Scrapping GCSEs?

[Workingman]

At last someone is getting the picture. The CBI chief, John Cridland, wants to widen the curriculum to include vocational subjects with the same value as academic ones. He, at least, has recognised that not all pupils are academically minded yet still need the skills to get them into work.

Focussing purely on core subjects and the Arts leaves many pupils disenfranchised.

When I was at secondary school we had practical subjects such as woodwork, metalwork, textiles, horti/agriculture where the focus was on learning their techniques and their technical intricacies and then producing something. When pupils left they already had a grounding in such things as brazing, welding, lathe work, dressmaking, haberdashery, gardening and landscaping. They were primed for entry into many trades and could use their hands as well as their brains.

We have lost all that in thinking that everyone and his dog can go to university.

[Kaz]

I hope this works, the idea that all children should fit a narrow academic path is ridiculous It sets the vast majority of children up for failure, and has devalued the university degree

A degree really used to mean something special, now the world and his wife has one, and worse still you need one for all but the most basic of jobs - thereby starting out in life with a huge debt around your neck

[Workingman]

I cannot imagine how depressing it must be for young pupils to have to go the academic route when they do not have the arms to cope. They are out there, quite a few of them.

Yes, there are those who do not even try, and for them I have little sympathy, but for those who genuinely do not have academic intelligence it must be a nightmare.

[Suff]

I've paid to put 3 children through university. On is a policeman, one is a dropout in Argentina and one is a dropout in the UK doing a file clerk job.

I managed to talk #3 son out of a degree when I made him realise that with his existing experience he would get much greater benefit from spending the money on courses in his chosen trade (IT), than in a totally useless Uni Degree which would only load him down with debt and leave him still having to take the courses.

I'm all for vocational stuff for those who don't have the academic flair (I, for one could not get a degree to save my life), so long at it leads to real supported experience which will lead to employment.

[Workingman]

I'm all for vocational stuff for those who don't have the academic flair (I, for one could not get a degree to save my life), so long at it leads to real supported experience which will lead to employment.

Nail on head.

Currently vocational qualifications are seen as Micky Mouse qualifications, and because they are so poor, probably rightly so. In my day we had ONC leading to OND and then HNC leading to HND. These vocational qualification, often gained by work and attendance at Polytechnics, were valued. They formed at least the first year, possibly second with HND, at University.

It is possible to be intelligent without knowing which King did this, who painted that, or understanding E=mc².

[Aggers]

I quite agree that more opportunities should be given for school children to take the non-academic route.

I see that we have a serious shortage of qualified engineers now.

If Technical colleges and apprenticeships had been used instead, this shortage would have been prevented .

I blame Tony Blair, with his "education, education, education" policy.

( In fact I blame ruddy politicians for most things.)

[Workingman]

Couldn't agree more Aggers.

I got a few 'O' levels and CSEs at school, but I went on to do a proper apprenticeship in printing. This allowed me to go on to take an HND and, eventually, a degree in Technology.

It took me longer than the school, college and University route, but I got there in the end.

We learn at different rates and are stronger in some subjects than others, yet the 'experts' fail to notice this.

It depresses me no end.

[Suff]

Me too.

This education system we have is the so called third way which was so touted in the 1990's and early 2000's.

In reality the third way is nothing more than warehousing people who are not working in either long term sick or education of one kind or another. Both of which are a huge drag on the economy.

Blair, being an idiot of monumental proportions, thought he could mandate University for everyone thus hiding millions of unemployed and also growing youth unemployment. All he did was indebt a huge chunk of the young and devalue UK University educations...

Time to get back to real basics. Not that they will. They'll just kick the tyres a bit, knock out a few dents and add a new lick of paint.

And so the great cycle of incompetency continues... At least they are fixing the economy. The rest is still heading downhill..