Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to burn
more efficiently - any truth in the theory? A similar thing is used to stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work

SS wrote:
Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a similar
thing is available for gas pipes.

Genius.

I have no doubt that they work just as well on gas as they do on petrol.


Its a strong pair of magnets that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to burn
more efficiently - any truth in the theory?

No.

A similar thing is used to stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work

No.

Don't they teach science at school any more? I feel old...


--
Grunff

Grunff wrote:
Don't they teach science at school any more? I feel old...

"Science" etc. is still taught - however, what used to be an "O"
level now seems the approximate standard for an "A" level. It
seems that basically anything from the '80s is a pale shadow of
what went before.

Chris Bacon wrote:
Grunff wrote:

Don't they teach science at school any more? I feel old...


"Science" etc. is still taught - however, what used to be an "O"
level now seems the approximate standard for an "A" level. It
seems that basically anything from the '80s is a pale shadow of
what went before.

ahem

Well, I did my GCSEs (that's right - not O levels!) in 1990, and my A
levels in 1992. Back then, no one in my physics or chemistry classes
would have needed to ask whether magnetic fuel conditioners can work.


--
Grunff

Grunff wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
Grunff wrote:
Don't they teach science at school any more? I feel old...

"Science" etc. is still taught - however, what used to be an "O"
level now seems the approximate standard for an "A" level. It
seems that basically anything from the '80s is a pale shadow of
what went before.

ahem

Ooops! Didn't realise you are so young... (were you a "mature
student" (or pupil)?)


Well, I did my GCSEs (that's right - not O levels!) in 1990, and my A
levels in 1992. Back then, no one in my physics or chemistry classes
would have needed to ask whether magnetic fuel conditioners can work.

I'm not sure that is appropriate for "O" levels, or "GCSEs" -
however, they are the sort of things that - should they really
be of any use whatsoever - sell themselves, like, for instance,
draught-proofing, electric lighhts, cider, or whatever. However,
they don't. Even someone comaparatively light on education
experience should be able to fathom that - KWIM?

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 23:00:48 +0000, Chris Bacon
wrote:

Grunff wrote:
Don't they teach science at school any more? I feel old...

"Science" etc. is still taught - however, what used to be an "O"
level now seems the approximate standard for an "A" level. It
seems that basically anything from the '80s is a pale shadow of
what went before.

You really should stop reading the Daily Mail and live with kids doing
GCSE and A level.

As one who did sciences at O and A level AND has teenaged children I
can assure you that standards of examination are, if anything, higher
than in my day. At least I could skive for most of the year and swat
like mad before exams - todays kids are pressured throughout their
years of GCSE and A level with no letup. From the age of 4 they are
poked, prodded, examined and judged. They have far less leisure (play)
time, no where near as much time for socialisation and art and a LOT
more homework. They go to University with an expectation of a £20,000+
debt when they leave and that is assuming their parents can afford the
fees and a contribution towards living expenses.

People like you who rubbish the achievements of today's youth make me
sick to my stomach

--
Warning: Do not look directly into laser with remaining eye.

On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 00:03:47 GMT, I wrote:


People like you who rubbish the achievements of today's youth make me
^H
sick to my stomach

****.

Well I was angry!

--
Warning: Do not look directly into laser with remaining eye.

On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 00:03:47 GMT, Geoffrey
wrote:

People like you who rubbish the achievements of today's youth

But the youth of today doesn't _get_ to achieve anything, that's the
problem.

I have some A level "A" grades (1982). Not many people got As, they
represent a reasonable bit of effort and achievement, something you can
be proud of. Today the best I could achieve would be the (supposedly)
same "A" grade, which I'd be sharing with 1/3rd of those taking the
exam. What's the point in trying to achieve a good result (in terms of
correct answers), when the highest result (awarded) is merely this "a
bit better than mediocre" ?

Today's A levels are a completely devalued and worthless system. Maybe
the kids are working extremely hard and deserve a reward, but we'll
never _know_ who these good students were.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "SS" saying
something like:

Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to burn
more efficiently - any truth in the theory? A similar thing is used to stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work

Oh no; not again.

