If I hadn't gone to private school...

[DodgyAgent]

Perhaps the greatest selling point of a British education was that the exams were so easy to pass. Bloody glad I didn't have to do the Swiss school exams.

I am glad I stuck to GCSE woodwork

[Churchill]

I am glad I stuck to GCSE woodwork

Yeah but you were 35 when you finally passed!

[darmstadt]

I always thought that a private school was the American way of naming a public school or have we now taken on another American mannerism so that public schools are now taxpayer funded and private schools are what the middle class send to their children now?

[Mich the Tester]

I always thought that a private school was the American way of naming a public school or have we now taken on another American mannerism so that public schools are now taxpayer funded and private schools are what the middle class send to their children now?

OK, so I went to a 'public school' which was privately funded, and to a 'prep school' which is known as a 'private school'; just like cricket, I rarely try explaining this to people from outside the UK.

[darmstadt]

In the 1988 GCSE Maths exam, I seem to remember the first question being; 'Write three million and six hundred thousand in figures'. I asked the examiner to check if I had the right paper and he confirmed I did. I got an 'A'; this was before the introduction of the A* and have ever since wondered what feats of number writing people must display to gain the star.

Needless to say, the Common Entrance exam I did at 13 was harder.

But at least I still know how to write 3.00,00,000000.00,0 and 6000000000000000000000,0,000!

**** me you've got a good memory, I think I did mine in '88 and all I seem to remember is thinking "I've failed this!"


tulip, it was '80 I did mine

[DodgyAgent]

Yeah but you were 35 when you finally passed!

Cheeky git

[DodgyAgent]

**** me you've got a good memory, I think I did mine in '88 and all I seem to remember is thinking "I've failed this!"


tulip, it was '80 I did mine

[mudskipper]

**** me you've got a good memory, I think I did mine in '88 and all I seem to remember is thinking "I've failed this!"


tulip, it was '80 I did mine

I remember the first question on my 1984 O level maths paper - it was to find the perimeter of a rug with semi circular ends. I remember it, because I did the area, not the perimeter - noticed on my final check through but didn't have time to change it and spent the whole summer convinced that I'd blown it. I still got an A though

[Old Greg]

I remember the first question on my 1984 O level maths paper - it was to find the perimeter of a rug with semi circular ends. I remember it, because I did the area, not the perimeter - noticed on my final check through but didn't have time to change it and spent the whole summer convinced that I'd blown it. I still got an A though

You were a late starter.

[OwlHoot]

The main problem is that these days there are so many more well-paid jobs available for degree qualified men, and even more so (compared to say 60 years ago) for women. So to attract teachers of the necessary calibre, you're competing with all these jobs and would have to pay salaries to match.

There's no way this situation will improve until interactive virtual reality computer training courses, with a few inspirational tip-top teachers indirectly lecturing to thousands, are of sufficient quality to be used more widely in schools, at least as a supplement to mediocre teaching.

From Why Are Swedish Students Falling Behind? - Business Insider

Mr Bjorklund blames the poor results on the period when the Social Democrats were in charge. Others say poorly paid teachers are at fault. The profession, once highly regarded, has seen salaries fall far behind other jobs requiring a higher-education degree. The student demand for teaching programmes is so low that almost anyone applying will be accepted. As many teachers approach retirement, unions warn of a teacher crisis ahead. ...