A-Levels

[Donnywolf]

As usual they all s**t in the same pot (as my Mother used to say - and that was as contraversial as she ever got )

[belton rover]

Appears that Ofqual's algorithm caused today's A-level chaos. Ofqual chair Roger Taylor, also chairs the Centre for Data Ethics & Innovation (CDEI).

Dominic Cummings' fave AI consultants - Faculty, have some juicy contracts with CDEI. And Faculty's COO Richard Sargeant is on CDEI board.

https://twitter.com/MilesKing10/status/1293886007771893762

LOL

It’s like the Kevin Bacon link game but with Dominic Cummings. Ha ha.

[wilts rover]

Appears that Ofqual's algorithm caused today's A-level chaos. Ofqual chair Roger Taylor, also chairs the Centre for Data Ethics & Innovation (CDEI).

Dominic Cummings' fave AI consultants - Faculty, have some juicy contracts with CDEI. And Faculty's COO Richard Sargeant is on CDEI board.

https://twitter.com/MilesKing10/status/1293886007771893762

LOL

It’s like the Kevin Bacon link game but with Dominic Cummings. Ha ha.

I don't know what the Kevin Bacon link game is - but if it relates to favouratism, cronisism and giving government contracts to your mates - well yes!

[belton rover]

Appears that Ofqual's algorithm caused today's A-level chaos. Ofqual chair Roger Taylor, also chairs the Centre for Data Ethics & Innovation (CDEI).

Dominic Cummings' fave AI consultants - Faculty, have some juicy contracts with CDEI. And Faculty's COO Richard Sargeant is on CDEI board.

https://twitter.com/MilesKing10/status/1293886007771893762

LOL

It’s like the Kevin Bacon link game but with Dominic Cummings. Ha ha.

I don't know what the Kevin Bacon link game is - but if it relates to favouratism, cronisism and giving government contracts to your mates - well yes!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Degrees_of_Kevin_Bacon

It kind of means that if you are desperate enough, you will find a link about anything to anyone.

[Janso]

Gotta love how you just trivialise anything remotely not fitting with the argument you're making, belton. Truly awestruck.

[belton rover]

Gotta love how you just trivialise anything remotely not fitting with the argument you're making, belton. Truly awestruck.

Cheers, Janso.

I’m learning from the best.

[SydneyRover]

This Marina Hyde, warning do read whilst drinking hot tea ...............


''Welcome to Gavin Williamson's disasterclass – where incompetence is core curriculum''

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/14/welcome-to-gavin-williamsons-disasterclass-where-incompetence-is-core-curriculum

[BillyStubbsTears]

Just a by-the-way because I've been accused of being shrill in daring to consider calling the Tories class warriors.

I make my judgements on evidence. Here is the single most egregious example of class warfare that I e ever seen from a Government.

In 2010, after they won the Election, the Tory led Govt ended Govt funding of Child Trust Funds. These had been set up by Gordon Brown to encourage poorer people to save for their kids. To get them started, the Govt paid in £500 to a fund for every child in the country. Parents and relatives could then pay in up to £1200 per year per child and any interest would be tax free.

Those Govt payments were scrapped in 2010 because in the Austerity age it would have been "deceiving people to think they could have a handout from borrowed money."

So everybody lost £500 per child. Because we were all in it together,right?

Except.

Straight afterwards, the Govt quietly raised the amount parents could pay I to the funds without paying tax on the interest.

It had been £1200 per year.

It is now £9000 per year.

I reckon, with reasonable growth, anyone who can save £9000 per child per year (and hey!  who can't?!?) will on average save more £500 per year in tax per child.

A quite breathtaking example of taxing from the poor and giving to the rich.

[selby]

  According to a guest on the Kevin O'Sullivan show on talk radio this morning, there has been five times more deaths from the recurring summer influenza in the last four weeks than Covid 19 deaths.

[belton rover]

Just a by-the-way because I've been accused of being shrill in daring to consider calling the Tories class warriors.

I make my judgements on evidence. Here is the single most egregious example of class warfare that I e ever seen from a Government.

In 2010, after they won the Election, the Tory led Govt ended Govt funding of Child Trust Funds. These had been set up by Gordon Brown to encourage poorer people to save for their kids. To get them started, the Govt paid in £500 to a fund for every child in the country. Parents and relatives could then pay in up to £1200 per year per child and any interest would be tax free.

Those Govt payments were scrapped in 2010 because in the Austerity age it would have been "deceiving people to think they could have a handout from borrowed money."

So everybody lost £500 per child. Because we were all in it together,right?

Except.

Straight afterwards, the Govt quietly raised the amount parents could pay I to the funds without paying tax on the interest.

It had been £1200 per year.

It is now £9000 per year.

