Is Britain becoming more stupider and or slash (/) dumberer?

[Machpoint005]

I was in the last year to take the CSE's and O level exams and did quite well. My sister was in the first year to take the new GCSE's and did well also somehow despite her being thick as ****.

 

Whether it's a dual GCE/CSE system or a single GCSE system, surely a more able student will always do better than a less able one in a particular cohort?

[oldtynesider]

Wow this topic makes me think of marriage arguments. they start with where have you been and lead into I knew you hated my mother,

Regarding the topic, common sense has always been in short supply, I remember Gilbert Harding on the radio back when it was the light program asking what sense it made for the M O D to order thousands of pairs of knickers for the ladies in the armed forces, enough to last fifteen years but the elastic back then only lasted 3 years maximum

Last week I had a BT technician visit the house to repair a phone, I asked him what were the prospects of running an extra line down to the garage ( all above board ) he replied that because  we have  flat roof at the end of the house they were not allowed to work from it, the house was built that way in the late 1940's it was a large outhouse built into the house, that roof is over 7 inches thick and is reinforced concrete with 3 supporting walls on the outside and 2 interior supporting walls, I suggested that the cable could be fastened to the house wall prior to the flat roof but that is out of the question because he is not allowed to use a ladder anymore, I asked what his solution would be and he said a telegraph pole in the drive, I went along with his suggestion and asked if they would attach the phone wire prior to erecting the pole, he said no they would have to use a ladder to do that but that was not his department, all down to H and E.

common sense has never existed!

Best regards to all

[preston334]

Wow this topic makes me think of marriage arguments. they start with where have you been and lead into I knew you hated my mother,

Regarding the topic, common sense has always been in short supply, I remember Gilbert Harding on the radio back when it was the light program asking what sense it made for the M O D to order thousands of pairs of knickers for the ladies in the armed forces, enough to last fifteen years but the elastic back then only lasted 3 years maximum

Last week I had a BT technician visit the house to repair a phone, I asked him what were the prospects of running an extra line down to the garage ( all above board ) he replied that because we have flat roof at the end of the house they were not allowed to work from it, the house was built that way in the late 1940's it was a large outhouse built into the house, that roof is over 7 inches thick and is reinforced concrete with 3 supporting walls on the outside and 2 interior supporting walls, I suggested that the cable could be fastened to the house wall prior to the flat roof but that is out of the question because he is not allowed to use a ladder anymore, I asked what his solution would be and he said a telegraph pole in the drive, I went along with his suggestion and asked if they would attach the phone wire prior to erecting the pole, he said no they would have to use a ladder to do that but that was not his department, all down to H and E.

common sense has never existed!

Best regards to all

We work on the overhead electric network and I be honest with you, it's not the Health and safety issue, it's the claim culture from house holders, public etc. We are not allowed to set a foot on a roof, due to the risk of a customer "claiming" for damage. I had to arrange scaffolding just to carry out a 5 min repair. We had jobs cancelled as customers refuse to allow us to place ladders against their house incase we damaged their render, even though they rendered over the service cable. Then soon change their tune when we disconnect them on the pole, as they created the risk and they get billed for a disconnection, and a new service alteration. As for the poles , they belong to the electric board/BT and the engineers are trained to inspect and test the pole , that it's safe to climb using a ladder/ or climbing irons and securely using a harness. We had a call out from a patroller regarding a customer who decided to mount a flood light 2ft away from a live 11kv line and he took offence to us removing the flood

[kilted]

We work on the overhead electric network and I be honest with you, it's not the Health and safety issue, it's the claim culture from house holders, public etc. We are not allowed to set a foot on a roof, due to the risk of a customer "claiming" for damage. I had to arrange scaffolding just to carry out a 5 min repair. We had jobs cancelled as customers refuse to allow us to place ladders against their house incase we damaged their render, even though they rendered over the service cable. Then soon change their tune when we disconnect them on the pole, as they created the risk and they get billed for a disconnection, and a new service alteration. As for the poles , they belong to the electric board/BT and the engineers are trained to inspect and test the pole , that it's safe to climb using a ladder/ or climbing irons and securely using a harness. We had a call out from a patroller regarding a customer who decided to mount a flood light 2ft away from a live 11kv line and he took offence to us removing the flood

I am genuinely surprised he is still alive to complain!

[TroyChallenger]

Compare maths exams.

 

School level maths is absolute it doesn't change. Nothing is theoretical or subject to interpretation or needs context.

 

If a 1984 age 16yr exam is harder than a 2014 age 16yr exam then you've reasonable evidence of dumbing down.

 

I haven't done the comparison so I don't know.

 

http://www.burtongrammar.co.uk/category/life-and-times/school-exams/1968-maths-o

 

I'd be surprised if today's kids could answer 10% of the questions on that paper correctly.

 

Or even understand terms like "bisector" or "cyclic".

[Latte]

 

Or even understand terms like "bisector" or "cyclic".

I understad them fancy wurds.

My bruvs bisector, can't mek his mind up, fnarr fnarr.

And mi sis is deffo cyclic, shes jus chucked the chip pan out the kitchen winda again.

[sparks03]

The boy is a perfect product of our education system. Some of his English GCSE coursework was returned with a decent grade even though the spelling and punctuation was non-existent. Apparently its not so important to be able to spell or construct sentences any more, the importance being placed on what is conveyed in the incoherent scrawl. Neither he nor the eldest can set out a letter and none of my three have any real grasp of history outside of what I tell them. 

