IMM wrote:

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 09:33:59 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


The core of the education is what Little Middle Englanders have been
screaming for, the 3 Rs. Comps are streamed.

No, they are organised with a system of sets by subject. That
creates an even greater limitation of choice and wastage because of
timetable issues.


How old were YOU when you first learnt the Calculus IMM?

15 or 16 I think, and did it later at uni. I liked it, integration and

all.

I began with it in first or second form.


It is an O level subject and was only A level at one time I believe. How
come you were doing it earlier?



Well I was taught it at eleven :-).



Are you sure you didn't do disintegration?


LOL!


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Andy Hall wrote:

On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 11:19:49 +0100, "IMM" wrote:



How old were YOU when you first learnt the Calculus IMM?

15 or 16 I think, and did it later at uni. I liked it, integration and

all.

I began with it in first or second form.

It is an O level subject and was only A level at one time I believe. How
come you were doing it earlier?


Because I had a fair aptitude for maths and a teacher at my grammar
school who believe in encouraging his students to develop their
abilities as fast as they were able.

In terms of external exams it was a maths O level subject, IIRC,
which I took a year early and obtained a grade 1.

I believe that nowadays it's a 6th form subject.

I had a similar situation in primary school where I had an excellent
teacher in multiple subjects and was doing some basic trigonometry and
algebra in my penultimate year there.


yeah,. We did latin, algebra and trig from about 7 or 8 as I recall.



The opposite situation happened with my daughter, who we started at
the local state primary school. She was reading well at least a year
before she went there but was held back at age 6 "to help the little
ones" i.e. 5 year olds to learn to read. The school (which has a
good reputation) told me that they did not have the resources for her
to move ahead. We paid for most of the rest of her education at
considerable cost. Despite this being in addition to the payments for
the state system and out of taxed income, it was worth every penny.
This had nothing to do with the private school being "better" in the
sense of the state school being "inferior", but simply with the
resources and ethic to match each child's needs and abilities.


Yes.








Are you sure you didn't do disintegration?

LOL!


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.andy

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"Julian Fowler" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 12:50:23 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Julian Fowler" wrote in message


spinOf course, it is evident to all concerned that there has been no
"dumbing down" of secondary education or examinations./spin

Quite right too.

Is it "quite right" that education has been dumbed down, or that it
hasn't been dumbed down?

No proof it has been dumbed down. A lot of hot air opinion about by Tory
party spin doctors.


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"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
IMM wrote:

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 11:19:49 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


How old were YOU when you first learnt the Calculus IMM?

15 or 16 I think, and did it later at uni. I liked it, integration

and

all.

I began with it in first or second form.

It is an O level subject and was only A level at one time I believe.
How
come you were doing it earlier?

Because I had a fair aptitude for maths and a teacher at my grammar
school who believe in encouraging his students to develop their
abilities as fast as they were able.


This happened with me. A teacher took me to one side at age 11, to
develop
my artist side. I am an natural artist.

You left out the '****' bit IMM. I told you to sort your grammar out.

Only fine wines me boy!



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IMM wrote:

"Julian Fowler" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 12:50:23 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Julian Fowler" wrote in message


spinOf course, it is evident to all concerned that there has been no
"dumbing down" of secondary education or examinations./spin

Quite right too.

Is it "quite right" that education has been dumbed down, or that it
hasn't been dumbed down?


No proof it has been dumbed down. A lot of hot air opinion about by Tory
party spin doctors.



Until you look at a standard paper, and realise its about as cpmplex as
the old 11Plus was, or in fact, less so.



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On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 14:17:45 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Julian Fowler" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 12:50:23 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Julian Fowler" wrote in message


spinOf course, it is evident to all concerned that there has been no
"dumbing down" of secondary education or examinations./spin

Quite right too.

Is it "quite right" that education has been dumbed down, or that it
hasn't been dumbed down?

No proof it has been dumbed down. A lot of hot air opinion about by Tory
party spin doctors.



Are you kidding? Have you looked at a GCSE maths paper? I still
have some of my old O level papers, filed in boxes in the loft.

When I did O levels the examining boards worked on the basis that the
lowest grade in O level (6 with the board that I did) was equivalent
to a CSE grade 1. I looked at some of my son's maths papers from a
few years ago and they are of a similar standard to CSE papers - with
a good pass achievable with material that I learned by 3rd form.

The pass rates at A level have gone up steadily over the last 15
years. That is certainly not because children have received better
quality education.

It is plain and simple moving of the goal posts.

What angers me about all of this is that the education of the current
and last generation is and has been sacrificed on the altar of
political correctness and spin (my words).

The implication of that will last for 50 years, even if it were
corrected tomorrow.


..andy

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