Martin Lewis: 100 things to make the country better…

Chardy

Patsy70

Absolutely agree Doodledog. Also, the road markings definitely need attention, but as has been said, this is the responsibility of Local Authorities, who will need more cash from the Government. That would probably apply to waste collection too. It would be so much more convenient if boroughs throughout the country could adopt the same system. I think that the universities, which had previously been polytechnics, should go back to being polys, focusing on less academic subjects and more on practical skills, eg electricians, plumbers, carpenters, gardeners, builders, carers and so many more.

Polys may have had a different focus, but they did many of the subjects other unis did. Their difference (if I can remember the 70s & 80s) was they didn't award their own degrees. CNAA awarded all poly degrees (Council for National Academic Awards I had to look it up) But I think all Poly courses (initially they were particularly keen on applied sciences, engineering etc) led to degrees, BTECs or Teaching Certificates
It was FE Colleges that did plumbing etc

Yes, that's right.

Colleges of Technology (pre-Polytechnics) awarded HNDs and degrees awarded by the CNAA.
The first Computing Science degree course was set up in a College of Technology, in conjunction with industry. That seems to have been forgotten now as universities claim to have offered the first courses.

Patsy70

Absolutely agree Doodledog. Also, the road markings definitely need attention, but as has been said, this is the responsibility of Local Authorities, who will need more cash from the Government. That would probably apply to waste collection too. It would be so much more convenient if boroughs throughout the country could adopt the same system. I think that the universities, which had previously been polytechnics, should go back to being polys, focusing on less academic subjects and more on practical skills, eg electricians, plumbers, carpenters, gardeners, builders, carers and so many more.

Polys may have had a different focus, but they did many of the subjects other unis did. Their difference (if I can remember the 70s & 80s) was they didn't award their own degrees. CNAA awarded all poly degrees (Council for National Academic Awards I had to look it up) But I think all Poly courses (initially they were particularly keen on applied sciences, engineering etc) led to degrees, BTECs or Teaching Certificates
It was FE Colleges that did plumbing etc

I find You Tube an excellent source for learning but you will never receive an Ology. I have recently started learning the French language, written and oral, but will never visit that country. Apparently, PM Starmer has back pedalled on a Tony Bliar promise on free Uni education for all saying that vocational subjects are more important. Again, You Tube comes into its own. You can even learn how to roof a house!

Absolutely agree that we give free housing to all migrants as well as food, clothing, heating, unlimited hot and cold running water, laundrette service and other benefits such as legal aid, not to mention free health care, education and police protection - all for nothing in return. They can work under the tax radar as they don't need to pay NI contributions. We need these people and their extended families because our parents and grandparents served in two World Wars to make this a land fit for heroes. As the wealthy cant afford to have UK bank accounts, we should tax the working classes more particularly the pensioners. So what if some have to choose between utility bills or buying food. In fact, why do we bother paying a police force or the military! Why pay local Authorities to take away our household rubbish - just add it to the filthy streets in towns and cities .Why bother
paying for democratic governance either. Don't forget the saying... "sarcasm is the lowest form of wit"... stay safe all x

yogitree

Doodledog

I would like to see Adult Education free to all who want it. I used to live near an FE college, and there were evening classes in everything from car maintenance or flower arranging to A level Maths, as well as full-time ones in secretarial studies and business. Some of them were clearly more social and others targeted at getting employment or promotion, but they were all well-attended and many led to recognised qualifications.

Later, I worked in FE (in the 80s) and there were many 'returners to learning' - often women preparing to go back to work, people leaving the forces or men who became unemployed when their industry was destroyed. The courses they took changed their lives in many cases. Other students were 16 year olds who didn't fit into school for whatever reason. They may have failed their GCSEs or just didn't like the regulated school environment, and college gave them a chance to take or retake the qualifications they need to kick start their lives.

These days more courses are at a very low level and there are fewer and fewer non-vocational classes on offer. People who leave education early have a struggle to get back into education by getting basic qualifications or to use time out of work to improve the ones they have.

The sector has been underfunded for decades, and I would love to see it restored to its former glory. The flower arranging and conversational French classes were good ways for people to meet new friends, and socially valuable, too, as were courses in things like Music and Drama, which are being dropped from many state school curriculums. They could be centralised in colleges so that people with talent in those areas don't have to drop them.

I know the PM mentioned FE in his speech yesterday, but there wasn't time for detail. I think this is something the government could very easily do, and it would be immediately noticeable, as well as changing lives and boosting the economy by getting more people into work. They could also offer EFL classes to immigrants, which would help with integration.

