I am well qualified to say..
Discussion
Dumb down Britain???
This evening, whlst my bride was watching the second half of Corrie (30 minutes), I completed a module for a qualification in Equality and Diversity. Although I took 30 minutes, it was supposed to take 40 hours according to the bumpf. I completed the previous 60 hour unit in 2 hours 15 minutes. It basically requires you to find the bit of text and copy it out in your 'workbook'. There are numerous 'self assessment' exercises asking you to consider how a woman or disabled person may feel about various types of discrimination, which are clearly aimed at those of us for whom breathing in and out is a challenging experience.
This is not told to illustate my genius (although it may well do so!) but to show that these Mickey mouse qualifications aren't worth the very thick and expensive paper they are printed on (in nice pastel shades and Comic sans font to make it feel friendly). Only a forgetful goldfish with well developed dementia and the absence of any commmon sense would take 40 hours. I understand Robin Cook is still working on his after 2 years.
Ther best bit is that the course is paid for by HM Govt. and offered to everyone with a few hours to kill, the reading age of a laborador and space on their CV to fill with rubbish (like me).
I now just have to do the final module of 20 hours which I may do between 0715 and 0730 tomorrow whilst on the toilet. I hope they don't make me wear that cap and gown again, the one I wore last week getting my degree in media studies that I did over the weekend.
This evening, whlst my bride was watching the second half of Corrie (30 minutes), I completed a module for a qualification in Equality and Diversity. Although I took 30 minutes, it was supposed to take 40 hours according to the bumpf. I completed the previous 60 hour unit in 2 hours 15 minutes. It basically requires you to find the bit of text and copy it out in your 'workbook'. There are numerous 'self assessment' exercises asking you to consider how a woman or disabled person may feel about various types of discrimination, which are clearly aimed at those of us for whom breathing in and out is a challenging experience.
This is not told to illustate my genius (although it may well do so!) but to show that these Mickey mouse qualifications aren't worth the very thick and expensive paper they are printed on (in nice pastel shades and Comic sans font to make it feel friendly). Only a forgetful goldfish with well developed dementia and the absence of any commmon sense would take 40 hours. I understand Robin Cook is still working on his after 2 years.
Ther best bit is that the course is paid for by HM Govt. and offered to everyone with a few hours to kill, the reading age of a laborador and space on their CV to fill with rubbish (like me).
I now just have to do the final module of 20 hours which I may do between 0715 and 0730 tomorrow whilst on the toilet. I hope they don't make me wear that cap and gown again, the one I wore last week getting my degree in media studies that I did over the weekend.
Tell me about it.
I worked for Madge for a while. They sent us on training courses in computing. They taught us that we had to use windows explorer in Icon mode, and that we mustn't use the folder view, because it would confuse us!
There was a section in the very heavy manual, which was on thick, heavy, rainforest destroying paper, devoted to switching the machine on.
No mention of BIOS, but lengthy descriptions on how to use a floppy disk, and how the "ON" button works.
The sad part is that not only was I a heretic for explaining to my manager "I don't need to go", but worse most people seemed to actually need it.
A common question was "how do I copy a file"?
The trouble is, that unless you have the the current fad in these qualifications, everybody struggles to believe you can write.
I have a Degree in microelectronics, and the job centre know this. I went to the job centre recently, and my advisor asked me if I needed literacy and numeracy training!
Edited to add;
It seemed to me that government was a bit like an alien colony, in a bodysnatchers stylee. I never actually found a pod quivering on the floor in some broom cupboard, but I have my suspicions.
>> Edited by dilbert on Monday 1st August 23:17
I worked for Madge for a while. They sent us on training courses in computing. They taught us that we had to use windows explorer in Icon mode, and that we mustn't use the folder view, because it would confuse us!
There was a section in the very heavy manual, which was on thick, heavy, rainforest destroying paper, devoted to switching the machine on.
No mention of BIOS, but lengthy descriptions on how to use a floppy disk, and how the "ON" button works.
The sad part is that not only was I a heretic for explaining to my manager "I don't need to go", but worse most people seemed to actually need it.
A common question was "how do I copy a file"?
The trouble is, that unless you have the the current fad in these qualifications, everybody struggles to believe you can write.
I have a Degree in microelectronics, and the job centre know this. I went to the job centre recently, and my advisor asked me if I needed literacy and numeracy training!
Edited to add;
It seemed to me that government was a bit like an alien colony, in a bodysnatchers stylee. I never actually found a pod quivering on the floor in some broom cupboard, but I have my suspicions.
>> Edited by dilbert on Monday 1st August 23:17
shirepro said:
I understand Robin Cook is still working on his after 2 years.
A message from Robin Cook just landed on my trusty machine. Think it's meant for you......
click here, och aye, och aye
Tell me about it
Some of these 'insisted on' government led nvq qualifications are a joke! They are soooo dumbed down they are an insult to the human brain. Education is supposed to stretch a persons ability onto new levels. These so called courses are comic puzzles. The money should be spent on decent education in the first place.
Did I ever tell you about the computer learning centre that my ex-wife ran, that was in Blair's constituency, at which he enrolled on a course (for show, naturally)?
According to the Gov'ts own rules, anyone who repeatedly fails to attend gets a warning letter telling them that if they don't turn up sharpish, they're out.
My ex actually sent a letter to No. 10 telling Tone that he had been removed from the course and the relevant authorities informed
According to the Gov'ts own rules, anyone who repeatedly fails to attend gets a warning letter telling them that if they don't turn up sharpish, they're out.
My ex actually sent a letter to No. 10 telling Tone that he had been removed from the course and the relevant authorities informed
mybrainhurts said:
I understand Robin Cook is still working on his after 2 years.
A message from Robin Cook just landed on my trusty machine. Think it's meant for you......
click here, och aye, och aye
Fantastic
It's everywhere...we've got some government thing in at Jag/LandRover doing our computer-based training.
And best yet - a memo went out from the Finance Training Group recommending all Finance staff do the ECDL (European Computer Driving License = Windows for dummies and MS Office for dummies).
So...lets see...a bunch of qualified accountants, plus a bunch of graduates about to study, plus the remainder who've been working with the firm for YEARS, apparently ALL need to do basic computer literacy?!?
I always wondered what those black and grey boxes on the desk were!!!
And best yet - a memo went out from the Finance Training Group recommending all Finance staff do the ECDL (European Computer Driving License = Windows for dummies and MS Office for dummies).
So...lets see...a bunch of qualified accountants, plus a bunch of graduates about to study, plus the remainder who've been working with the firm for YEARS, apparently ALL need to do basic computer literacy?!?
I always wondered what those black and grey boxes on the desk were!!!
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