On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 23:57:49 -0000, "IMM" wrote:

We are well overdue. The French revolution was a 180 degree change and that
has worked exceptionally well.

Absolutely! I do tend to the idea that really massive change only
comes about after a revolution or defeat (France and Germany
respectively). But what we are doing in Britain is continually
changing things because we don't know how, or haven't the will, to
make what we already have work properly. The latest crazy idea from
the chief crazies in Whitehall and Westminster is to scrap A-levels
and GCSEs and replace them with "diplomas". Any problems with A-levels
are therefore deemed unfixable, despite the fact that we have had the
A-level system in the UK for years, and the only way to fix them is,
apparently, to scrap them. Think of the enormous cost the new diplomas
will incur! Armies of extra public servants will be recruited to shift
mountains for new forms, the new plans will take years to bed down and
become as widely understood in industry as A-levels are today, and
then, if and when, the diplomas start to become effective, some future
government will decide it's time for a change again because problems
have been found and deemed to be unfixable.

The only way to stop this kind of ridiculous dogma is to cut off its
air supply.

MM