BTW, some of you may have figured out I am English.
Here is how Tony Blairs 'Education, Education, Education' election promise has panned out in the last 10 years: (sound like 'Education Revolution'???)
He just changed the requirements to get an 'A'. Whereas prior to his election a student required say 90% to get an A, not they only require 50%. So more people have got As...... isn't everyone getting cleverer? Haven't I done a good job?
Created lots of 'mickey mouse degrees'. Many well meaning parents sent their children to University, very proudly, only to find that 3 years later, industry regards these degrees as pretty much useless, thousands of young people in debt, and unemployed and unemployable. But haven't we done well? 45% of school leavers go onto University (sound familiar - Julia Gillard)... we have raised the educational bar in this country, and have more people than ever before at University.
In fact, the entire school system has been dumbed down to such an extent that some companies and some universities now make students sit an aptitude test as well as other independent tests as entry. So a whole generation of children diligently (or not) work their way towards their A levels, only to find they are not worth the paper they are written on.
And while I am on the subject, I'll mention the governments obsession with 'choice'. They introduced school league tables (sound fimiliar? - Julia Gillard) so that parents would have 'choice'. It meant that parents would be able to choose the better schools. It would iron out entrenched socio economic disparities. Well, all that happened is that better off people moved to areas with better performing schools, house prices went beserk in those catchment areas......and left those less fortunate to put up with their now even worse performing schools, as all the bright or better off children have been moved elsewhere. It POLARISED socioeconomic differences.