There's always a new twist on these things. Utter, utter bilge.
--

Dave

On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 00:14:35 +0000, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 00:03:47 GMT, Geoffrey
wrote:

People like you who rubbish the achievements of today's youth

But the youth of today doesn't _get_ to achieve anything, that's the
problem.

They would do if it were not for people like you.

I have some A level "A" grades (1982).

Mine were 1973.

Not many people got As, they
represent a reasonable bit of effort and achievement, something you can
be proud of. Today the best I could achieve would be the (supposedly)
same "A" grade, which I'd be sharing with 1/3rd of those taking the
exam. What's the point in trying to achieve a good result (in terms of
correct answers), when the highest result (awarded) is merely this "a
bit better than mediocre" ?

But what you do not realise is that the A grade of today is just as
good (if not better) as the A grade of your (and my) year. The A level
(and GCSE) students today work HARDER! They are expected to get As and
anything less than a B (or a C at GCSE) is discounted as worthless.
How do you think that makes the B and C graders feel?


Today's A levels are a completely devalued and worthless system. Maybe
the kids are working extremely hard and deserve a reward, but we'll
never _know_ who these good students were.


How DARE YOU! You cavalierly discount the efforts of thousands of
teenagers and wonder why they congregate in shopping malls and spit at
you. I think if I were a teenager today I would read this sort of crap
and say "why the **** should I bother - it doesn't matter how hard I
work or what result I achieve, some middle class, middle aged moron
will say my efforts are worthless".

If you have children I feel sorry for them. I do have children and I
am proud of the effort they made to get A grades and it was a damn
site more effort than I made.

--
Warning: Do not look directly into laser with remaining eye.

"SS" wrote in message
...
Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to
burn
more efficiently

I have seen no test results to say they do.

A similar thing is used to stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work

I have one and it works.

"Geoffrey" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 23:00:48 +0000, Chris Bacon
wrote:

Grunff wrote:
Don't they teach science at school any more? I feel old...

"Science" etc. is still taught - however, what used to be an "O"
level now seems the approximate standard for an "A" level. It
seems that basically anything from the '80s is a pale shadow of
what went before.

You really should stop reading the Daily Mail and live with kids doing
GCSE and A level.

As one who did sciences at O and A level AND has teenaged children I
can assure you that standards of examination are, if anything, higher
than in my day. At least I could skive for most of the year and swat
like mad before exams - todays kids are pressured throughout their
years of GCSE and A level with no letup. From the age of 4 they are
poked, prodded, examined and judged. They have far less leisure (play)
time, no where near as much time for socialisation and art and a LOT
more homework. They go to University with an expectation of a £20,000+
debt when they leave and that is assuming their parents can afford the
fees and a contribution towards living expenses.

People like you who rubbish the achievements of today's youth make me
sick to my stomach

I agree with you.

On Fri, 4 Nov 2005 00:56:41 -0000, "Doctor Drivel"
wrote:


I agree with you.

OK - I will admit to secretly wanting a combi (or possibly two) in my
5 bed 2 bath house.

--
Warning: Do not look directly into laser with remaining eye.

I did O and A levels in 1970 and 72 respectively and covered this type
of thing in third form. It's been a gradual decline, but faster in
the last 15 years.

We need some plain old fashioned elitism again.

One has only to look at the examination papers to see that there is an
enormous decline in standards. I was doing some comparisons just
recently.

The amount of measurement and examination has certainly increased
dramatically in the last generation, but one should not confuse that
with quality of education or the level and type of learning achieved.

The type and purpose of education should be fitted to the needs and
aptitude of the student, not delivered as a one-size-fits-all.

People have not changed genetically in the last generation, but the
reality is that only some will benefit from a university education
focussed on some content but more importantly on how to think, how to
handle information and how to address problems. Others will benefit
from something with more vocational focus as used to be provided by
polytechnics, some from technical college and others from practical
apprenticeships.

