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Post by pinkie on Jun 6, 2015 17:14:34 GMT
(While we're on the subject, WTF did "AS" come from?  )  When I was at school a few ~3 more capable lads, assumed to get grade A in the subject were entered for A level Special papers. Maybe a more modern form of the same thing. The same pupils were entered (and usually got entrance exams for Oxford or Cambridge) If current education/question/pass standards are lower and fewer are passing perhaps the subject never gets mentioned if there are none likely to succeed in a year. Why depress the little pupils with comparisons to levels they have no chance of attaining. "S" levels were "super A" levels for Oxbridge candidates. AS is a new exam with no external value that I can percieve - it's just a way to break the A level down into little bits. Mine did 4 AS levels at what we would have called "lower sixth" - now "year 12". They then drop their weakest and continue the other 3 onto "A" levels at "upper sixth" = "year 13". But the AS forms part of the total modular A level score So when Tim was having his expulsion interview and his head of maths (Grammar school) was stating emphatically he couldn't get an E grade - I took him to Sue's friend - head of maths at a local comprehensive (but area supervisor for maths teachers). Tactically it was decided his best way of getting a B grade was to resit his AS papers (which you can do any number of times) as it is easier to get marks in those papers than the level 4 paper. It worked for Tim - he got a C (missed B by 2 marks) - and was able to stick 2 fingers up at his head of maths (metaphorically). But whatever happened to the good old days of one exam - one chance? |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2015 17:43:48 GMT
Yep the full question is quite difficult. However they should have been taught how to solve this type of problem - which may be why they are complaining. Either the teachers didn't cover it or it wasn't in the syllabus given out.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2015 19:42:21 GMT
I did S level physics, and was actively discouraged from Oxbridge by what passed for careers advice in the North East in 1973 "you wouldn't fit in socially lad" (which was of course bollocks, and still is). That was a maths teacher called Penna, who must have been shoehorned into giving careers advice with sod all training.
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Post by stanleyb on Jun 6, 2015 19:48:14 GMT
You thought THAT was tough? Then this one must be impossible:  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2015 20:03:28 GMT
Seen this one before. July 16. I wouldn't have got it of it hadn't been explained to me. Hurts my head even now to be honest
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2015 20:40:24 GMT
This is simple basic maths nothing I didn't learn at 2nd year comp lol
What I found even more disturbing was the inability for youngsters to substitue numbers for letters in algebraic equations
When I took my second degree in electronics I spent the first year taking a foundation course at collage I was the sons oldest student there lol at 34 most of them were between 18 and 23
The lecturer handed out pre recorded notes with the all the answers on, simple basic equations for ohms law, emf etc.
All of the kids had ''A" level maths, yet only one could actually work out how to use the formula let along the correct answer quite astonishing
I mean basic stuff v=I/r capacitors in parallel and series this was back in 2002 the other mature student was 64 and was just looking to keep his mind sharpe
I still have some oLd exam papers from 81/82 I should dig them out
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Post by MartinT on Jun 6, 2015 20:51:05 GMT
a foundation course at collage Did you stick to it? (Ok, sorry!!) |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2015 21:27:49 GMT
It was fun from a different perspective I remember the lecturer slating and showing how bad electrolytic caps even demonstrated how bad the saw tooth DC pattern was under a scope these caps dated from the learly 90's lol
I took some Oscon SP's in on the next lecture he hooked them up to his test procedure his face was picture lol
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Post by MartinT on Jun 6, 2015 21:52:19 GMT
Oscons are very nice for bypass duties.
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Post by MikeMusic on Jun 8, 2015 12:07:38 GMT
Not a clue to the second, but confess to not caring. Maybe it's the age  |
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Post by dvh on Jun 8, 2015 17:34:28 GMT
One of the many reasons I was delighted to leave school was that never again would I need to struggle with maths, especially the stuff that mixed up letters and numbers. I was briefly dragged back into it to help with my children' homework (though that was usually a case of the short-sighted leading the blind), but all that stopped ten or so years back. I had a look at the question and immediately started to panic. like I was back in the fourth form and Brother Duignan was impatiently tapping the leather strap on the edge of the desk and staring at me through his Himmler-style glasses. So I've no idea what the answer is to n-90 or whatever the question was, and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to the poor sods who still have to learn this shite.
