OT: How many 'O' levels/GCSEs did you leave with?

[Syntax Error]

I did CSE's; I was one of the last to do them before they were changed to the much easier GCSE's.

I left with 5 (2 grade 1's & 3 grade 2's).

[banjo]

Wax On -"I think a good teacher can have an amazing impact on a young person"

Yep. Miss Greenwood was probably the cause of my first full on erection

[EddieShredder]

Yep. Miss Greenwood was probably the cause of my first full on erection

What an amazingly appropriate name

[WildWaylon]

Moving on career wise – it has always been a dog eat dog world. I don’t blame the fella that lied about his qualifications to move himself on. But being a recruiter stretches it a bit. I have always treated recruitment consultants with the same disdain as any salesman. They’re on commision which is par for the course – lots of articulate BS and little honesty apart from when it suits them. You can trust them as far as you can throw them.

To be fair, in recruitment, just like in every profession there are people who are good at their job and others who are just plain bad at it. Those who BS may make a little more in the short term, but get found out long term when they get a bad name for themselves and candidates / clients won't touch them with a barge pole. I will say this though, anyone rings me up and treats me with disdain, there's only one place their CV is going and that's straight in the effing bin.

It's very easy to stereotype. It's like the old saying.......Those who can, do. And those who can't, teach. Which is nonsense obviously, but just goes to show how ignorant some people can be.

I have a lot of respect for teachers. I loved that advert a couple of years back featuring famous figures (Tony Blair etc) name dropping the best teacher they'd ever had alond with a slogan along the lines of "Everyone remembers a great teacher." So true!! I think a good teacher can have an amazing impact on a young person and as a result would love to do it later in life.

Throughout my life I have praised the teaching skills of a particular teacher I had at primary school. Mr Higgins taught all subjects and did so in a way that we not only enjoyed the lessons but wanted to please him as well. He was strict, yet kind and caring and I dont remember him losing his temper even once. He was a brilliant teacher and a wonderful human being who didnt just do a job but really enjoyed working with children. He also taught me to box. I was in his class for two years and really enjoyed school with him as the teacher.

[stujones]

Don't know about other subjects, stu, but the number of students getting certain grades is never pre-determined (as far as I know!)

Fair enough, well I was dupped by an A level History marker, of course I am not going to doubt what you have said.... you have no reason to lie. All I know is that he told me, comfortably before the exams were set about 5 years ago, to the .1% the percentage of A's, B's, C's etc (for History specifically and general grades)and also told me that the percentages of A's and passes would increase gradually year in year out.

I mark undergraduate Psychology and some of the first year work (actually most of it) is really poorly written. I appreciate that I myself have moved on alot since my A level and undergraduate days, but still there is simple things that I know I was taught at A levels that clearly isn't being taught now. For example, I have lots of essays that simply don't have any paragraphs! or using APA style references - again I knew how to do within a month of A level psychology.

I appreciate, that I don't work in greatest establishment in the history of the world, and that a few of the students might have got in via a different route (not necessarily via academic qualification). Similarly, I've got to hold some of the responsibility as they are now being taught by me - but we are not talking about a minority of students.

[Deserter]

What I always find funny about teaching and people's attitudes is that everyone thinks they're a f*cking expert...because they've been to school. You would never go to an architect "You're talking sh1t there mate, take that beam out" or to a solicitor "Nah, I want to use this particular case from 1843, if you don't mind." You wouldn't even take the scissors off a hairdresser cutting your bairn's hair and say 'I know best'.

But when it comes to teaching/education, people seem to think they all have some kind of qualified view because once upon a time they were a pupil. It's like saying you know about medicine because you've been a patient. Yes, you have a view which is informed up to a certain point but it's always going to fall short of the professionals - most of whom actually live this shit (which is why I got so annoyed earlier).