I am in agreement, having recently tried to find a FE class to occupy my time over the winter months. This would make a massive difference to all age groups. Gone are the times when even primary schools offered night classes as I was unable to find any council funded classes and only partly funded higher education ones, and these were scarce too, based mainly on Access courses. I will check out University of the Third Age now.

Yogitree -
I can highly recommend the University of the Third Age (U3A).
Ours is a very active group which has over 75 groups which you can join including French, cooking, computers, bus pass adventurers, dining, history, yoga, current affairs, theatre trips and many many more.
You could do something every day of the week if you wanted to. The annual fee is only a few pounds and worth every penny.
It gets us out and keeps us busy especially in the winter when it is all too easy to hide away indoors.

And STILL I got it wrong! I meant it for sunami. Apologies!

Oops, sorry, I meant the reply for Sarnia!

No, Sarnia. I am just me!

Crossstitchfan Are you also Sarnia or Graunty7?

I wasn't showing anybody up, but when people talk about "management" in the NHS, I wonder if they really think about what they're writing. Frontline staff couldn't just rock up and do their jobs without meticulous planning in the background.

Somebody who orders and oversees stock for a ward is part of that management structure, but there will be many other tiers. In the case of the NHS, they're managing billions of pounds, so it's essential there are enough well qualified staff to do the negotiating and all the legal stuff surrounding contracts. That can't be left to front line staff.

sunami

Sarnia

theworriedwell

Graunty7

NHS. Remove all the managers
Have a sister staff nurse then nurses hsa for each ward .
A matron over all
Proper cleaning with disinfectant .

Yes have the nurses running recruitment, payroll, stock control and purchasing. A great improvement I'm sure, shame they'd have less time to actually look after patients.

When I was a ward clerk for 17 years on a busy Delivery Suite part of my job was to order and oversee all stock.
I agree with Graunty7 the NHS is top heavy with managers all on hefty salaries. Bring back the Hattie Jacques Matrons. Wonderful women full of experience who were a visible presence on the wards keeping everything running like clockwork.

You were actually part of "management". I doubt if you negotiated prices or contracts or organised logistics. People higher up the management food chain would have done that. Imagine if the ward sister had to sit down for a few hours every week to do what you did - and more because (s)he would have to haggle with suppliers and find alternatives when normal suppliers are out of stock.

Sunami,
Nit-picking just a bit?
Why do so many of us on here take great delight in showing other posters up?
Something similar happened to me a while ago. I posted something in good faith, only for someone else to come along and tear it to threads. I felt belittled and so embarrassed.
Maybe I’m doing the same here but I felt I should point it out. Thee are ways of making a point!

Nellygran

Health warnings on processed meat - which is the same level of carcinogenic as smoking. People feed this stuff to their kids without knowing!

100% this! Plus any other foods hiding under the promotion cloaks of “convenience” “super” “high” quality etc. I see fruit packaged in convenient containers but again What are we really buying?

SueDoku

Doodledog

I would like to see Adult Education free to all who want it. I used to live near an FE college, and there were evening classes in everything from car maintenance or flower arranging to A level Maths, as well as full-time ones in secretarial studies and business. Some of them were clearly more social and others targeted at getting employment or promotion, but they were all well-attended and many led to recognised qualifications.

Later, I worked in FE (in the 80s) and there were many 'returners to learning' - often women preparing to go back to work, people leaving the forces or men who became unemployed when their industry was destroyed. The courses they took changed their lives in many cases. Other students were 16 year olds who didn't fit into school for whatever reason. They may have failed their GCSEs or just didn't like the regulated school environment, and college gave them a chance to take or retake the qualifications they need to kick start their lives.

These days more courses are at a very low level and there are fewer and fewer non-vocational classes on offer. People who leave education early have a struggle to get back into education by getting basic qualifications or to use time out of work to improve the ones they have.

The sector has been underfunded for decades, and I would love to see it restored to its former glory. The flower arranging and conversational French classes were good ways for people to meet new friends, and socially valuable, too, as were courses in things like Music and Drama, which are being dropped from many state school curriculums. They could be centralised in colleges so that people with talent in those areas don't have to drop them.

I know the PM mentioned FE in his speech yesterday, but there wasn't time for detail. I think this is something the government could very easily do, and it would be immediately noticeable, as well as changing lives and boosting the economy by getting more people into work. They could also offer EFL classes to immigrants, which would help with integration.

