Tag: UK

Educational qualifications can be, and often are used to maintain the status quo – the existing social order. When I lived in the Netherlands, you had to have qualifications to be able to open a shop. Sounds fair enough, you might say, but the exams were only available in Dutch, which is not one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world.

If Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods, wanted to open a shop in the Netherlands, he would have to learn Dutch or circumvent the regulations by hiring local managers.

While I can see the need for people (shop keepers in this case) to provide evidence of an understanding of the law of the land, some countries take it too far. They make education a weapon of class warfare.

After all, it allows the ruling class to say that they are only trying to raise standards, while not providing the means for the poor to reach those standards. By not providing a universal education, they are in fact ensuring that the best jobs stay with the richest families.

There is a subtle way of modifying this scheme so as to make the gentry look innocent – they can put schools in every village and then stock them with low-grade teachers by making the wages and conditions awful, and simultaneously open the universities to all who have reached the requisite level of education.

This method also keeps the riff-raff out but allows the rich to maintain the illusion that a university education is open to all. This is the most common tactic in the Developing World.

In richer countries like Europe and America, the glass ceiling is put in place by making higher education expensive and offering ‘cheap loans’ to students who wish to continue their education.

In the UK, at the moment, the cap on university fees is about $14,000 per annum, so after a typical three tear course, a student comes away with a degree, which is no longer a guarantee of a job, and a $40,000 overdraft.

That is enough to deter the riff-raff too.

So what is the solution to this subtle form of the poverty, or at least, the social status trap?

Means-tested grants used to work just fine.

A student has to be able to embark on an educational course without having the distraction of worrying about money. Rich kids don’t have to worry about their finances at or after university, so why should poor kids? Let’s make it fair.

Britain as a whole had this enviable system for decades, but Scotland is the only country within the UK to maintain it. Welsh students have to pay something, I think, but not as much as English kids.

This will probably result in more Scottish and Welsh graduates per head of population than English ones in the near future. The Celts will love that, but it doesn’t seem fair on the English working class.

One of the reasons why Lek in ‘Behind The Smile’ did not stay at school was because the family thought the the cost seemed to be too high for the benefits that they could see it delivering. This is not the state’s direct fault, but it does result from a lack of ambition in people who have never known anyone in their family go to university.

Behind The Smile : ISBN: 978-1-475-21688-2 : Published by CreateSpace 19-4-2012 : Paperback and eBook.

School equipment is one of the most basic things that all schools require. Anything from learning materials such as stationery, exercise books or sports equipment to school furniture and facilities, and also safety and maintenance equipment. This article explores various opinions on school equipment and why it is important to learning.

Certain equipment, such as pencils, pens, or paper does need to be replenished on a frequent basis and are known as consumables. Other equipment such as tables or electricals tends to be much more expensive and there can be reluctance to replace them even when it is necessary. This is especially true now that schools are given very tight budgets from councils and the government.

According to a recent study carried out by BBCs Newsround, the news service for children across the UK, school equipment may not be fit for purpose. The study asked children their general opinions on the equipment and furniture they used. The responses were surprising: Almost all children reported serious problems. These ranged from broken, uncomfortable chairs, damaged tables, equipment that is unsuitable or too small. It seems as if headteachers do not realise how unhappy children are with the equipment they use which is a serious concern.

Another very recent debate about the quality of school buildings versus the quality of teaching was recently posted. The new education secretary Michael Grove announced that the new school building project and the BSF Building schools for the Future set up by the previous government would be cancelled to save money. But many people have argued that this means children will need to use outdated equipment in an educational setting, while others have said that the buildings as long as safe are effective enough. Whether they have considered the effect on existing furniture and equipment remains to be seen.

The recent credit crunch, recession and general lack of money in public sector spending may become a serious problem for schools with limited budgets. A typical budget for school equipment must be spread across everything from site equipment and maintenance to teaching material for children. While some of the material may still be adequate from the point of teachers, they may fall short of health and safety or quality standards set by UK and EU laws.

While the conditions of the buildings themselves are perhaps not the most important, unless of course they fall below the minimum standard, the equipment itself must always be fully functional and up to the minimum standard. School equipment can be purchased from large educational suppliers such as The Consortium. School equipment are some of the fundamental building blocks to a childs education, and combined with effective teaching can be a very important step for any child. Schools can save money by negotiating for bulk prices of items, especially expensive items such as educational furniture and searching for the best prices possible for any item. Any school budget, especially for schools which are having difficulties financially, should be carefully planned and set aside to be spent on items which need the most investment and replacement.