As an aside, the irony about this statement Ian is that it's dangerously close to the arguments some in the boxing trade use to disparage forum members' views so I'd be interested to know how you reconcile the two
Returning to the subject in hand, I stand by some of my earlier comments regarding teachers as my major beef is that mediocrity or lack of professionalism that would result in sacking in other professions is tolerated in teaching, despite its vast importance in determining our collective future.
Whether it's formally through the NUT or informally, there's a 'closing of the ranks' to protect those who simply aren't up to scratch and as I said beforehand I am not personally aware of any teacher who has been sacked for being too poor. It normally requires something completely beyond the pale like having an affair with a pupil to lead to that type of outcome.
I'd also argue that those of us who operate in any kind of managerial environment have an awareness of general management techniques and their application (successful or otherwise), and again, in my experience the standard of teachers in this regard isn't high.
One of the problems, which, to be fair, is the legacy of the government's salary structure for teachers, is that the standard of many people going into teaching in the first place is in many cases not up to much. In my first year at Warwick I lived on Westwood campus, which specialised in teacher training, so many of my hallmates were trainee teachers. To put it bluntly I was shocked at some of their A-level grades and their overall life 'perspective', and I felt uncomfortable at the thought of individuals like these having responsibility for my children's education.
Of course there are excellent teachers as well, but in my experience they're outnumbered by the mediocre majority...

[SticknMove]

Moving on career wise – it has always been a dog eat dog world. I don’t blame the fella that lied about his qualifications to move himself on. But being a recruiter stretches it a bit. I have always treated recruitment consultants with the same disdain as any salesman. They’re on commision which is par for the course – lots of articulate BS and little honesty apart from when it suits them. You can trust them as far as you can throw them.

To be fair, in recruitment, just like in every profession there are people who are good at their job and others who are just plain bad at it. Those who BS may make a little more in the short term, but get found out long term when they get a bad name for themselves and candidates / clients won't touch them with a barge pole. I will say this though, anyone rings me up and treats me with disdain, there's only one place their CV is going and that's straight in the effing bin.

It's very easy to stereotype. It's like the old saying.......Those who can, do. And those who can't, teach. Which is nonsense obviously, but just goes to show how ignorant some people can be.

I have a lot of respect for teachers. I loved that advert a couple of years back featuring famous figures (Tony Blair etc) name dropping the best teacher they'd ever had alond with a slogan along the lines of "Everyone remembers a great teacher." So true!! I think a good teacher can have an amazing impact on a young person and as a result would love to do it later in life.

To be honest pal I did make a wide sweeping generalisation that you were right to pick me up on. The disdain I have comes through back of the brain experience that would certainly not manifest itself over a telephone.

Good luck to you and all the bastard recruitment agents/estate agents/salesmen on commission. I understand it but don’t appreciate it in all honesty. As a career it is unimportant to me, plenty of wedge but pure froth on top (or should that be in the middle). But perhaps I’m just cynical and ignorant.

[dondada]

What I always find funny about teaching and people's attitudes is that everyone thinks they're a f*cking expert...because they've been to school. You would never go to an architect "You're talking sh1t there mate, take that beam out" or to a solicitor "Nah, I want to use this particular case from 1843, if you don't mind." You wouldn't even take the scissors off a hairdresser cutting your bairn's hair and say 'I know best'.

But when it comes to teaching/education, people seem to think they all have some kind of qualified view because once upon a time they were a pupil. It's like saying you know about medicine because you've been a patient. Yes, you have a view which is informed up to a certain point but it's always going to fall short of the professionals - most of whom actually live this shit (which is why I got so annoyed earlier).

