No swingeing cuts in first year, says David Cameron

baileysbattlebus

doire wrote: »

Why should only the 'best' get accepted into uni?

If you do fine in sixth year then you should get in.

If you work your up by doing other courses then you should get in.

What do you class as being the 'best'?

In a few years the school leaving age will be 18 - potentially all children could go into the sixth form and potentially most of them could do "fine" - does that mean we will need as many university places as high school places?

Should they all go because they are ok or fine, or should the "best" go - it could be academically the "best", or the one's with the most drive and passion - or the one's who are a "best" match for their chosen university or a combination of the three - there are many ways to define "best".

You need drive and passion as much as you need to be academically able - so just to be academically the best would not be the best for me and you need to able to fit in. My best would be a combination of all three. I would want students who could bring who could bring more to the table than good exam results.

Call me old fashioned, but there are degree courses around that I wouldn't class as degree courses - Golf Course Management or Surfing Science or Pig Farming (that would have been an HND or something). Or there is a module called David Beckham Studies or something similar at Staffordshire University.....

More often than not what society deems to be the "best" is not the best for most.

Andy_L

baileysbattlebus wrote: »

Or there is a module called David Beckham Studies or something similar at Staffordshire University....

to be fair though he's the case study in a module on branding - as one of the most sucessful brands in recent british business history does that seem unreasonable?

Heyman_2

donaldtramp wrote: »

I see you got that "news" from the SNP website!!

So there won't be any SNP propoganda in there:rotfl:
The SNP has their own agenda in which they hand out money willy nilly to anyone who asks for it. Lower prescription charges, guaranteed elderly care etc etc, without doing the sums to see if it adds up.
It's gerrymandering politics on a grand scale. Give everybody everything then blame the "nasty" party who realises that it can't be paid for.

They then blame the "nasty" parliament in London for everything.

I actually agree with your sentiment but you DO seem to be agreeing with the fact that should a Tory government get in, they WILL be swinging (or should that be 'swingeing') the axe at the Scots budget!

lostinrates

baileysbattlebus wrote: »

Call me old fashioned, but there are degree courses around that I wouldn't class as degree courses - Golf Course Management or Surfing Science or Pig Farming (that would have been an HND or something). Or there is a module called David Beckham Studies or something similar at Staffordshire University.....

More often than not what society deems to be the "best" is not the best for most.

I agree with this...but I think its more that the specialisms would hav started later, post grad. E.g. while there never was a pig farming degree (is there now? There are farming degrees of various sorts, but usually less specialised, and not geared solely towards traditional farming...often rather on the research that develops methids of farming/farm animal feeds/fertilisers etc etc) there would have been post grad work on porcine health/nutrition/productivity etc. The productivity is obviously key from a farming perspective, a different angle than from animal/veterinary scientists, : but often its the same stuff from unbalanced perspectives...too much specialisation too early though?

any way...

abaxas

Just a thought....

Since a manifesto is not legally binding, wont the winner of the next genreal election, do like all govermentns before have, and do what they want.

I seam to remember that 'thinks can only get better'. I'm not really sure they did!

Rochdale_Pioneers

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Labour spin machine is getting tired if this is the best they can do.

Why is British politics all about rubbishing the other party. Even when they are in opposition.

Yawn...........

Which spin machine - the Financial Times? I could post the reports from Davos about the IMF telling Cameron he had it wrong - perhaps its head is the Labour spin machine too?

Though I am not surprised at the increasing desperation that Tory policies not be scrutinised - even Cameron is pulling back from them. I mean, talking about what could be government policy next month. How dare we!

Thrugelmir

Rochdale_Pioneers wrote: »

Which spin machine - the Financial Times? I could post the reports from Davos about the IMF telling Cameron he had it wrong - perhaps its head is the Labour spin machine too?

Though I am not surprised at the increasing desperation that Tory policies not be scrutinised - even Cameron is pulling back from them. I mean, talking about what could be government policy next month. How dare we!

Spending reductions are coming. Whoever is in power. Whether the Tories cut in 5 years or Labour in 10 years the net result will be the same.

Personally I prefer the quicker approach, not for political reasons I should add. As possibly the economy will hit another recessionary period in the 2020's. Despite MR B's claims the economy is cyclical and for different reasons will go through periods of boom and bust. Though not of the scale of today.

chucky

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Spending reductions are coming. Whoever is in power. Whether the Tories cut in 5 years or Labour in 10 years the net result will be the same.

people are kidding themselves about this, it's a romantic idea but the economy isn't like that - if you make the cuts during a recovery period or a stable period the results are NOT the same.

baileysbattlebus

lostinrates wrote: »

I agree with this...but I think its more that the specialisms would hav started later, post grad. E.g. while there never was a pig farming degree (is there now? There are farming degrees of various sorts, but usually less specialised, and not geared solely towards traditional farming...often rather on the research that develops methids of farming/farm animal feeds/fertilisers etc etc) there would have been post grad work on porcine health/nutrition/productivity etc. The productivity is obviously key from a farming perspective, a different angle than from animal/veterinary scientists, : but often its the same stuff from unbalanced perspectives...too much specialisation too early though?

any way...

I think part of the problem with so many going to university, is that if you asked everyone why they chose their current degree course, a large proportion wouldn't be able to tell you. That was my point about drive and passion.

I suppose my post about Golf Course Management, Surfing, Pig Farming etc isn't totally fair - although I wouldn't class them as degree courses that doesn't mean I am right.

Some of these vocational subjects - like Golf Course Management could lead in the end to a good job - golfing is a multi billion £ industry - and you could probably earn a small fortune looking after the turf etc - so perphaps I should just shut up!!

I read somewhere that the University of East Anglia used to do pig farming.

lostinrates

baileysbattlebus wrote: »

I think part of the problem with so many going to university, is that if you asked everyone why they chose their current degree course, a large proportion wouldn't be able to tell you. That was my point about drive and passion.

I suppose my post about Golf Course Management, Surfing, Pig Farming etc isn't totally fair - although I wouldn't class them as degree courses that doesn't mean I am right.

Some of these vocational subjects - like Golf Course Management could lead in the end to a good job - golfing is a multi billion £ industry - and you could probably earn a small fortune looking after the turf etc - so perphaps I should just shut up!!

I read somewhere that the University of East Anglia used to do pig farming.

Aha, at one of my old places I think there was an ND or HND for pi farmers, but no degree AFAIRemember. I think your point is fair, and don't mean to imply its not. FWIW I wish I'd done a more general first degree, narrowing afterwards, rather than the other way round, which then became the plan. By very nature of post grad work it gets quite ''close up'' and narrow with choices of area to research. I think a broader base undergrad degree...back not to ''pure subjects'' but perhaps more generalised, might be more beneficial. We seem to narrow very early in uk. but then I'd favour the broader subject choice at 17/18 too!