4/03/2012

UK Education?

So at the moment there is a whole debate about the UK Education system and how the exams should be regulated and set (content wise) by reputable universities. Somehow people are pissed off with this, why? because obviously exams are going to be getting harder... boo hoo. Suck it up, it will make your grades count, it will make your grades make sense and actually mean something to employers. It will allow you to learn more AT university, so why some people are trowing a hissy fit is beyond me.

There are so many things that I disagree with within the UK education system...
Firstly, it likes to narrow itself down as quickly as it possibly can, from age 14 you start dropping subjects and by age 16 you can drop your mother tongue. Grammar is no longer thoroughly taught and maths is often not even considered as something to take for those doing a levels.

I did the IB, something which is more similar to the Dutch education system and something I agree a lot more with, but there are still core subjects missing. In holland you take economics from a young age, it helps you to understand how the world goes round.
There is more international history so that you understand your place. There are second languages, third languages sometimes fourth languages taught.
There is proper sex education, which I think is essential to allow young people to be safe in their activities - kids are having sex younger and younger, it is better for them to be educated about it and know how to prevent anything they may not want (e.g. pregnancy or S.T.I.s).

And then there is the whole fact that the school system is streamed, something which to me makes a lot more sense than the way the English system works. Kids have to repeat years and ensure that their grades are maintained, they have to work hard to get to university. In this country you can get to university with straight Us (That's UNGRADED to those unaware of the ridiculous marking system in this country)...


And I understand that people change in university, they may well get fantastic grades in certain subject but I can't help feeling that there are so many people going to university just for 'the experience'. People are getting degrees (all be they 2-2s or 3rds) left right and centre. I think it is important, and time, to make it more difficult to get degrees, exams, and to take away some of the degrees that don't mean anything. You may want to find graduate work but if you've got a degree in 'media' it really isn't going to do much for you is it?

And what my university has done is it has now alienated the possibility of taking languages for interest - a key skill within any job market is to speak foreign languages, but now I can't improve those skills because you can't be bothered to offer it anymore? What is wrong with this world?!