As an aside, the irony about this statement Ian is that it's dangerously close to the arguments some in the boxing trade use to disparage forum members' views so I'd be interested to know how you reconcile the two
Returning to the subject in hand, I stand by some of my earlier comments regarding teachers as my major beef is that mediocrity or lack of professionalism that would result in sacking in other professions is tolerated in teaching, despite its vast importance in determining our collective future.
Whether it's formally through the NUT or informally, there's a 'closing of the ranks' to protect those who simply aren't up to scratch and as I said beforehand I am not personally aware of any teacher who has been sacked for being too poor. It normally requires something completely beyond the pale like having an affair with a pupil to lead to that type of outcome.
I'd also argue that those of us who operate in any kind of managerial environment have an awareness of general management techniques and their application (successful or otherwise), and again, in my experience the standard of teachers in this regard isn't high.
One of the problems, which, to be fair, is the legacy of the government's salary structure for teachers, is that the standard of many people going into teaching in the first place is in many cases not up to much. In my first year at Warwick I lived on Westwood campus, which specialised in teacher training, so many of my hallmates were trainee teachers. To put it bluntly I was shocked at some of their A-level grades and their overall life 'perspective', and I felt uncomfortable at the thought of individuals like these having responsibility for my children's education.
Of course there are excellent teachers as well, but in my experience they're outnumbered by the mediocre majority...

Ha ha! Yes, I did realise the potential irony! I don't think I need to reconcile them though...my view of how much a left hook hurts will always be less informed than Peter Buckley! I wouldn't purport to offer views on training or the nuances of the sport - but I can articulate general views quite well, as you have done above on teaching.

You make a lot of fair points about some mediocre teachers. The problem is based on one that Waylon has articulated - the profession lost a lot of weight and status because of the impact some daft govt decisions made. So, some clever and very able people who perhaps wanted to be in teaching because they loved their subject got fed up with constant undermining and crowd control and just left. But you still need the same amount of teachers so...well, you can easily finish my argument for me here...

As for Waylon's earlier point, here's a desperately depressing stat for you (if it's not exact, it's pretty close) - take two kids, one who is bright and poor, another who is average and middle class, both aged 4. By the time they are 7, the average kid overtakes the bright one. Really sad in modern day Britain.

[m1kee50]

Wax On -"I think a good teacher can have an amazing impact on a young person"

Yep. Miss Greenwood was probably the cause of my first full on erection

I had a Miss Greenwood... she taught Geography in Dagenham. Same one?

[banjo]

Wax On -"I think a good teacher can have an amazing impact on a young person"

Yep. Miss Greenwood was probably the cause of my first full on erection

I had a Miss Greenwood... she taught Geography in Dagenham. Same one?

No. Biology in Southport.

[m1kee50]

Wax On -"I think a good teacher can have an amazing impact on a young person"

Yep. Miss Greenwood was probably the cause of my first full on erection

I had a Miss Greenwood... she taught Geography in Dagenham. Same one?

No. Biology in Southport.

Fair enough. She was a bit of a dog actually, my one. Then again she was from Southport, so....

[emma]

I havent got 1 single qualification but have lied on my cv saying stuff like i have 10 gcse's 3 alevels and a degree in sport science. I had the bottle to go through with it and now have a top job in recruitment.

Well that doesnt surprise me.

Jesus.

It's funny, you mendacious cretin, because of the irony - i.e. you now work in recruitment yet produced a toilet tissue of a CV in order to be...wait for it...recruited!

If the qualifications aren't important, why the f*ck did you feel it necessary to put them down, then? Because qualifications add to your CV, perhaps?

You might be able to tell that I'm rather irked by this. Mainly because a hell of a lot of people spend money and years getting the likes of the qualifications you lied about having. Some of them on here.

well said.

[belowthebelt]

9, 2 a's, 2 b's and 5 c's and failed RE lol

[Ezzard]

11 O-Levels
4 A levels

Got an offer from Cambridge which I turned down (original class warrior). Obviously regret it now.

BA European Lit
MA US Lit
MSc Computer Science
PhD US Lit and Film

I actually don't put most of it on job applications. People in the UK tell you that qualifications don't mean that much but actually discriminate against you if you've got them. I got fed up of 1d1ots having a pop so I just stopped listing them. 95% of my friends who got top positions got them because of the school they went to rather than the quals they got.

