sootyj
Friday 9th September 2011 8:07am
51,287 posts
Quote: KLRiley @ September 8 2011, 4:36 PM BST
Calm down dear. I'm looking at it from the perspective of what a lot of brilliant material I'm gathering for the day when I do have the courage to get on stage. Or alternatively for leading a latter day Peasants' Revolt against the professional politicians.
But the thing I find totally depressing is not just the inflexibility of the system, it's the barriers to learning that are being put there. Education is being privatised before us but (unsurprisingly) most people are currently focused on what sort of shambles the NHS is about to reduced to. There will be no point in all these shiny new places of learning if people can't afford to go there.
The privatisation isn't so bad.
It's the government meddling and bossiness that's insane. The pressure to force so many kids through degrees is of course going to dilute their value. Especially when part of the price for getting them there has been a diminuation on the emphasis on core skills.
At the same time in the vocational world. The braying nonsense of the training donkey is every one must have an NVQ. The most hated stupid pointless qualification ever.
One which manages to be simultaneously a beuracratic nightmare of paperwork to compete. At the same time as teaching absolutely nothing new.
Training budgets in my field that once might put some people through degrees or at least worthwhile specialist training. Are now gobbled up by mickey mouse pointless courses shoved on by various government bodies.
And as more money gets sucked into putting someone who's functionally illiterate by most none English speaking countries standards. Through a degree in media and unemployability studies at the Newversity of big grant on handout.
Or training yet another NVQ2 hairdresser who'll never pick up a pair of scissors.
Then the funding for the dinner lady who wanted to study Medieval poetry at night, or the cab driver who wanted to learn Jazz dance. Disapears.
We're living through 2 governments with a total contempt for the concept of learning and knowledge. Especially if it's for pleasure or because well you wanna know stuff cos it might make you a better person.