 

 In terms of the H&S nonsense I was talking to a friend of mine who is a police officer once. He told me he'd had to take his car off the road one night shift when he got a puncture. The spare and jack had been taken from the car to prevent unqualified operatives from changing a tyre. I posed the seemingly obvious question 'Don't you have to tackle people with knives, guns, bombs, machetes, explosives and various other lethal weapons?' He just looked at me. I'd never realised how dangerous being a police officer could be. 

[tweenster]

 

3) Usually they do a good job fixing them quickly on the M'ways. Other than that, see economic downturn and council finances.

 

 

I don't think Council's fund repairs on motorways and trunk roads; I believe these are funded centrally via the Highways Agency (but am always happy to be corrected).

[kilted]

The boy is a perfect product of our education system. Some of his English GCSE coursework was returned with a decent grade even though the spelling and punctuation was non-existent. Apparently its not so important to be able to spell or construct sentences any more, the importance being placed on what is conveyed in the incoherent scrawl. Neither he nor the eldest can set out a letter and none of my three have any real grasp of history outside of what I tell them. 

 

 In terms of the H&S nonsense I was talking to a friend of mine who is a police officer once. He told me he'd had to take his car off the road one night shift when he got a puncture. The spare and jack had been taken from the car to prevent unqualified operatives from changing a tyre. I posed the seemingly obvious question 'Don't you have to tackle people with knives, guns, bombs, machetes, explosives and various other lethal weapons?' He just looked at me. I'd never realised how dangerous being a police officer could be. 

This is one of the reasons why I failed Higher English at high school - it was about understanding and analysing literature as opposed to what I think are the truly important things in real life such as how to write a report, letter etc.

 

Not once since I left school have I been asked to analyse a book I have read but I have had to write a number of reports, do a number of letters, form a business case for a project etc

[Sparkly]

This is one of the reasons why I failed Higher English at high school - it was about understanding and analysing literature as opposed to what I think are the truly important things in real life such as how to write a report, letter etc.

 

Not once since I left school have I been asked to analyse a book I have read but I have had to write a number of reports, do a number of letters, form a business case for a project etc

 

Surely these are two subjects though? English and English Literature?

[kilted]

They weren't in my day!

[skomaz]

Surely these are two subjects though? English and English Literature?

 

THey were when I was at school and I got C's in both at o Level.  Having said that I'm still able to construct a sentence, spell, punctuate and analyse better than most...   inlcude those with supposedly higher grades and levels of achievement.  (can't type for toffee though!...    )

[GentleGiant]

Two distinct subjects when I was at school also, albeit taught by the same teacher.

 

I loved English Lit. homework - read a book!!!!!

[mac11irl]

Its not any better over here - my missus is an english & history teacher at second level.

Some of the stuff she gets handed as homework / practice answers to past exam questions is so frikking appalling it makes me fear for the future.

from what i can tell, It starts at primary level. They are taught to read words, not understand them.

 

she had students reading out from the book one day. she stopped them, and asked a question, the answer being literally rearrange the words in the last sentence.

Not far off the following example - "The cat sat on the mat"   Question- "What was the cat doing?"

She was met with blank stares from the entire class... no idea what the book had said, and this was a group of 13/14 yr olds!

 

On another occasion, in a history class, she was asked why the vikings had come over in boats. They didnt know our country is an ISLAND, or understand why it is referred to as "Mainland Europe" again, at age 12/13....

[TroyChallenger]

Two distinct subjects when I was at school also, albeit taught by the same teacher.

 

I loved English Lit. homework - read a book!!!!!

Are they one and the same these days?  Quelle surprise.

 

Back in my day English Language was, well, this........conversing with others, getting your point across in a salient, understandable manner.  Of course, text-speak wasn't around back then so your thickness was immediately obvious, unlike today where if you say "idkdc if u r cmn out 2nite u crzy mofo" your sentiments are instantly understandable.

 

English Lit was reading and being able to report on books like Animal Farm.

 

The human race is going to hell in a handcart.

Edited 20 September, 2014 by TroyChallenger

[MartynVRS]

I finished School in 2005 and have two separate English GCSE's. English Literature and English Language (Had B's in both).

[Paul007]

 unlike today where if you say "idkdc if u r cmn out 2nite u crzy mofo" your sentiments are instantly understandable.

 

The human race is going to hell in a handcart.

 

Understandable ? Really ?  I'm going to have to ask for a translation.  The second point is spot on though - or should that be thou ?

[Aspman]

English is more about literature as I recall.

 

Report writing was more a part of sciences although I don't have any real recollection of being taught how to do it until I got to uni.

 

SWMBO recently mentored a student teacher. She was very good at delivering a lesson but is dyslexic. I still don't know how she is going to correct spelling/grammar if she has difficulty doing it for herself.

I appreciate it's not her fault but being PC can only go so far.

[grr666]

but being PC can only go so far.

No evidence of 'PC' (plc) losing any momentum just yet. 

£an't Ima£ine W£y...?

[kilted]

English is more about literature as I recall.

 

Report writing was more a part of sciences although I don't have any real recollection of being taught how to do it until I got to uni.

 

SWMBO recently mentored a student teacher. She was very good at delivering a lesson but is dyslexic. I still don't know how she is going to correct spelling/grammar if she has difficulty doing it for herself.

I appreciate it's not her fault but being PC can only go so far.

I think most of the folk who are posting about the different English subjects are from down south so would be subject to different courses. AFAIK the only one up here is English which more related to literature than grammar, spelling etc.