Too many cannot read or write...
Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7856001.stm
http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?bra...
http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?bra...
Richard Bacon MP said:
“If the government lets kids opt out of reading because it's too hard, we are already in serious trouble. It is time to stop watering down education and start building a workforce that can read, write and add up properly.”
It looks like it's finally dawning that you can't keep dumbing down education and expect this country to remain competitive.
350GT said:
I don't think I've ever met anyone who couldn't read...
I have.Mind you - she was monumentally thick. Close to what the medical profession would agree was "retarded".
Very nice lass, actually. Too dumb to ever do anything except closely supervised manual work but she had a sunny disposition. As I recall she had a job of some nature. She asked me if I "read books" and confided that she was trying hard to learn to read her first one. She was in her early twenties.
Good for her, I thought.
Why bother going to school if the government has such a generous attitude to handouts so that maybe with a few sprogs you can receive a reasonable living and so the cycle of taking continues. For the extras you can always nick them.
Or you can work your arse off at school and Uni, end up with a £10-15k debt and be punitively taxed to pay for the above and have what you have earnt nicked - either direct from the pay packet or by some scrote! Not much incentive.
The country is on a serious, out of control decline. IIRC China has 40m graduates EVERY year. There is a new player in town. There is no way we, Europe or the US can compete with China and/or India or a indeed number of other rapidly developing countries. We're stuffed. Thanks successive to Governments since the war.
Or you can work your arse off at school and Uni, end up with a £10-15k debt and be punitively taxed to pay for the above and have what you have earnt nicked - either direct from the pay packet or by some scrote! Not much incentive.
The country is on a serious, out of control decline. IIRC China has 40m graduates EVERY year. There is a new player in town. There is no way we, Europe or the US can compete with China and/or India or a indeed number of other rapidly developing countries. We're stuffed. Thanks successive to Governments since the war.
There is a difference between not being able to read and write and not being able to read and write functionally to get on with life.
Most people with poor literacy (ie not good enough to read newspapers, forms and instructions, write and read letters or emails, fill in benefit forms) IMHO tend to have a life that has adjusted to that fact. They have either taklen jobs where they don't need to be able to read and write (Premiership Footballer) or have ways of getting around it like having somebody who does it for them (Premiership Footbalers) or getting angry so they don't have to (Premiership Footballers).
Most people with poor literacy (ie not good enough to read newspapers, forms and instructions, write and read letters or emails, fill in benefit forms) IMHO tend to have a life that has adjusted to that fact. They have either taklen jobs where they don't need to be able to read and write (Premiership Footballer) or have ways of getting around it like having somebody who does it for them (Premiership Footbalers) or getting angry so they don't have to (Premiership Footballers).
I am no football fan. But B&B - even Premiership Footballers need to be able to read playing and practice rosters.
And more than a few of the properly smart ones have gone on to have subsequent careers in other things. You could argue that they are the exceptions that prove the rule but I would rather say that footballers, whilst they are ALL blessed to some degree with that particular talent, have the other talents in the same distribution as the rest of us...
And more than a few of the properly smart ones have gone on to have subsequent careers in other things. You could argue that they are the exceptions that prove the rule but I would rather say that footballers, whilst they are ALL blessed to some degree with that particular talent, have the other talents in the same distribution as the rest of us...
ian in lancs said:
Why bother going to school if the government has such a generous attitude to handouts so that maybe with a few sprogs you can receive a reasonable living and so the cycle of taking continues. For the extras you can always nick them.
Or you can work your arse off at school and Uni, end up with a £10-15k debt and be punitively taxed to pay for the above and have what you have earnt nicked - either direct from the pay packet or by some scrote! Not much incentive.
The country is on a serious, out of control decline. IIRC China has 40m graduates EVERY year. There is a new player in town. There is no way we, Europe or the US can compete with China and/or India or a indeed number of other rapidly developing countries. We're stuffed. Thanks successive to Governments since the war.
Bang on there fella.Or you can work your arse off at school and Uni, end up with a £10-15k debt and be punitively taxed to pay for the above and have what you have earnt nicked - either direct from the pay packet or by some scrote! Not much incentive.
The country is on a serious, out of control decline. IIRC China has 40m graduates EVERY year. There is a new player in town. There is no way we, Europe or the US can compete with China and/or India or a indeed number of other rapidly developing countries. We're stuffed. Thanks successive to Governments since the war.
Sad but true. I wonder how the UK will look in 100 or even 200 years time?
350GT said:
I don't think I've ever met anyone who couldn't read...
I remember seeing a TV programme which showed a number of people who although illiterate were able to disguise the fact to the extent that even their family members were unaware. Very sad programme as it was blighting their lives.
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