When will this shit end?

[steviewevie]

38 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

unfortunately I don't think it makes much difference. An election is a long way away, plenty of time for these things to be forgotten.

If anything is going to skewer Spaffer at the Hate Mail it's going to be Brexit. No matter what the outcome at the end of the year, there's just so much opportunity for the Mail to go with the line "this isn't the brexit we voted for" - which is odd, because I've heard that all brexiters knew exactly what they were voting for and Spaffer would deliver it.

Add-in a bit of silly-season generated rage about migrants in small boats and they might start to realise they were giving up control and not taking it back.

I thought Mail had a new owner who was more of a soft brexit type...

edit: sorry, new editor, not owner.

Edited August 13, 2020 by steviewevie

[kingcrawler]

16 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Oh and an outbreak in a Scottish school ... reopening going well ... I wonder if it’s covid secure !! 

Unless there's a second one I've missed everyone involved with that outbreak tested positive before school's reopened, none of those pupils attended school yesterday. 

[mcshed]

20 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Oh and an outbreak in a Scottish school ... reopening going well ... I wonder if it’s covid secure !! 

Impressive given the teachers only started back on Monday and most kids started yesterday.

[steviewevie]

S Korea are way ahead with some of this sci-fi shit...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/13/south-korea-installs-anti-virus-bus-shelters-with-temperature-sensors-and-uv-lamps

 

[Crazyfool01]

10 minutes ago, mcshed said:

Impressive given the teachers only started back on Monday and most kids started yesterday.

Maybe not an outbreak then ... must have misread my newsflash ... off to research further ... 

[steviewevie]

maybe....they should have sat the exams, not really that difficult to make them socially distanced...?

[tarw]

2 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

maybe....they should have sat the exams, not really that difficult to make them socially distanced...?

Quite difficult I’d have thought. Only half of the specifications would have been taught before lockdown and each school would teach them in a different order. What would you examine them on that wouldn’t disadvantage large groups?

[efcfanwirral]

7 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

maybe....they should have sat the exams, not really that difficult to make them socially distanced...?

That's what I thought would happen - when you've got an entire school at your disposal you could have a handful in many different rooms 

[tarw]

The worst thing about the exam systems this year to me is that it will be the middle classes that will have the contacts and motivation to appeal the results meaning there will be a lower number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds 

[FestivalJamie]

Think the exams had to be cancelled.. worrying thing I think is for next year’s exams it feels like it won’t be a level playing field.

Depending on local lockdowns and outbreaks in individual schools, some pupils learning might have been compromised compared to others.

Will have to see how we go. I can definitely see there being outbreaks in secondary schools once they reopen and whole year groups being sent home, 2 schools in Germany had to close within days of opening due to an outbreak within the staff and pupils, can’t see it being any different here.

[Simsy]

11 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

maybe....they should have sat the exams, not really that difficult to make them socially distanced...?

I don't think the exams were the problem, it's the months of school they missed out on.

[philipsteak]

53 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

I’d not be suprised if Williamson goes as some kind of sacrificial lamb ... or will that just mean they have to admit to another cock up 

Not so long ago most of this cabinet would have had to resign or be sacked for their various fuck ups. Or not been made a minister in the first place. Now, you just have to ride it out

[steviewevie]

3 minutes ago, Simsy said:

I don't think the exams were the problem, it's the months of school they missed out on.

but schools shut down the 2nd half of March...wouldn't most of the curriculum had been covered by then?

[steviewevie]

 

[Simsy]

5 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

but schools shut down the 2nd half of March...wouldn't most of the curriculum had been covered by then?

Yeah, but then you get problems where a school has taught everything apart from 1 bit that might come up in the exam, and that bit does come up. Then their pupils are at a disadvantage compared to a school that missed a different part of the curriculum that didn't come up in the exam.

I don't think there is a "fair" way that they could've dealt with this situation though.

[steviewevie]

3 minutes ago, Simsy said:

Yeah, but then you get problems where a school has taught everything apart from 1 bit that might come up in the exam, and that bit does come up. Then their pupils are at a disadvantage compared to a school that missed a different part of the curriculum that didn't come up in the exam.

I don't think there is a "fair" way that they could've dealt with this situation though.

no...I guess not.

[Ryan1984]

As someone who was notoriously terrible at exams (and now interviews) but pretty good at coursework and day-to-day work, this feels like the perfect time to change the way they are graded going forward. Focus on the two years before the two hours under pressure.

[steviewevie]

Just now, Ryan1984 said:

As someone who was notoriously terrible at exams (and now interviews) but pretty good at coursework and day-to-day work, this feels like the perfect time to change the way they are graded going forward. Focus on the two years before the two hours under pressure.

but didn't Gove/Cummings change it recently to make more exam based? Not sure why, and I'm not sure they'd reverse it seeing as those two are running the show.

[Crazyfool01]

At least we have the app round 2 launching ... well they do on the Isle of Wight

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/technology-53753678

[steviewevie]

We live in such an unequal society that you have to do really well at school, otherwise life is a struggle. No wonder all the kids are going mad.

Edited August 13, 2020 by steviewevie

[Andre91]

35 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

but schools shut down the 2nd half of March...wouldn't most of the curriculum had been covered by then?

Speaking from an English standpoint, in my school, yes. However, revision is so, so key. My school does after school sessions, Easter school, Saturday school and has a collapsed time table in the run up to the exams. Independent revision at home is not as effective as being in a classroom with a subject expert there to address any misconceptions and reinforce strong knowledge on the subjects studied. 
 

This exams business is yet another monumental cock up. They have had months to get something solid sorted rather than doing things at the 11th hour. 

Edited August 13, 2020 by Andre91

[Mr.Tease]

46 minutes ago, FestivalJamie said:

Think the exams had to be cancelled.. worrying thing I think is for next year’s exams it feels like it won’t be a level playing field.

 

But when is it ever a level playing field? Some kids get tonnes of extra money spent on their education via private schools. Even with state school kids some have to go to s*** schools while some get to go to good schools depending on where they live.

Then even those private school kids who do badly in their exams after all that extra money, if they have a famous or influencial or rich parent, they can get them to write to Oxford or Cambridge and get them a place. 

The systems always been rigged bollocks, now its just become less disguisable. 

[zahidf]

 

[steviewevie]

12 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Speaking from an English standpoint, in my school, yes. However, revision is so, so key. My school does after school sessions, Easter school, Saturday school and has a collapsed time table in the run up to the exams. Independent revision at home is not as effective as being in a classroom with a subject expert there to address any misconceptions and reinforce strong knowledge on the subjects studied. 
 

This exams business is yet another monumental cock up. They have had months to get something solid sorted rather than doing things at the 11th hour. 

what are your thoughts on exams for next year? Just seems like could be very unfair again...some schools do 2 years on GCSEs, some do 3...some kids are able to work better from home, some aren't...some schools are better equipped for the social distancing thing than others...and yet more schools likely to have to close if outbreaks at schools.

[MrZigster]

16 hours ago, Neville Street said:

2020 - "Hold my Mad Dog..."