Education, education, education

[Mancie]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

To pour further boiling oil on the raging waters around education ! EMA, I was never paid to go to school & I'm pretty sure a lot of people on here weren't so why is EMA supposedly seen as so important ?It was introduced around 2003/4 although a pilot had been running since 1999. Was the true reason a cynical ploy by powers that be to manipulate unemployment figures & further the dependency culture ? While at the same time sowing the seeds for future party militants & "Their rights!" ?

Now the threat of it being cut has raised the heads of these mini militants in the form of protest action ! Er, aren't they supposed to be at school/college getting their education today ? Or is it because a few have come to see it as a handout/pocket money from the state & their right to do as they please with ? Some of the students questioned have admitted as much !

Generally curious as to peoples views ! Especially any in receipt of such largess & what it means to them. (Honestly)

NewsNow: Loading story...

This don't make much sense to me if it is supposed to save money... at present people between the ages of 17/18 in higher education can claim EMA at around £20/£30 per week.. if living at home with parents this is thier only income...when the EMA is abolished it seems to me the only other option for these young people.. judging by the massive upturn in 16 to 18yr old unemployment rates over the last six months... is to expect thier parents to keep them and/or sign on the dole!.. what a lame excuse this is to reduce the deficit...the future this government are offering is one that gives no opportunity or help when our youngsters leave school at 16.. it is a disgrace.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Mancie

...the future this government are offering is one that gives no opportunity or help when our youngsters leave school at 16.. it is a disgrace.

Maybe people need to start thinking that kids leave education at 18 and not 16 and that if you decide to have children they will be in school until they are 18 and you will have to provide for them at least until then.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Eric

Thirteen years of Labour misrule ....

Looks like you've got the message Eric

[steeljack]

Originally Posted by steeljack

Looking at the attached tables (from last weeks Accrington Observer )

GCSE - Accrington Observer

seems only one Hyndburn secondary school (St. Christophers) was in the top half of the Lancashire national average listing , four other Hyndburn schools are way down near the bottom of the table, Rhyddings being 3rd from the bottom , Norden not much higher.

Can anyone offer an explanation for these poor local showings ,maybe a local County Councillor , failing that a Hyndburn Councillor ... Know that a few Accy web parents have a children attending these schools, care to make a comment, are you happy with the education your child is getting.

re. my earlier above post .... a new report in the Observer shows that Norden High School (Rishton/Hyndburn) is to be congratulated as one of the top 100 improved schools nationwide , yet it is still listed as being one of the lowest performing schools in Lancashire .(see link above)
Question ... who takes responsibility for the place providing such a crap education to todays youngsters and those from previous years .......any Local or County Councillor want to hold up their hand
Accrington latest Blog Archive Rishton school in country’s top 100

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by steeljack

re. my earlier above post .... a new report in the Observer shows that Norden High School (Rishton/Hyndburn) is to be congratulated as one of the top 100 improved schools nationwide , yet it is still listed as being one of the lowest performing schools in Lancashire .(see link above)
Question ... who takes responsibility for the place providing such a crap education to todays youngsters and those from previous years .......any Local or County Councillor want to hold up their hand
Accrington latest Blog Archive Rishton school in country’s top 100

The education system as far as I can see it has become a bureaucratic mess since I left school. I cannot fault a single part of my primary and secondary education and was taught a huge range of things which would probably result in immediate suspension for any teacher trying it these days.

Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds, encouraging me to bring in my story tapes so that we could all sit and listen, handing over editing of the school videos to me because I had no interest in woodwork, teaching me how to play the keyboard because sports day was a complete bore for both myself and the music teacher....

Unfortunately, we're now sitting in a country where no one is allowed to be individual except on television programmes such as American Idol or Big Brother so everyone is judged by exactly the same standards.

I gave up on all these league tables years ago. Kids are shown to be both underacheiving and overacheiving from week to week depending on whose report it is. Exams are too easy and too hard, teachers are pushing them too far and being too lax, physical education is generating favouritism whilst ensuring that all kids are equal but most of all we're breeding a nation of potential schizophrenics.

The headmaster at Norden is a fine man and understands how children work and the team of teachers there does the best they can within the confines they find themselves in. What these marvellous league tables fail to recognise is the simple principle of demographics:

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT

None of this existed for my mum and dad yet strangely they've done OK in life.