Now every educational establishment wants to call itself a university
and the government to have 50% of the population going to one whether
it suits them or not. This is a complete nonsense. I looked
recently at the prospectus of a local educational establishment that
used to be a reasonable technical college and is now a "university".
One of the degree courses included an item on flower arranging. I
don't think that there is anything wrong in learning flower arranging,
but to suggest that it needs a "degree course" is ridiculous. It is
this type of nonsense that is undermining the achievement of students
by letting them be fooled into some feel-good thing that bears no
relationship to what the economy requires or indeed the students
themselves.

The model of having student loans etc. rather than grants based on the
ability to pay is a separate issue and another nonsense.



Again the one-size-fits-all mentality ends up not serving the needs of
anybody. Availability of quality university education has declined,
as has that of the apprencticeship.

On Fri, 4 Nov 2005 00:50:41 -0000, "Doctor Drivel"
wrote:


"SS" wrote in message
...
Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to
burn
more efficiently

I have seen no test results to say they do.

A similar thing is used to stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work

I have one and it works.

You must be gullible.

Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to
burn
more efficiently - any truth in the theory? A similar thing is used to
stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work


These magnetic fuel thingies are an absolutely brilliant invention, and they
do exactly what the designers intended them to do.

Unfortunately the intended purpose is to 'magnetically' remove money from
the wallet of the gullible, and transfer if to the wallet of the designer. A
task which they perform admirably.

"andy hall" akak Matt wrote in message
oups.com...

I did O and A levels in 1970 and 72 respectively and covered this type
of thing in third form. It's been a gradual decline, but faster in
the last 15 years.

Matt, stop making things up. They are harder than ever.

We need some plain old fashioned elitism again.

The head of narrow minded petty snobbery obsessed Little Middle England
rises again.

"Geoffrey" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 4 Nov 2005 00:56:41 -0000, "Doctor Drivel"
wrote:


I agree with you.

OK - I will admit to secretly wanting a combi (or possibly two) in my
5 bed 2 bath house.

Common sense at last.

"SS" wrote in message
...
Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to
burn
more efficiently - any truth in the theory? A similar thing is used to
stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work



Another bloody Troll

"andy hall" aka Matt wrote in message
oups.com...

One has only to look at the examination
papers to see that there is an
enormous decline in standards. I was
doing some comparisons just
recently.

Matt, more Little Middle England tripe. As the man said, it is not 100%
exam based, you can't cram any more. It is now proper with assessment and
coursework taken into account. They have to stick with it all along.

snip Little Middle England babble and misinformation

"Edward W. Thompson" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 4 Nov 2005 00:50:41 -0000, "Doctor Drivel"
wrote:


"SS" wrote in message
...
Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a
similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that
clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to
burn
more efficiently

I have seen no test results to say they do.

A similar thing is used to stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work

I have one and it works.

You must be gullible.

It works. How is that being gullible? Once again, it works.

"SimonJ" wrote in message
...

Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a
similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that
clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to
burn
more efficiently - any truth in the theory? A similar thing is used to
stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work


These magnetic fuel thingies are an absolutely brilliant invention, and
they
do exactly what the designers intended them to do.

Unfortunately the intended purpose is to 'magnetically' remove money from
the wallet of the gullible, and transfer if to the wallet of the designer.
A
task which they perform admirably.

I agree.

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:51:59 GMT, "SS" wrote:

Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to burn
more efficiently - any truth in the theory? A similar thing is used to stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work

They are rubbish and a con...



Remove antispam and add 670 after bra to email

http://www.no2id.org/

On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 00:45:04 GMT, Geoffrey
wrote:


But what you do not realise is that the A grade of today is just as
good (if not better) as the A grade of your (and my) year. The A level
(and GCSE) students today work HARDER! They are expected to get As and
anything less than a B (or a C at GCSE) is discounted as worthless.

But what is the point of A levels ?

Like it or not, exams have always been used as an indicator of how
academically gifted a person is and the current system fails to allow
that.

In the past if a student got three As then it was a pretty good bet
that they were, academically speaking, in the top few percent and
therefore would benefit from access to one of the limited university
places available and/or contribute most to a future employer.

Nowadays it is not possible to say the same. It's a fact of life that
some people are not as academically gifted as others and giving them a
false hope by awarding them the same grade as someone who is much more
gifted than them is both cruel and stupid.

