V.A.T, in school fees

I did say yesterday - our 0 levels were graded by number, not letter.

Most of my O levels (1971) were graded by number but my English was graded by letters. For no reason anyone could fathom the pass grades were A, C and E. I've no idea why they missed out B and D!

How were your exams graded then ana?

I'm a northerner too.

My O levels were graded by letter as well- perhaps its just us northerners dj we were as usual ahead of the crowd!!! and it was in the 60s

Hardly - how on earth do we know your real name's Jennifer?

Anyway, all this came about because someone had said a lot of teachers can't spell, add or subtract and can't control pupils. Then it got onto T Blair and his 'University for 50%' mantra and durhamjen was keen to defend him as teachers who trained in the 70s didn't need a degree or maths...

Oh dear. Ladies, please don't make this miserable.

I hated school and received horrible grades. I often wonder what I might have done if my wonderful parents had prioritised their daughters education in addition to their sons? I left school as early as possible, married at 16, became pregnant to happily raise our family. But what if?

Making education a wonderful experience to everyone is first. In public or private schools, I don't care where children are educated, just to be well educated. Because I was not, as is easy to discern.

Thanks, J52. I knew somebody else would be graded by letter.

Only coming on to settle a dispute. DH did Oxford and Cambridge board O levels, mid 60s. He was graded by numbers. I did London Board and was graded by letters.

You'll be saying I didn't get a scholarship to a private school next. You'll be checking up on the list of alumni of all private schools in Yorkshire, just to find out if there was anyone there with the Christian name Jennifer.
Good luck with that!

Showing yourself up again, Ana.
Just call me a liar, why don't you?

'Not recorded on students' certificates'? What was on the certificates then?

I'm sure if you'd been lying about your exam results you wouldn't have made such an elementary error, but as I say, it's news to me that O levels were graded by letter during the 60s.

Why do you persist in trying to prove I am a liar, Ana?

The only exam I failed was chemistry, where I got an F.
However, I had passed physics with chemistry at the Christmas exams, and got a B for that.

"Before 1975, each exam board had its own grading system (some used letters, others numbers), with grades only given to schools and not recorded on students' certificates".

"From 1963 to 1974 success in Ordinary level subjects was indicated as a Pass. Grades 1-6 = Pass, grades 7-9 = Fail."

I know my highest achievement was Grade 1 distinction for English Language.

Been asking DH about grades for GCE O levels in the 60s and he remembers it the same way I do pass, merit, distinction or fail.

Look at the pig's ear the coalition made of providing the first two years with free school dinners on a whim of Clegg because he couldn't get his way about tuition fees. Schools having to equip new kitchens (which they couldn't afford) and food having to be ferried from other schools - just not thought through at all.

BTW

(BTS till can't find any evidence of O levels being graded by letter in the 60s...will keep looking, of course but Education Boards certainly didn't vary)

Well, yes, that's something isn't it?The Lib Dems and the Greens could say anything at all( and often did) as they were not in power, and I knew that promising no tuition fees for Uni students was a mistake and would come back to bite them on the bum....and it did. Still, even though Corbyn says what he would do, it doesn't make it the best idea to get the money from.All those in need already get free school meals, so why give them to parents who are not in need?

Well DJ I'm not condemning them for not funding but I'm definitely condemning them for this "two for one" policy link nonsense and I'm happy to condemn the LDs and Greens for what I think is an ill thought out use of public funds! Just spreading the love.

Both the Green party and the Libdems had free school meals for primary pupils as policies before the last election. I think it has been thought through properly by lots of people.
I don't know how they were going to pay for it. They never get asked. It's only Labour who are condemned for not funding their policies, then condemned again for saying how they would fund their policies.

I may be a dreamer but I don't believe Corbyn will ever be PM, if I did I would be living in a world of fantasy .

There is undoubtedly a case for vat on fees, but it's far from straightforward. I think there is much less of a case for free school meals for everyone. On the vat point, my take would be to limit charitable status to schools which fit more specific criteria than currently applies. I won't try to set out a list but it might include, for example a % of assisted places and a cap on fees. Nor would I just throw in 20% overnight - kids already in such schools might find themselves taken out by parents who just can't afford the extra. Very unfair (I moved schools at 14 and can vouch for the teenage angst that results!). There would need to be a phased entry of some sort. Just a few ideas, no doubt all with their own problems, but if this is ever to fly (higher than Pinky or Perky!) it will need to be thought through properly, which clearly is not the case at the moment.

How people choose to spend their money relative to education and feeding of their own children and grandchildren is moot, in my opinion. It seems the government is doing a poor job managing the tax funds they are entrusted with for education. If VAT (on private education) is needed to balance the books (and provide meals), the entire sums need a look at and going over.

Do you think those 7% will not improve state schools?
Do you think what they think doesn't matter to this government?
Another dreamer.