I agree with every word..! I worked in FE for 23 years, and watched the same decline - which started when the Thatcher government decreed that education had to be run like a business - so any courses that didn't lead to a recognised qualification bit the dust, which put paid to courses such as flower arranging and cake decorating, which brought many, many people into a college for the first time, and encouraged them to follow on to more 'formal' courses.
Subsidising FE is one of the best investments that any government can make, as it leads to a better-educated population (which is why many right-wing parties are against it, as an educated population is less likely to believe any propaganda that they are fed..!!)

The Victorians were responsible for all sorts of adult education initiatives, libraries and museums. It seems as though we've gone backwards.

Doodledog

I would like to see Adult Education free to all who want it. I used to live near an FE college, and there were evening classes in everything from car maintenance or flower arranging to A level Maths, as well as full-time ones in secretarial studies and business. Some of them were clearly more social and others targeted at getting employment or promotion, but they were all well-attended and many led to recognised qualifications.

Later, I worked in FE (in the 80s) and there were many 'returners to learning' - often women preparing to go back to work, people leaving the forces or men who became unemployed when their industry was destroyed. The courses they took changed their lives in many cases. Other students were 16 year olds who didn't fit into school for whatever reason. They may have failed their GCSEs or just didn't like the regulated school environment, and college gave them a chance to take or retake the qualifications they need to kick start their lives.

These days more courses are at a very low level and there are fewer and fewer non-vocational classes on offer. People who leave education early have a struggle to get back into education by getting basic qualifications or to use time out of work to improve the ones they have.

The sector has been underfunded for decades, and I would love to see it restored to its former glory. The flower arranging and conversational French classes were good ways for people to meet new friends, and socially valuable, too, as were courses in things like Music and Drama, which are being dropped from many state school curriculums. They could be centralised in colleges so that people with talent in those areas don't have to drop them.

I know the PM mentioned FE in his speech yesterday, but there wasn't time for detail. I think this is something the government could very easily do, and it would be immediately noticeable, as well as changing lives and boosting the economy by getting more people into work. They could also offer EFL classes to immigrants, which would help with integration.

I am in agreement, having recently tried to find a FE class to occupy my time over the winter months. This would make a massive difference to all age groups. Gone are the times when even primary schools offered night classes as I was unable to find any council funded classes and only partly funded higher education ones, and these were scarce too, based mainly on Access courses. I will check out University of the Third Age now.

Health warnings on processed meat - which is the same level of carcinogenic as smoking. People feed this stuff to their kids without knowing!

Never mind 100 things, what about 10? As a start.
All very good suggestions so far.

Doodledog

I would like to see Adult Education free to all who want it. I used to live near an FE college, and there were evening classes in everything from car maintenance or flower arranging to A level Maths, as well as full-time ones in secretarial studies and business. Some of them were clearly more social and others targeted at getting employment or promotion, but they were all well-attended and many led to recognised qualifications.

Later, I worked in FE (in the 80s) and there were many 'returners to learning' - often women preparing to go back to work, people leaving the forces or men who became unemployed when their industry was destroyed. The courses they took changed their lives in many cases. Other students were 16 year olds who didn't fit into school for whatever reason. They may have failed their GCSEs or just didn't like the regulated school environment, and college gave them a chance to take or retake the qualifications they need to kick start their lives.

These days more courses are at a very low level and there are fewer and fewer non-vocational classes on offer. People who leave education early have a struggle to get back into education by getting basic qualifications or to use time out of work to improve the ones they have.

The sector has been underfunded for decades, and I would love to see it restored to its former glory. The flower arranging and conversational French classes were good ways for people to meet new friends, and socially valuable, too, as were courses in things like Music and Drama, which are being dropped from many state school curriculums. They could be centralised in colleges so that people with talent in those areas don't have to drop them.

I know the PM mentioned FE in his speech yesterday, but there wasn't time for detail. I think this is something the government could very easily do, and it would be immediately noticeable, as well as changing lives and boosting the economy by getting more people into work. They could also offer EFL classes to immigrants, which would help with integration.

I agree with every word..! I worked in FE for 23 years, and watched the same decline - which started when the Thatcher government decreed that education had to be run like a business - so any courses that didn't lead to a recognised qualification bit the dust, which put paid to courses such as flower arranging and cake decorating, which brought many, many people into a college for the first time, and encouraged them to follow on to more 'formal' courses.
Subsidising FE is one of the best investments that any government can make, as it leads to a better-educated population (which is why many right-wing parties are against it, as an educated population is less likely to believe any propaganda that they are fed..!!)