Everybody has some things they are good at and some they are bad at
and I think the current education system spends too much time trying
to pretend all students are good at everything and not enough time
*finding out* what they're really good at and encouraging that.

How do you think that makes the B and C graders feel?


About the same as those who got an 'O' grade or failed their 'A'
levels in the past I imagine.

Cheers,

John

Geoffrey wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
Grunff wrote:

Don't they teach science at school any more? I feel old...

"Science" etc. is still taught - however, what used to be an "O"
level now seems the approximate standard for an "A" level. It
seems that basically anything from the '80s is a pale shadow of
what went before.


You really should stop reading the Daily Mail and live with kids doing
GCSE and A level.

Don't be so silly, Geoffrey.


As one who did sciences at O and A level AND has teenaged children I
can assure you that standards of examination are, if anything, higher
than in my day.

Standards of examination may be hightr, although I doubt it, but
standards of knowledge certainly are not.
At least I could skive for most of the year and swat
like mad before exams

Really? What diod you take, then, and where, and what were your
results? Please be honest.


- todays kids are pressured throughout their
years of GCSE and A level with no letup. From the age of 4 they are
poked, prodded, examined and judged. They have far less leisure (play)
time, no where near as much time for socialisation and art and a LOT
more homework. They go to University with an expectation of a £20,000+
debt when they leave and that is assuming their parents can afford the
fees and a contribution towards living expenses.

All for nothing, in many cases.


People like you who rubbish the achievements of today's youth make me
sick to my stomach

What an odd expression. Puke away, then.

Chris Bacon wrote:

Ooops! Didn't realise you are so young... (were you a "mature
student" (or pupil)?)

No.


I'm not sure that is appropriate for "O" levels, or "GCSEs"

What, a basic understanding of what molecules are, and the forces which
hold them together? Certainly was part of my GCSE physics and Chemistry.


--
Grunff

Nowadays it is not possible to say the same. It's a fact of life that
some people are not as academically gifted as others and giving them a
false hope by awarding them the same grade as someone who is much more
gifted than them is both cruel and stupid.

Everybody has some things they are good at and some they are bad at
and I think the current education system spends too much time trying
to pretend all students are good at everything and not enough time
*finding out* what they're really good at and encouraging that.

Absolutely. That is exactly the point.

As the man said, it is not 100%
exam based, you can't cram any more. It is now proper with assessment and
coursework taken into account. They have to stick with it all along.

You never could beyond A level anyway and it was marginal there.

Education from a university perspective was and should be about
learning how to think, analyse and deal with issues, not the loading of
explicit information which in many cases has limited shelf life.

It isn't possible to cram the ability to think

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:51:59 -0000, SS wrote:

Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now a
similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause them to
burn
more efficiently - any truth in the theory? A similar thing is used to
stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work

rolls eyes upwards, calls out the name of the almighty
bangs head on desk three times

It had to happen, I suppose, another interminable magnets do/dont' do this
thread. Perhaps I should market a magnetic device for putting around the
necks of beer bottles because it makes the beer taste better, gets you
drunker and completely eliminates the risk of a hangover. Any takers?

John Schmitt

--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

"andy hall" aka Matt wrote in message
ps.com...
As the man said, it is not 100%
exam based, you can't cram any more. It is now proper with assessment and
coursework taken into account. They have to stick with it all along.

You never could beyond A level anyway and it was marginal there.

Matt, it is more assessment geared these days. Not up to having a good
memory.

Education from a university perspective was and should be about
learning how to think, analyse and deal with issues, not the loading of
explicit information which in many cases has limited shelf life.

It was and still is about thinking. Matt, where did you go wrong?

"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
...
Geoffrey wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
Grunff wrote:

Don't they teach science at school any more? I feel old...

"Science" etc. is still taught - however, what used to be an "O"
level now seems the approximate standard for an "A" level. It
seems that basically anything from the '80s is a pale shadow of
what went before.


You really should stop reading the Daily Mail and live with kids doing
GCSE and A level.

Don't be so silly, Geoffrey.

Geoffrey is totally right.