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Post by MartinT on Jun 8, 2015 19:22:51 GMT
Brother Duignan was impatiently tapping the leather strap on the edge of the desk and staring at me through his Himmler-style glasses. You have so brought back memories of similarly sadistic teachers at my school. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2015 6:09:22 GMT
This is kind of off topic - but....
It wan't maths for me that had the sadist. It was French. For whatever reason Miss Wilson (AKA Ma Stench) hated me with a passion, and a couple of other lads too. Typical was "what does this mean - (rapidly with no chance to answer) Sawyers, Scott, James - (smarmily) tell them, Jacqueline". The witch was the school librarian, and accused me of stealing a book "and using James as an alibi". I got my dad involved, and the book mysteriously reappeared. Many, many incidents.
Science and maths teachers were all great. My physics teacher ran the bridge club, the wood and metalwork teacher ran evening classes where I built electric motors and aeromodel engines, my chemistry teacher sang (and hence I got interesting in singing). Even the Latin teacher (a subject I did not do) set up an evening debating society so we learnt the way in which parliament makes decisions. Bit of a golden era really - other than the hag Wilson who made every lesson a misery.
Which is precisely why my career has followed science and engineering rather than languages.
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Post by MikeMusic on Jun 9, 2015 7:03:24 GMT
Maths and me clicked. Helped having the best maths teacher around. French was a disaster for me. I struggled with English grammar let alone French, still do - did you notice ? |
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Post by MartinT on Jun 9, 2015 7:34:35 GMT
My Design & Tech teacher used to wait until some poor boy made an error and cut himself. Then it was "gather round..." and he would proceed to give this boy an utter bollocking in front of us while he was whimpering and bleeding all over the place. 'Teachers' like this simply wouldn't get through the CRB check nowadays.
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Post by pinkie on Jun 9, 2015 7:47:13 GMT
I guess I must have been lucky. I'm always hearing of how awful teachers were. Mine were pretty good - and being married to a teacher, I appreciate the shit they had to put up with. We had a few who enjoyed the power, and were to student eyes the ogres and tyrants, but actually they kept control. If you could see the demoralising mess my wife teaches in, where poorly controlled thugs terrorise staff and fellow students alike(due to weak management, and excessive "child protection"). Last week Sue's music department had to host a GCSE for SEN students - who get longer than normal students, and have assistants to write for them. At the end all the control buttons had been ripped off a £100 keyboard and a £500 Roland drum machine - rendering both "throw aways". It was possible to identify the 2 culprits - no action taken.
There was a french exchange trip to the school (we were hosting the accompanying teachers) and some of the year 11 students threw eggs, one of which hit a young girl (13) who was already struggling with home-sickness. I know the (now unacceptable) methods of discipline at my old school would have ensured the young gentleman culprit understood the importance of never repeating behaviour like that.
Mind - that's nothing. A client who runs a teacher recruitment business spent only 3 months at the beginning of his career actually as a teacher, teaching PE in a midlands comprehensive, and had a gun pulled on him by a pupil.
But back to my original point - we had teachers we could laugh and joke with, and those who were strict and feared - but none who abused power or children unacceptably. Very different story for my wife's sister at her private school mind.
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Post by dvh on Jun 9, 2015 10:51:48 GMT
Brother Duignan was impatiently tapping the leather strap on the edge of the desk and staring at me through his Himmler-style glasses. You have so brought back memories of similarly sadistic teachers at my school. Sorry about that! Most people dislike subjects they're bad at (so I always thought maths was boring and pointless). At a parents' evening I was talking to my younger daughter's Physics teacher. She said 'I think we're making progress. The other day your daughter told me she no longer hated Physics, she merely disliked it intensely'. At the same evening, her Geography teacher said 'I'm not sure she quite understands the point of Geography', an opinion my daughter heartily endorsed when I fed back his comments to her. |
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Post by Dave on Jun 9, 2015 15:42:27 GMT
Euuugh, maths!!! I'll get my coat... hehe
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Post by canetoad on Jun 9, 2015 23:10:26 GMT
You have so brought back memories of similarly sadistic teachers at my school. Sorry about that! Most people dislike subjects they're bad at (so I always thought maths was boring and pointless). At a parents' evening I was talking to my younger daughter's Physics teacher. She said 'I think we're making progress. The other day your daughter told me she no longer hated Physics, she merely disliked it intensely'. At the same evening, her Geography teacher said 'I'm not sure she quite understands the point of Geography', an opinion my daughter heartily endorsed when I fed back his comments to her. I don't see the point of geography either. |
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