tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post4813306532047431955..comments2024-03-20T00:30:11.702-07:00Comments on Home Education Heretic: Five "good" GCSEsSimon Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-18438616026130084982010-01-07T04:43:35.393-08:002010-01-07T04:43:35.393-08:00"It is a pity that so many though are being d..."It is a pity that so many though are being denied the opportunity to study A levels and move on to academic subjects at university."<br /><br />Or it could be an indication of the numbers more suited to a vocational route? Obviously an academic route is not going to suit all children, yet schools seem to channel most children down this route with the inevitable result that many of them will fail.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-81556187249039297662010-01-07T02:39:41.632-08:002010-01-07T02:39:41.632-08:00I said "Never mind about college and universi...I said "Never mind about college and university", which was meant to suggest that this was not a topic which I was going to pursue. However, you are quite right. Some vocational course are accessible to children without GCSEs. It is a pity that so many though are being denied the opportunity to study A levels and move on to academic subjects at university. I still maintain that secondary education in this country is in a lamentable state and that this might well contribute to the growing numbers of parents who choose to educate their own children at home.Simon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-23875006878053281032010-01-06T14:57:49.965-08:002010-01-06T14:57:49.965-08:00"Ah, it's good to know that somebody is h..."Ah, it's good to know that somebody is happy with the quality of education being offered by secondary schools in this country! "<br /><br />Err, why would you make this assumption just because I pointed out that college is still open to young people (despite your suggestion otherwise) even after schools have failed them? I can't see the connection.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-30734144922105776462010-01-06T06:17:39.070-08:002010-01-06T06:17:39.070-08:00Yep- geography was also tricky - the physical bits...Yep- geography was also tricky - the physical bits were fine (ie how are waterfalls formed) but all that social stuff which needed some understanding of why people behave as they do.... unfathomable to her - she has enough difficulty understanding why people she knows behave in such odd (to her) ways.<br /><br />Snowed up here -- got the BBC filming abandoned cars etc at nearby services (children keep staggering across road to have a look!) 100 cars stick on A3 next to us overnight and refugees camped out in local church.....Julienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-4294164721618613232010-01-06T04:29:47.719-08:002010-01-06T04:29:47.719-08:00I'm also going to take issue with 'how can...I'm also going to take issue with 'how can anyone not get at least a 'C' in english'<br />I did my GCSE's about 10 years ago at my local state school. I did generally well, getting 10 A* - Cs, with 'A*s' for sciences and an 'A' for maths but I think I did struggle to get my C for English.<br />I admit I now have problems with spelling and grammer sometimes (especially now I don't write very often) but not so much at school.<br />If I had difficulties getting a 'C' (as a reasonably intelligent person who has always read and loved books) then I think it is a lot harder than you think to get a 'C' grade.<br /><br />KAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-31562541509479364902010-01-06T02:35:03.512-08:002010-01-06T02:35:03.512-08:00I seem to recollect your saying that your daughter...I seem to recollect your saying that your daughter was on the autistic spectrum, Julie? Clearly, a question like the one you mention would be a disaster for her. In fact with the emphasis now on empathy in most subjects, I would be curious to know if she has had difficulty in any other topics. Every piece of work now seems to begin, "Imagine you are Romeo, how would you feel?" or "You are a peasant whose baby had just died of Black Death. How would it make you feel?" or even in geography, and this is a true example, "Abdul is nine years old and works a twelve hour day for 50P. How would you feel if that were your life?" I'm guessing that the reason that your daughter is a whizz at maths and science is becuase it deals, at least for now, with facts.Simon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-47535248665861747892010-01-06T02:09:23.069-08:002010-01-06T02:09:23.069-08:00Not going to argue with you generally about the va...Not going to argue with you generally about the value of good GCSES (or else we wouldn't spend so much time or money doing them) but am going to have a dig at your comment on GCSE English lang<br />"how anyone could possibly not manage to get a C" etc - just wanted to make you realise that it isn't all that straightforward for some - my dd has now taken IGCSE/GCSE eng lang 3 times and is the queen of the D grades- her spelling and grammar may be perfect (but as you say that is only 13% of the marks) but she cannot find the right answer to anything that requires "common sense".....so a question which asks something like "explain why Jonny tells Meg he is unhappy" may produce a beautifully written piece of nonsense. Yet the same girl can do A level maths and sciences without difficulty!!<br /><br />As to school exam success though - yes, it may be the schools fault in that some teachers are poor... but some schools have what can only be described as dreadful catchment areas and families who care little about education..various proverbs come to mind... I don't think that anyone can force children to learn if the whole family/culture ethos is working against it.Julienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-79320685876106609302010-01-05T23:53:41.549-08:002010-01-05T23:53:41.549-08:00Ah, it's good to know that somebody is happy w...Ah, it's good to know that somebody is happy with the quality of education being offered by secondary schools in this country! Have you ever thought of a job as press officer for the DCSF?Simon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10865289865412656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7881402584568285627.post-24189960918457337842010-01-05T15:37:10.241-08:002010-01-05T15:37:10.241-08:00College may not be a problem, especially if you ar...College may not be a problem, especially if you are interested in vocational courses such as mechanical engineering, IT, the arts, social care, business, public services, etc. There are plenty of level 1 BTEC courses that you can start without qualifications and use to move up to the next level.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com