"John Anderton" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 00:45:04 GMT, Geoffrey
wrote:


But what you do not realise is that the A grade of today is just as
good (if not better) as the A grade of your (and my) year. The A level
(and GCSE) students today work HARDER! They are expected to get As and
anything less than a B (or a C at GCSE) is discounted as worthless.

But what is the point of A levels ?

The French baccalaureate is superior and we are going over to a similar
system.

I did O and A levels in 1970 and 72 respectively and covered this type
of thing in third form. It's been a gradual decline, but faster in
the last 15 years.

I fundamentally disagree. Having compared the experiences that I and my
friends had, and my experience of schools today, I would say there has been
a fundamental shift in the professionalism and achievement in schools in the
last 20 years. Education today is vastly superior. There is plenty of
independent academic studies that show this, too.

Only last week, there was a study published of a comparison of English
papers submitted in 1992 and 2004. When studied, the 2004 papers not only
had better spelling, punctuation and verb use, but the meaning of the texts
were deeper and more intelligently presented.

I don't believe in nostalgia. Crime is down. Education is better. People
have their brains fundamentally wired to not believe the evidence of this,
unfortunately.

Christian.

In the past if a student got three As then it was a pretty good bet
that they were, academically speaking, in the top few percent and
therefore would benefit from access to one of the limited university
places available and/or contribute most to a future employer.

The whole problem is that you think only a few percent are worthy of higher
education. The fact is that the current generation is harder working, more
intelligent and more academic than anything before. I can assure you that
even at primary school, there has been a complete sea change. When I went to
primary school in the early 1980s, many of them were staffed by older, non
trained teachers sometimes even without degrees. Now, schools are staffed by
extremely professional teachers, entirely versed in the latest trends and
scientific research into which methods work. School children from the very
first term of compulsory education now get homework. That would have been
unthinkable 20 years ago. The same ethos now permeates right through the
system. Things have changed.

This next generation will go to university and these 30% getting 'A' grades
achieve just as much as the few percent did in the 1970s. In five or ten
years, they'll start being serious competition in the job market, too.
Current university students don't lounge about doing 5 hours contact time a
work and sitting on ridiculous left wing demonstrations. They are far too
busy studying, whilst often working part time to cover the fees and living
expenses that the molly coddled 1960s/70s generation got paid for them.

I concede that A Levels are no longer very useful. This isn't because they
have become easier. They have not. What has happened is that education has
improved to such a large degree and the students are working so much harder,
that it is no longer possible to distinguish the very top slice. This could
be solved if the government stopped panicking and implemented the
baccalaureate system that almost everyone in the education system wants.

Christian.

On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 00:03:47 GMT, Geoffrey
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 23:00:48 +0000, Chris Bacon
wrote:

Grunff wrote:
Don't they teach science at school any more? I feel old...

"Science" etc. is still taught - however, what used to be an "O"
level now seems the approximate standard for an "A" level. It
seems that basically anything from the '80s is a pale shadow of
what went before.

You really should stop reading the Daily Mail and live with kids doing
GCSE and A level.

As one who did sciences at O and A level AND has teenaged children I
can assure you that standards of examination are, if anything, higher
than in my day.

But not mine (1963).

At least I could skive for most of the year and swat
like mad before exams - todays kids are pressured throughout their
years of GCSE and A level with no letup. From the age of 4 they are
poked, prodded, examined and judged. They have far less leisure (play)
time, no where near as much time for socialisation and art and a LOT
more homework. They go to University with an expectation of a £20,000+
debt when they leave and that is assuming their parents can afford the
fees and a contribution towards living expenses.

People like you who rubbish the achievements of today's youth make me
sick to my stomach

I asked my son who did "science" GCSE:

What is the first element in the periodic table?

Answer: You are not required to know that, they give you a periodic
table in the exam.

He passed.

His younger sister, she's different she got * 13 * GCSEs !