Educational qualifications can be, and often are used to maintain the status quo – the existing social order. When I lived in the Netherlands, you had to have qualifications to be able to open a shop. Sounds fair enough, you might say, but the exams were only available in Dutch, which is not one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world.

If Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods, wanted to open a shop in the Netherlands, he would have to learn Dutch or circumvent the regulations by hiring local managers.

While I can see the need for people (shop keepers in this case) to provide evidence of an understanding of the law of the land, some countries take it too far. They make education a weapon of class warfare.

After all, it allows the ruling class to say that they are only trying to raise standards, while not providing the means for the poor to reach those standards. By not providing a universal education, they are in fact ensuring that the best jobs stay with the richest families.

There is a subtle way of modifying this scheme so as to make the gentry look innocent – they can put schools in every village and then stock them with low-grade teachers by making the wages and conditions awful, and simultaneously open the universities to all who have reached the requisite level of education.

This method also keeps the riff-raff out but allows the rich to maintain the illusion that a university education is open to all. This is the most common tactic in the Developing World.

In richer countries like Europe and America, the glass ceiling is put in place by making higher education expensive and offering ‘cheap loans’ to students who wish to continue their education.

In the UK, at the moment, the cap on university fees is about $14,000 per annum, so after a typical three tear course, a student comes away with a degree, which is no longer a guarantee of a job, and a $40,000 overdraft.

That is enough to deter the riff-raff too.

So what is the solution to this subtle form of the poverty, or at least, the social status trap?

Means-tested grants used to work just fine.

A student has to be able to embark on an educational course without having the distraction of worrying about money. Rich kids don’t have to worry about their finances at or after university, so why should poor kids? Let’s make it fair.

Britain as a whole had this enviable system for decades, but Scotland is the only country within the UK to maintain it. Welsh students have to pay something, I think, but not as much as English kids.

This will probably result in more Scottish and Welsh graduates per head of population than English ones in the near future. The Celts will love that, but it doesn’t seem fair on the English working class.

One of the reasons why Lek in ‘Behind The Smile’ did not stay at school was because the family thought the the cost seemed to be too high for the benefits that they could see it delivering. This is not the state’s direct fault, but it does result from a lack of ambition in people who have never known anyone in their family go to university.

Behind The Smile : ISBN: 978-1-475-21688-2 : Published by CreateSpace 19-4-2012 : Paperback and eBook.

Education is an integral part of ones professional career. The institute, University, location and the degree itself all of this is extremely essential and severely affects an individuals professional decision. The fact that cannot be ignored is that an education degree from a college or University of repute gets higher chances of getting employed in renowned commercial houses. However, with passing times, the importance of education has been known and today the meaning and definition of education has broadened, it is not just about acquiring dream jobs in the corporate sector but also about opening up minds and becoming aware. Along with the meaning, the system of education has also grown and improved!

The global system of education in todays era has opened up diverse opportunities for inquisitive students to learn and explore. Overseas education has emerged as a popular and rather a beneficial choice of study amongst young aspirants. Ambitious students fly out to different destinations of the world not just to enjoy high standards of education but also to benefit from an opportunity to learn and experience new cultures and traditions. Global education has created a huge world of opportunities. Several students from India too wish to experience the new era of education and benefit from varied potential professional opportunities.

Globalization is the key reason behind the increasing number of students wanting to pursue their learning abroad. However, if theres no pain there will b no gain! To acquire the global standards of learning, one has to undergo intensive preparations for acing the competitive entrance examinations. Even after getting into their choice of education institutes or Universities, the students studying abroad have to undergo intensive training for gaining the holistic knowledge and skill of their chosen profession and become industry ready professionals.

Faculties comprising of experienced academicians, excellent infrastructure and exceptional placement opportunities all make global education the most lucrative and desired choice of study. Another advantage of studying abroad is the confidence and independence that comes with living alone, facing different challenges and interacting with other students from different nationalities. Overseas education is exposure to the entire globe as one studies varied topics relevant to global community, spend quality time students from different nationalities and also get an opportunity to visit and explore beautiful places of the world.

Canada is a popular travel destination of the world. It has to its pride mesmerizing beauty and enriching cultural heritage. Also this exotic country is famed for a excellent system of education. Besides other professional courses, management programs are very popular in Canada. Numerous ambitious students seek to pursue their MBA in Canada and acquire professional understanding of the commercial world. Also extremely famous and popular is PhD in UK. The course gets its popularity from the intensive training techniques adopted by talented academicians who impart finest quality teaching and guidance to youthful learners.