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How can we ensure the research our Universities produce is available and accessible to all of us, and not locked away on highly expensive third party publisher websites?
Submitted by: chriskeene | 24 votes for this..
0 comments | Topic: Education |
Mr Hamilton, With recent rumours about GCSE's being scrapped and the over-testing of children being criticised in general, what is the future for testing in schools in the UK?
Submitted by: eburton | 13 votes for this..
I think we will have 'end of secondary school' tests for the foreseeable future. Employers and other education institutions need some objective information about the diligence and competency of the people applying to them. Young people themselves need goals towards which they can work. I also think we need reliable measurement at the end of the primary stage but I am not persuaded of relying solely on teacher assessment. For standards to be universal teacher assessment would have to be closely moderated and that is very expensive and would take out of the classroom many hours of teachers time. My broad brush solution is for the Key Stage 2 tests to continue but for them to be marked by the teachers in the schools as part of a revised teachers' contract. That process would need checking but at least pupils would be sitting the same papers. I would not allow any repeat testing to be done by secondary schools on pupils as soon as they are admitted. I am also worried about the abolition of KS3 SATs for pupils aged 14. Secondary years are precious and we must be sure that schools intervene early if pupils fall behind. I am not sure we can yet rely on idiosyncratic school assessment methods in all cases to spot, in time, pupils who are not making expected progress.
From TSR website posted by hebe001: Do you not feel that allowing universities to increase tuition fees contradicts the government's target of getting 50% of all young people to go to uni?
Submitted by: StudentRoom | 1 votes for this..
From TSR website user Daniel Williams: I go to Bangor University and some of my lectures within the business school have a higher proportion of international students to home nation students, whilst they... Show more »From TSR website user Daniel Williams: I go to Bangor University and some of my lectures within the business school have a higher proportion of international students to home nation students, whilst they pay higher fees do you feel universities (or at least some departments) are abusing their overseas advertising to pull students in to get those higher international fees rather than taking on home nation students? Show less »
Submitted by: StudentRoom | 2 votes for this..
There are an estimated 3-6 million regular users of Cannabis in the UK. Over half of the population have probably used it at least once. Many people know at least one person who uses Cannabis recreationally... Show more »There are an estimated 3-6 million regular users of Cannabis in the UK. Over half of the population have probably used it at least once. Many people know at least one person who uses Cannabis recreationally with no ill effect to anyone other than themselves and the Netherlands is no longer the only country in the world where Cannabis is legally available to adults. With growing concerns over young people consuming stronger strains of Cannabis, and greater public acknowledgement of the failure that has been the war on Drug users, is there a chance that you or any other politician might initiate a serious debate about the regulation and taxation of Cannabis? Show less »
Submitted by: levent | 42 votes for this..
From TSR website user Indievertigo: 1. Why is it that a lot of teenagers from a working class background don't know how the finance system works? The way it is, people with potential to do excellently... Show more »From TSR website user Indievertigo: 1. Why is it that a lot of teenagers from a working class background don't know how the finance system works? The way it is, people with potential to do excellently in University can (according to many, many discussions on TSR regarding fees) dismiss it immediately as being too expensive - they don't know how the system works, how it isn't very expensive at all and how much support they can get. 2. Will the government raise awareness on these issues and how will they do that? Show less »
What is your view on a graduate tax and is it the only alternative to higher tuition fees??
Submitted by: anthillel | 11 votes for this..
Why do you think the Labour policy to aim for 50% of young people to go onto Higher Education was a good one?
Submitted by: Moman | 9 votes for this..
will you be doing something to make the funding of universities adequate for what they need and make a fair system of providing this by an effective graduate tax. also degree standards need to be addressed,... Show more »will you be doing something to make the funding of universities adequate for what they need and make a fair system of providing this by an effective graduate tax. also degree standards need to be addressed, there has been alot of talk about the issuing of degrees to substandard students. and the policing of this. you should do something to standardise all degrees from cambridge university to UCLan, to make sure we do not end up where degrees are not worth the paper their written on. Doing this by an independent organisation. these are the two biggest concerns that face the UK's higher education system Show less »
Submitted by: TheSophist | 7 votes for this..
The cap on HE student numbers means that for Colleges such as Doncaster with an ambition to grow to meet the local need and with only 18% participation in HE and a real need to widen participation we ... Show more »The cap on HE student numbers means that for Colleges such as Doncaster with an ambition to grow to meet the local need and with only 18% participation in HE and a real need to widen participation we may in Augist be turning local students from non-traditional backgrounds who will study no where else except Docaster down surely this is not what we want. Show less »
Submitted by: mabeymark | 7 votes for this..