No exams?

[Snee]

We had a reform halfway through when I went to school.

From having had the kind of system where grades were based almost purely on exam results they started doing the continual assessment-thing.

Exams shows what you learn and that you learn. What the fuck does your willingness to pretend you're doing something in class, even though it's all fucking stupid, and you got it long ago have to do with what your grade should be?

Even worse was having to do stuff in groups. Bunch of idiots dragging you down, screwing up you rhytm and at worst trying to boss you around. Something about social competence, they said. And also something about how the old system favoured some male way of thinking, so now they remade it for girls. Cunts. And when we did have exams you could tell just blathering on about stuff, even though you could say what you needed with a sentence rather than a fucking story, increased your chance at a better grading if you wrote half a page.

In the end I adapted to it by taking charge whenever things were going downhill. I hate ordering people around.

If it's something like that what's going on at your schools...

Hippie scumbag idiots.

[CrabGirl]

I had exams every fecking year, and end of term tests, and mocks, and spot-tests and everything!

Mind you, that was ages ago.

[J-dye]

another prick in the wall

[Biggles]

Exams and beatings - that is what made this country great....or was it beatings and exams? I forget which

Don't worry Skweeks, if you don't like an educational policy just wait a year two. Another one will come by presently.

[Squeamous]

I thought British kids were amongst the most heavily assessed anywhere. Even toddlers seem to have exams here, and kids start school earlier than most civilised countries (before they're ready according to some). I'm 28 and I was tested the fuck out of all through school. The British education system is still the envy of the world...just.

[Snee]

The British education system is still the envy of the world...just.

That's a wee bit of an overstatement, but you do all right from what I remember from looking at indexes, like EDIs, and stuff.

[Squeamous]

It's certainly done alright for me. If a child has the right personal and parental attitude to learning there's no reason they shouldn't do just as well at a state school as a private one. Private schools are excellent for getting the thick and vapid past exams though....which unfortunately a lot of toffs are.

Either way, I know I could go anywhere in the world to live and work with the education I've got. I didn't have to do anything special to get it, just reach out and take it, and it was largely free at the point of delivery. I'm really grateful for the UK's education system.

[xs5]

I only just found out you lazy British lot don't actually have exams every year in highschool!

I went through 6 years of 2 exam periods a year. Sometimes we had 3!

wtf?! who told you this?
This is just not true. I have exams at least 3 times a year.

[Skweeky]

Do you live in Scotland?

[JPaul]

It's certainly done alright for me. If a child has the right personal and parental attitude to learning there's no reason they shouldn't do just as well at a state school as a private one.

That depends on the subjects to a certain extent. Private schools always have the right resources to teach any subject they offer. In state Schools that often isn't the case, getting as bad as book sharing in some instances.

In addition Private Schools can pick and chose from the pool of teachers, whereas quite a lot of state schools have to take what they can get. Depending on the area they are in.

And also excluding children tends not to be a problem, a simple word with the parents and pointing out that their child may no longer be welcome would normally solve any problems. Particularly as they would then have difficulty getting into another school in the private sector. They ask the previous school for a reference.

I'm really glad you were lucky enough to get a good state education and I know a lot of people do. However having worked in a couple I can assure you the Children are doing well to get any sort of education at all.

I agree with your point with regard to private schools being better at getting people through exams and getting them qualifications. However they can only really maximise the potential that's there anyway.