I reckon, with reasonable growth, anyone who can save £9000 per child per year (and hey!  who can't?!?) will on average save more £500 per year in tax per child.

A quite breathtaking example of taxing from the poor and giving to the rich.

Billy, you’re still refusing to accept the blindingly obvious.
This IS a clear example of the Tory government failing the poor. I don’t doubt it, I don’t agree with what they did here.
But bringing this old bit of news to everyone’s attention whilst telling us you don’t post with an anti Tory slant Is a bit silly.

You make judgments about any current political topic from the foundation that you wholeheartedly stand against anything Tory, and all things labour.

Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, but you shouldn’t deny it.

Pointing us in the direction of where you might occasionally post something that isn’t anti Tory doesn’t quite cut it.

[MachoMadness]

I find myself growing increasingly frustrated with Starmer on this issue. He's written an article in the Mail today (which I'm not linking to because f**k them), which seems to have annoyed everyone a across the political spectrum. Now he's pushing for kids to be back in school next month "no ifs, no buts". Near silence from his education secretary, too. It comes across as a complete lack of leadership on the issue, and that he's more interested in mildly scolding the government whatever they do. Whoever's advising him needs a kick up the arse. Some clarification is needed urgently.

I say this as someone who voted for him and has supported him whole heartedly til now, even as he seems to be fudging every one of his election manifesto promises.

[Filo]

I find myself growing increasingly frustrated with Starmer on this issue. He's written an article in the Mail today (which I'm not linking to because f**k them), which seems to have annoyed everyone a across the political spectrum. Now he's pushing for kids to be back in school next month "no ifs, no buts". Near silence from his education secretary, too. It comes across as a complete lack of leadership on the issue, and that he's more interested in mildly scolding the government whatever they do. Whoever's advising him needs a kick up the arse. Some clarification is needed urgently.

I say this as someone who voted for him and has supported him whole heartedly til now, even as he seems to be fudging every one of his election manifesto promises.

The problem Starmer has got is being f**ked over by the far left of his party. I can’t fathom them out, they’d sooner dish dirt on Starmer and make Labour unelectable than pull together against a far right party

[Herbert Anchovy]

I find myself growing increasingly frustrated with Starmer on this issue. He's written an article in the Mail today (which I'm not linking to because f**k them), which seems to have annoyed everyone a across the political spectrum. Now he's pushing for kids to be back in school next month "no ifs, no buts". Near silence from his education secretary, too. It comes across as a complete lack of leadership on the issue, and that he's more interested in mildly scolding the government whatever they do. Whoever's advising him needs a kick up the arse. Some clarification is needed urgently.

I say this as someone who voted for him and has supported him whole heartedly til now, even as he seems to be fudging every one of his election manifesto promises.

Mmmm yes... I’m beginning to share this view a little bit. Up to now I’ve been fully supportive of his apparent policy of allowing the Tories to hang themselves. After all they’re doing a blinding job of it. But I’d really like to see him turn the screw on the Government a bit more often now and this is a perfect opportunity to do so. The few times he’s gone for the jugular at PMQ’s he’s had Boris on the rack. I’d like to see that more often.

[belton rover]

Macho
For me, your points about Starmer shows just what an impossible task any government would have during this crisis.

Even the pretend government can’t get it right for the pretend people.

[MachoMadness]

Macho
For me, your points about Starmer shows just what an impossible task any government would have during this crisis.

Even the pretend government can’t get it right for the pretend people.

I don't agree - if that were the case, every country would have the same shocking outcomes we've had.

He really just needs to set out a credible alternative plan that people can get behind. God knows there have been plenty floated by SAGE that he could follow. At present that seems to be lacking. This perception of him as Captain Hindsight could well stick as he just doesn't seem to be very proactive in clearly setting out a plan of his own. That's a death sentence for him politically, I reckon.

[belton rover]

But if Starmer can’t do it with monopoly money and Lego, then he is either incompetent beyond belief or the real job is impossible to get right for everybody.

[MachoMadness]

I don't think he's incompetent. But I worry that whoever's advising him might be. Even Alastair Campbell is now voicing his frustration, so it's not just a few lefties trying to sabotage him.

[Janso]

But if Starmer can’t do it with monopoly money and Lego, then he is either incompetent beyond belief or the real job is impossible to get right for everybody.

Thing is... Starmer can't do it anyway because he isn't the Prime Minister.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Belton.

I'll say it again.

When I agree with Tory policies, like Salisbury, like furlough, I'll say that I do.

The fact is that I disagree with a large number of their policies, because I disagree with the direction they want to push society in. I've never tried to hide that.

That example I gave is only one, and yes it is ten years old, but there are multiple ones since then cut from the same philosophical cloth, just not as egregious as that one.

I don't blame them for that. That is what they stand for. What bewilders me is when folk get upset when these policies are pointed out. As though it is somehow unfair to point out policies that show the Tories to be the sort of party that some people don't want them to be.

