be on his 20th birthday. So, no way could he contemplate a further year. His University of choice has asked for A in Chemistry. At his mocks he got 98% and knew where he lost that two percent. He was very much hoping to achieve an A* at the exam.
We know he has been projected A for chemistry and A for Further Maths - so are now very hopeful that we can celebrate his twentieth birthday tomorrow evening with full congratulations.
Be so glad when tomorrow morning arrives.
Good Luck to any of your g.children awaiting results tomorrow and the following Thursday. Normally, a difficult time of year - but this year so much more so.

Ellianne

^Double figures ?? I think I once managed 8....^

I have a clever husband Lucca who is good at the music and history ones!

Years ago I watched uni challenge one lunchtime (at home with small baby). Two Days later same episode was on in the evening. I didn’t let on to OH (who was fiercely competitive) and answered loads of questions..... OH was furious ? ?

I think that’s for the English and Welsh peoples to decide, FarNorth.

The exam situation in Scotland is the culmination of John Swinney’s management that has laid low the state of the once-mighty Scottish education system. It’s a tragedy and that’s why he needs to go.

Double figures ?? I think I once managed 8....

I have a clever husband Lucca who is good at the music and history ones!

It’s also shameful that John Swinney hasn’t offered his resignation.

SueDonim will you be looking for resignations in England and Wales too?

Double figures ?? I think I once managed 8....

I don’t think anyone on university challenge is studying anything “daft”, and even if they are they are all incredibly knowledgable!
I agree with that Lucca. I try hard to get into double figures. Easy enough in the heats, but more difficult in the semis and final.

Grannygrumps1

Personally I think it’s all wrong.
They should have their predicted grades with EG in brackets after it. As estimated grade. They are being offered the opportunity to sit exams in October. If they don’t want to sit them then they should accept the estimated grade their teachers gave them. They should not be upping or downing anything.

I think the point is that they wouldn’t necessarily get the teacher estimated grade as exam boards would step in in some cases and arbitrarily lower the grade.

I don’t think anyone on university challenge is studying anything “daft”, and even if they are they are all incredibly knowledgable !

The cynic in me thinks that teachers might inflate grades .
It amazes me that nearly every year more and more students are gaining A* grades.
It is my opinion that the idea that everyone should go to University and study "subjects" that will be of no use to them when they leave is pointless.

How many people do you here tga5 are doing "Media Stsdies for example?
I watch University Challenge.
In the"old" days students were studying Maths,Physics,Geography etc.
Now it is Spinning and hand loom weaving with ballroom dancing.
(Well not quite!)
I once listened to a programme on the radio and the person interviewed was a professor of Pop Music.
I kid you not.
Words failed me.

Personally I think it’s all wrong.
They should have their predicted grades with EG in brackets after it. As estimated grade. They are being offered the opportunity to sit exams in October. If they don’t want to sit them then they should accept the estimated grade their teachers gave them. They should not be upping or downing anything.

Does this being hard/less generous with pupils' grades in their mocks actually produce better results in their proper exams? Could it work the other way round? Say if teachers were to give them a really grade, then that might increase their self esteem. Anyone with an ounce of sense wouldn't want to fall back.
I have a young teenage dog who, the more I tell him he is a good boy, the more he responds and improves!

From my 34 years in teaching I know that the process of norm referencing results causes some almighty problems. I think that if the government sticks with the teachers' assessments the results will be a bit high but, after all the kids have suffered this year, it won't matter much. The boys might be disdvantaged, however, as bright boys can coast, not do much exam prep and pull it out on the day through sheer ability and quick thinking skills.

If the universities need to sort the results more precisely they can do aptitude tests - but of course they won't as they need the moolah!