If you want to get on communication skills almost always win the day. I'd also trade in half my quals for a bit of entrepreneurial nouse.

[frankwarrenfan]

employers don't like it if you have more qualifications than they do

in fact that's probably true of people in general

[m1kee50]

Im not so sure of that. Scumbag people might distrust someone who has evidence that they can work hard and analyse information, but I doubt Alan Sugar for example is bothered by people who have more qualifications than him.

How many has Fwank got then?

[frankwarrenfan]

yes, i would imagine sir alan - rightly or wrongly - is quite dismissive of people with qualifications

[m1kee50]

yes, i would imagine sir alan - rightly or wrongly - is quite dismissive of people with qualifications

carry on imagining then mate, i reckon its all you're good for. anyone who goes by frankwarrenfan must be a bit of a fantasist anyway

[jamesmcdonnell]

What I always find funny about teaching and people's attitudes is that everyone thinks they're a f*cking expert...because they've been to school. You would never go to an architect "You're talking sh1t there mate, take that beam out" or to a solicitor "Nah, I want to use this particular case from 1843, if you don't mind." You wouldn't even take the scissors off a hairdresser cutting your bairn's hair and say 'I know best'.

But when it comes to teaching/education, people seem to think they all have some kind of qualified view because once upon a time they were a pupil. It's like saying you know about medicine because you've been a patient. Yes, you have a view which is informed up to a certain point but it's always going to fall short of the professionals - most of whom actually live this shit (which is why I got so annoyed earlier).

As an aside, the irony about this statement Ian is that it's dangerously close to the arguments some in the boxing trade use to disparage forum members' views so I'd be interested to know how you reconcile the two
Returning to the subject in hand, I stand by some of my earlier comments regarding teachers as my major beef is that mediocrity or lack of professionalism that would result in sacking in other professions is tolerated in teaching, despite its vast importance in determining our collective future.
Whether it's formally through the NUT or informally, there's a 'closing of the ranks' to protect those who simply aren't up to scratch and as I said beforehand I am not personally aware of any teacher who has been sacked for being too poor. It normally requires something completely beyond the pale like having an affair with a pupil to lead to that type of outcome.
I'd also argue that those of us who operate in any kind of managerial environment have an awareness of general management techniques and their application (successful or otherwise), and again, in my experience the standard of teachers in this regard isn't high.
One of the problems, which, to be fair, is the legacy of the government's salary structure for teachers, is that the standard of many people going into teaching in the first place is in many cases not up to much. In my first year at Warwick I lived on Westwood campus, which specialised in teacher training, so many of my hallmates were trainee teachers. To put it bluntly I was shocked at some of their A-level grades and their overall life 'perspective', and I felt uncomfortable at the thought of individuals like these having responsibility for my children's education.
Of course there are excellent teachers as well, but in my experience they're outnumbered by the mediocre majority...

Ha ha! Yes, I did realise the potential irony! I don't think I need to reconcile them though...my view of how much a left hook hurts will always be less informed than Peter Buckley! I wouldn't purport to offer views on training or the nuances of the sport - but I can articulate general views quite well, as you have done above on teaching.

You make a lot of fair points about some mediocre teachers. The problem is based on one that Waylon has articulated - the profession lost a lot of weight and status because of the impact some daft govt decisions made. So, some clever and very able people who perhaps wanted to be in teaching because they loved their subject got fed up with constant undermining and crowd control and just left. But you still need the same amount of teachers so...well, you can easily finish my argument for me here...

As for Waylon's earlier point, here's a desperately depressing stat for you (if it's not exact, it's pretty close) - take two kids, one who is bright and poor, another who is average and middle class, both aged 4. By the time they are 7, the average kid overtakes the bright one. Really sad in modern day Britain.

A recent study in America, costing some 400 million dollars into diet and health, also concluded that the single most important overall impact on general health, well being and life expectancy was your socioeconomic status.