[belton rover]

Alright Billy, thanks. I’ll try not to bewilder you anymore.

[wilts rover]

Macho
For me, your points about Starmer shows just what an impossible task any government would have during this crisis.

Even the pretend government can’t get it right for the pretend people.

Define 'right'?

In my view this government has got it 'right'. For them. They have taken all the major decisions to benefit their supporters and donors rather than the general public. This A Level fiasco being only the latest example.

GCSE results next week will be just the same. As will school reopening in September. Harrow & Eton wont be forcing 30 kids into a classroom all day will they. Or scrapping their plans to go to Oxbridge for a clearing place in Plymouth. But you can be sure that if pupils at Harrow & Eton start being disadvantaged the government policies will be changing pretty quickly.

[belton rover]

Here you go Wilts, I know you like your links:

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/dictionary.cambridge.org/amp/english/right

[belton rover]

But if Starmer can’t do it with monopoly money and Lego, then he is either incompetent beyond belief or the real job is impossible to get right for everybody.

Thing is... Starmer can't do it anyway because he isn't the Prime Minister.

Oh yeah, shit.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Utter, utter shambles.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53799860

Sixth Form Colleges which often take some of the poorest kids have been hit particularly hard.

"The Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) said it looked at 65,000 exam entries in 41 subjects from sixth form colleges and found that grades were 20% lower than historic performances for similar students in those colleges."

So much for the algorithmic Government that Cummings is maniacally unrolling. First major challenge and it has utterly failed.

And those who are saying "No problem - it'll get sorted out on appeal" are totally missing the point.

Universities are already filling up their courses with students who are happy with their grades, including the I dependent school kids who we know have massively benefited from this algorithm, with A & A* grades up 11%.

The elite Universities will have their courses stuffed full of these independent school kids. And this Universities have been barred from extending their course numbers this year, because that would unfairly grab market share from Universities further down the chain.

So when the state school and 6th Form College disaster is sorted out, there won't be places for many of these kids at the elite Universities.

[belton rover]

Utter, utter shambles.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53799860

Sixth Form Colleges which often take some of the poorest kids have been hit particularly hard.

"The Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) said it looked at 65,000 exam entries in 41 subjects from sixth form colleges and found that grades were 20% lower than historic performances for similar students in those colleges."

So much for the algorithmic Government that Cummings is maniacally unrolling. First major challenge and it has utterly failed.

And those who are saying "No problem - it'll get sorted out on appeal" are totally missing the point.

Universities are already filling up their courses with students who are happy with their grades, including the I dependent school kids who we know have massively benefited from this algorithm, with A & A* grades up 11%.

The elite Universities will have their courses stuffed full of these independent school kids. And this Universities have been barred from extending their course numbers this year, because that would unfairly grab market share from Universities further down the chain.

So when the state school and 6th Form College disaster is sorted out, there won't be places for many of these kids at the elite Universities.

 Not necessarily.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/14/oxford-college-says-will-honour-offers-regardless-grades/amp/

[BillyStubbsTears]

Yes. One Oxford college.

[belton rover]

And well done to Matthew Gursky, from Doncaster who is the first in his immediate family to go to university.  He will be studying history and politics at Trinity College, Cambridge after he achieved 3 A* whilst studying at Hall Cross Comprehensive - you know, that independent school for rich people with 3 students in each class.

 https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/a-level-results-day-2020-goingtocambridge

[idler]

Congratulations to him but have his grades been accepted without adjustment? Compare the girl who always got A or A* all along and then saw her three A* marks adjusted to BBC.
This method used by the government not only throws suspicion on the downgraded marks but also the ones that have achieved very good results.
Surely you can see this belton?
.

[belton rover]

Idler, the point I’m making is not every northern student in a large state comprehensive will suffer, despite many claims to the contrary.

If someone puts up a positive link, it can be met with a negative, and vice versa, which shows just that. And just to be clear, I DO think the government have got this wrong, BUT:

1. Not to the point where every working class, northern, large state School student will suffer.

2. Hopefully, this will be rectified quickly.

[bobjimwilly]

It's an impossible task and they've got a lot right, but also a number wrong, exactly what you'd expect. It's an impossible situation.  I think the weighting for independent schools is questionable, but actually when you compare the rest it overly doesn't look too outrageous.

The big problem is how do you treat the outliers in schools. My school was a failing school with really low grades. I'd have been screwed in this situation.  What they need to do is apply a sensible appeals process and quickly for those examples.  On a whole the numbers look fine, but not analysing each case is wrong in my view.

No offence BFYP but how many times does this government get a pass when they f*ck up because "it's an impossible task" or " it's a tough decision" - blame needs to be apportioned and it needs to start sticking. This government is full of incapable morons, at every level.