DG

Others will benefit from something with more vocational focus as
used to be provided by polytechnics, some from technical college
and others from practical apprenticeships.
(...)
One of the degree courses included an item on flower arranging. I
don't think that there is anything wrong in learning flower arranging,
but to suggest that it needs a "degree course" is ridiculous. It is

You wish to see vocational training have greater status and reach, and yet
wish to demean any vocational achievement by insisting on a second tier
designation for it? I believe this to be inconsistent. I have no doubt that
a course, even if it included flower arranging, could be worthy of a degree
standard, if the level of expectation and achievement was sufficient to
warrant it. I don't believe in a sharp division between "academic" middle
class good achievement and "vocational" working class "unworthy of degree
status" achievement.

I believe such a division would be socially divisive and counter productive.

Christian.

I asked my son who did "science" GCSE:

What is the first element in the periodic table?

Answer: You are not required to know that, they give you a periodic
table in the exam.

Well, if you believe fact cramming is more important than deeper
understanding and thinking, then I can understand why you think things have
gone downhill. All the rote learning has gone from the system and has been
replaced by an attempt to get people to understand the underlying principles
and apply them.

OTOH, I would expect any chemistry student to know the first element in the
periodic table, as not knowing it implies a lack of deeper understanding,
given hydrogen's importance in creating many molecules due to its single
electron/proton. This doesn't mean you need to know the atomic number of
americium by rote.

The fact that he didn't know hydrogen was the first element is neither here
nor there. Such a basic lack of understanding will soon be expressed by the
much higher level questioning that has replaced the useless fact dump style
examinations of the immediate post war period.

Christian.

"John Schmitt" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:51:59 -0000, SS wrote:

Anyone seen these divices that fit round fuel lines on cars? Now
a
similar
thing is available for gas pipes. Its a strong pair of magnets
that clamp
round the gas pipe. Supposed to ionise the molecules and cause
them to
burn
more efficiently - any truth in the theory? A similar thing is
used to
stop
hard water & I think these are proven to work

rolls eyes upwards, calls out the name of the almighty
bangs head on desk three times

It had to happen, I suppose, another interminable magnets do/dont'
do this
thread. Perhaps I should market a magnetic device for putting
around the
necks of beer bottles because it makes the beer taste better, gets
you
drunker and completely eliminates the risk of a hangover. Any
takers?

No, but apparently it is possible to make a magnetic fridge to keep
the beer in!

Jim

On 3 Nov 2005 20:19:35 -0800, "andy hall"
wrote:

One has only to look at the examination papers to see that there is an
enormous decline in standards. I was doing some comparisons just
recently.


To say nothing of continuous assessment which favours polite girls
with nice tidy handwriting and "teacher's pets". Plus modular courses
which do not ensure that you finish the course knowing all that you
are supposed to.

snip


Now every educational establishment wants to call itself a university
and the government to have 50% of the population going to one whether
it suits them or not. This is a complete nonsense. I looked
recently at the prospectus of a local educational establishment that
used to be a reasonable technical college and is now a "university".
One of the degree courses included an item on flower arranging. I
don't think that there is anything wrong in learning flower arranging,
but to suggest that it needs a "degree course" is ridiculous. It is

Some mo

"International Hospitality Management" , a *4 year* *Honours* degree
course at Leeds Metropolitan University. (It's "Pizza-Ology" BTW)

"Geography With Dance"

"Sports Science"

"Media Management"

this type of nonsense that is undermining the achievement of students
by letting them be fooled into some feel-good thing that bears no
relationship to what the economy requires or indeed the students
themselves.

And it will come back to haunt them in future. My own son did a BTEC
and a HND in "Business and Finance" 10 years ago and these
qualifications appear to be completely worthless now. He's 30 and his
present employer is downsizing. Prospective employers just ask him why
ten years ago he didn't do a degree (exactly the same course, just 1
more year), because they've all got junk degrees themselves.


The model of having student loans etc. rather than grants based on the
ability to pay is a separate issue and another nonsense.


It is necessary if 50% of the population are going to uni to get
Mickey Mouse degrees. One of the London bombers had done a "Sports
Science" degree at Leeds Met. He'd never worked after he graduated
except to serve on in his dad's fish and chip shop.


Again the one-size-fits-all mentality ends up not serving the needs of
anybody. Availability of quality university education has declined,
as has that of the apprencticeship.

DG