[Max Molyneux]

I got to wait till next September to go to a uni now.

I want to do Criminology and Socialogy combined.

[Old bones Ian]

I got to wait till next September to go to a uni now.

I want to do Criminology and Socialogy combined.

Don't lose focus between then and now, i know a few people that have had to do the same thing, and during that year go and lose interest and don't ever get to uni, they nearly all regret it as well.

[Max Molyneux]

Problem was finding out the Info too late, I was telling my support workers for months I would like to go to Uni but I was put off by the GCSE's part thinking you had to have them but I had low grade ones despite them knowing the alternatives, they for some reason never told me. My parents thought the same way.

It was thanks to Carlos starting this thread that I found out you don't need GCSE's, but the colleges were trying to discourage me off Uni, saying It was hard and people fail, comparing me to other people and my mum just found It hard to believe you could go to Uni without high level GCSE's and still thought that despite me showing her proof In the booklets and such. Mature students over 21 can do alternatives to getting Into uni like doing a foundation year In Uni.

My mum and support workers were defending the bullshit the colleges were saying too

I went to the colleges at first trying to do GCSE's but fucked off from the colleges after their discouraging attitude and the fact that I found the GCSE work too easy and thinking why do I need child's easy work to get Into high standard and hard work places like University? The colleges In Liverpool seem to give a discouraging attitude towards University and the schemes they offer just because It's hard.

Going to aim for the University of Liverpool, John Moores was partly why I have to wait till next year. I went to an appointment there the person I was booked to see didn't show up so I had to see someone who didn't have a clue what to do.

[Ezzard]

Max, don't lose heart...

Once you get in to a University they want you to pass. It looks bad on their stats. So, getting in is the hard part. Once you are in, as long as you do enough work, the machine itself will make sure you come out with a degree.

[WildWaylon]

Problem was finding out the Info too late, I was telling my support workers for months I would like to go to Uni but I was put off by the GCSE's part thinking you had to have them but I had low grade ones despite them knowing the alternatives, they for some reason never told me. My parents thought the same way.

It was thanks to Carlos starting this thread that I found out you don't need GCSE's, but the colleges were trying to discourage me off Uni, saying It was hard and people fail, comparing me to other people and my mum just found It hard to believe you could go to Uni without high level GCSE's and still thought that despite me showing her proof In the booklets and such. Mature students over 21 can do alternatives to getting Into uni like doing a foundation year In Uni.

My mum and support workers were defending the bullshit the colleges were saying too

I went to the colleges at first trying to do GCSE's but fucked off from the colleges after their discouraging attitude and the fact that I found the GCSE work too easy and thinking why do I need child's easy work to get Into high standard and hard work places like University? The colleges In Liverpool seem to give a discouraging attitude towards University and the schemes they offer just because It's hard.

Going to aim for the University of Liverpool, John Moores was partly why I have to wait till next year. I went to an appointment there the person I was booked to see didn't show up so I had to see someone who didn't have a clue what to do.

Your Mother is right to think the way she does. In her time you did need good passes to get a place at Uni. In her day and I am assuming she is in her 40s or 50s, the standards for acceptance were very high. In those days there were far less Unis so there were far less places for students. When the government gave polys university status, a political move, many thousands of youngsters could then get into uni but it meant a lot less. Also in her day GCSE standards were much higher and people who got a place at Uni really deserved it. In the past people have been given chances to take courses with just the minimum requirements to do so and most have failed miserably, not having the ability to keep up. Its therefore not surprising people without enough formal qualifications are discouraged from taking a place which should be given to another student who has a far better chance of completing the course and passing the exams. It costs a lot of money to educate people so why waste money on those who are unlikely to meet the standards. I therefore think its right people should prove they are worthy and capable with decent GCSE passes to get a place at Uni.

[Billy_Boy]

3 A's, 4 B's and and 4 C's at GCSE (Had to check, mind!). They mean absolutley NOTHING IMHO