Sarnia

theworriedwell

Graunty7

NHS. Remove all the managers
Have a sister staff nurse then nurses hsa for each ward .
A matron over all
Proper cleaning with disinfectant .

Yes have the nurses running recruitment, payroll, stock control and purchasing. A great improvement I'm sure, shame they'd have less time to actually look after patients.

When I was a ward clerk for 17 years on a busy Delivery Suite part of my job was to order and oversee all stock.
I agree with Graunty7 the NHS is top heavy with managers all on hefty salaries. Bring back the Hattie Jacques Matrons. Wonderful women full of experience who were a visible presence on the wards keeping everything running like clockwork.

You were actually part of "management". I doubt if you negotiated prices or contracts or organised logistics. People higher up the management food chain would have done that. Imagine if the ward sister had to sit down for a few hours every week to do what you did - and more because (s)he would have to haggle with suppliers and find alternatives when normal suppliers are out of stock.

I don’t think you ordered stock Sarnia, I think you requisitioned it, the actual ordering would have been done by the Supplies Department. Imagine the cost and chaos if every department of just one hospital ordered direct from all the companies, let alone if every department of every unit in the NHS in the UK did so.

theworriedwell

Graunty7

NHS. Remove all the managers
Have a sister staff nurse then nurses hsa for each ward .
A matron over all
Proper cleaning with disinfectant .

Yes have the nurses running recruitment, payroll, stock control and purchasing. A great improvement I'm sure, shame they'd have less time to actually look after patients.

When I was a ward clerk for 17 years on a busy Delivery Suite part of my job was to order and oversee all stock.
I agree with Graunty7 the NHS is top heavy with managers all on hefty salaries. Bring back the Hattie Jacques Matrons. Wonderful women full of experience who were a visible presence on the wards keeping everything running like clockwork.

I would like to see people worrying less about foreigners and what's perceived as not fair and see people concentrating on making their own lives and immediate communities better.

Calendargirl

DeeDe

I’d like to see all the foreign lorries charged £10 to use our roads, living near Folkestone and often near the Dover docks see daily it would bring millions and millions of £s to the UK and solve many if not all our poor road conditions,
As we have to pay tolls in France soon as we’re on the autoroute…
I don’t understand as it seems our government’s only drain our own people rather than help our country as a whole .
Or am I missing something?

My DH agrees with this,

Why do we let them use our roads without payment, but our lorries have to pay their tolls?

Everybody pays the tolls on autoroutes in France. Would the British public want the introduction of universal motorway charges?

DeeDe

I’d like to see all the foreign lorries charged £10 to use our roads, living near Folkestone and often near the Dover docks see daily it would bring millions and millions of £s to the UK and solve many if not all our poor road conditions,
As we have to pay tolls in France soon as we’re on the autoroute…
I don’t understand as it seems our government’s only drain our own people rather than help our country as a whole .
Or am I missing something?

My DH agrees with this,

Why do we let them use our roads without payment, but our lorries have to pay their tolls?

Romola

A propos adult education recreation courses, I paid £320 for the Spanish course, two hours once a week for 20 weeks, so that works out at £8 per hour, not unreasonable for a class of eight. Should those classes be more expensive to increase the subsidy for vocational courses and basic skills?

Only if you want to restrict such education to those who can afford it. I don’t.

Free FE courses for pensioners and unemployed, infact it should be compulsory for unemployed to attend courses. This would get them out of the house learning which in turn could lead to meaningful employment, whilst helping with mental health.
I think reinstating and maintaining public toilets would be great. Some of them are disgusting, what must tourists think of us.
Encourage training of nurses and teachers with bursaries, with a commitment to the NHS for so many years. In an ideal world university courses should be part bursaries also.
Put behaviour studies on the curriculum. Behavioural problems in schools have lead to teachers loosing precious lesson time. Unfortunately teachers are often then verbally abused by parents when the teacher rings home to explain about problem behaviour. Perhaps where a child’s behaviour is disruptive in the classroom, parents should be told that they will have to sit in class along with their child and they deal with the bad behaviour. After all learning is a privilege. Bad behaviour in schools can make life hell for some children, and is cited as one the reasons teachers leave the profession.
Free parking at hospitals for appointments, more disabled parking.
Better transport within rural communities.

Same.... road markings here are shocking,centre lines,kerb blends with road and street lighting! Our council is using energy saving lights...horrendous as light just shines straight down and therefore only illumes a wee tiny area directly underneath the light.