Saturday 4 June 2011

You can't teach an old dog new tricks

which translates as it is impossible, or almost impossible, to change people's habits, traits or mindset, especially where politicians and academics are concerned.

An article by Graeme Paton, Education Editor, in today's Daily Telegraph reports that at  least 40 per cent of pupils should take high-quality vocational training that leads directly to a job to cut the youth unemployment rate and boost economic competitiveness, according to Tim Oates, director of research at the Cambridge Assessment exam board. 

Looking at the photographs of both Graeme Paton and Tim Oates, (remember how dismal the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency were?) they are both probably too young to know that in the now dim and distant past our education system used to take the brightest and put them in grammar schools, whilst those of us not so intellectually blessed then learnt a trade.

Just a thought............................


2 comments:

TomTom said...

Ah, but rather like 98% English Education Secretaries they probably went to public school and have zero idea of how State Education functioned or functions.

Grammar Schools were national but essential for The North where there are fewer public schools....the fact that only North Yorkshire has Grammar Schools is revealed by its place in tables of LEAs nationally - in contrast to West Yorkshire

Chuckles said...

No, that would never work, you're clouding the issue with facts again. In Lake Woebegone remember, all children have to be above average.