Education, education, education

[janey]

personally I agree that GCSE are a piece of pi$$, I found the jump from GCSE to A-level massive. Are A-levels these days still equivalent to olden days?

[sasguru]

Are A-levels these days still equivalent to olden days?

No.

[Bagpuss]

personally I agree that GCSE are a piece of pi$$, I found the jump from GCSE to A-level massive. Are A-levels these days still equivalent to olden days?

No everything was much better in the 1950s, apparently.
The rules of physics are much easier than they used to be.
Mathematical equations are easier to solve.
The great works of literature are available in large print.
The world has got smaller hence geography is much easier.
Languages have been simplified.

I would carry on but I've forgotten how to

[janey]

wasn't there talk a while ago about GCSEs being scrapped?

[BlasterBates]

The old proper GCE O level phased out towards the end of the seventies was difficult, the 16+ O level which replaced it was a bit noddy in comparison. That was when the standard suddenly dropped. There was no multiple choice in the old 'O' level, it was all long winded questions that made your hair stand on end.

[privateeye]

wasn't there talk a while ago about GCSEs being scrapped?

That might have been me saying we should scrap the kids

[OrangeHopper]

Forgot to mention.

I took one year (18 months to get a pass) to do O-level geology then one further year to do the A-level.

Does that mean they were even less difficult because I did the two in half the normal time?

[eternalnomad]

GCSE is the GCE and CSE qualifications combined.

The last year of O levels, which I did, called 16+ was a hybrid. In the past you failed a GCE at A-C that was it. With 16+ you took your GCE and if you failed you got the appropriate CSE (1-5 I think). So you didn't fail you just got a craper qualification.

Some O levels were a little harder but not much. Any fool could pass an O level with a few weeks work and some cases no work. It really is that basic a qualification.

that makes you ~37 years old as I remember the whole 16+ nonsense

Whatever the policitians claim about educashun standards, here is some real world experience about the value of GCSE qualifications...

Many years ago (before I transitioned into IT) I ran a chemical analysis laboratory.

Due to addtional workload (and some major government kick backs to do with local area regeneration) a couple of young lab technicians were recruited. For reasons that escape me I was not involved in the recruitment process.

However, I was told not to worry as they both had grade A GCSE in Chemistry along with a whole raft of other good GCSE passes (which indeed they did as proven with the certificates the kindly brought to their first day of work)

Day one in their new job, after the usual "meet and greet" I took them into the lab and decided to train them in a routine lab. task (optical spectroscopic analysis to determine "strength" of a particular batch of dyestuff)

Me to trainee A - "Keith, please pass me a 250ml measuring flask"

Trainee "A" (stood right at the side of about 10 such flasks) - "Eh ?"

Me to trainee B - "Help him, you know, 250ml measuring flask"

Trainee "B" - "A what ?"

And so the long educational journey for them and I began. Before I could get any value from these two I had to show and describe the function of basic lab equipment before moving onto to basic lab. techniques.

To their credit they did know the chemical formula for water !

All sucessive governments have done is put the burden of education into commerce and industry whilst at the same time handing out token bits of paper to satisfy parents little johnny is doing fine.

[janey]

wasn't there talk a while ago about GCSEs being scrapped?

poked around on the net a bit and it seems that some independant schools have been talking about doing this

[Bagpuss]

that makes you ~37 years old as I remember the whole 16+ nonsense

.

GCSEs started in 1988, I did mine the year before so I'm 35!

I can show you my working out if you like!