Cretins are two-a-penny since the debasement of education started in the early 90s.

[sasguru]

Since Sas loves to ask people where they went, he must have talked extensively about where he went and what he studied (other than that Open University diploma)?

I don't like to boast.
Doesn't matter does it - since you know I'm considerably cleverer than yau.

[AtW]

If you have graduated before 1992 it just means that you are an old fart (in case of men).

It's the debasement of money that wise people are worried about.

[d000hg]

I don't like to boast.

Doesn't matter does it - since you know I'm considerably cleverer than yau.

You're on a par with proggy and Old Hack, HTH.

[sasguru]

Anyway as every bitter middle-aged person knows, the debasement of education didn't start in the mid 90s. It started a decade or two after they graduated, regardless of when that is.

Not really. There is hard evidence:

1. Talk to any long time professor of maths and every single one will tell you of falling standards.
2. Buy any standard university maths books that's been through several editions. The later editions will invariably have supplementary material that would have been mastered at A-level pre-90s.
Some are obliged to have O-level material.
3. many of the best unis have been forced to change from 3-year to 4-year degrees in tough subjects.
4. My rates are sky high because new grads of the requisite quality are just not coming through.

[NotAllThere]

Not really. There is hard evidence:

1. Talk to any long time professor of maths and every single one will tell you of falling standards.
2. Buy any standard university maths books that's been through several editions. The later editions will invariably have supplementary material that would have been mastered at A-level pre-90s.
Some are obliged to have O-level material.
3. many of the best unis have been forced to change from 3-year to 4-year degrees in tough subjects.
4. My rates are sky high because new grads of the requisite quality are just not coming through.

*shudder*

I hate it when i agree with everything sasguru says in a post.

[d000hg]

3. many of the best unis have been forced to change from 3-year to 4-year degrees in tough subjects.

They have? I was applying to universities in '99 and Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, were definitely still 3 year courses for hard science and maths degrees, as were all the others I can remember like Bath, Warwick, etc.

Many offer an optional 4th year to get a masters, is that what you are referring to or something else? Scottish unis do 4-year courses as standard IIRC - have English ones started doing that as standard too?

[SimonMac]

Just got back from the print shop getting 3 copies of my final essay for my final module all prettily bound - will be winging their way to Milton Keynes tomorrow!

With a good following wind, I will graduate in around 10 weeks!

So you will no longer be a MSILF?

[d000hg]

*shudder*

I hate it when i agree with everything sasguru says in a post.

Surely you don't agree with #4.

[Mich the Tester]

Not really. There is hard evidence:

1. Talk to any long time professor of maths and every single one will tell you of falling standards.
2. Buy any standard university maths books that's been through several editions. The later editions will invariably have supplementary material that would have been mastered at A-level pre-90s.
Some are obliged to have O-level material.
3. many of the best unis have been forced to change from 3-year to 4-year degrees in tough subjects.
4. My rates are sky high because new grads of the requisite quality are just not coming through.

They have? I was applying to universities in '99 and Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, were definitely still 3 year courses for hard science and maths degrees, as were all the others I can remember like Bath, Warwick, etc.

Many offer an optional 4th year to get a masters, is that what you are referring to or something else? Scottish unis do 4-year courses as standard IIRC - have English ones started doing that as standard too?

Erm, excuse me but if somebody's just plain thick, why would an extra year at university help? Inability to understand things isn't about speed of learning; it's just plain dimness.

On the other hand, someone with a good brain can probably do OK without university.

[eek]

Surely you don't agree with #4.

The problem is that I can agree to the 2nd half of #4 and so I can imagine that Sas's are sky high.