Gove does it again!

Abra1d I hear these arguments time and time again, "I don't have a good pension therefore no one should". It really is just envy. The fact that the private sector are shite at making pension provisions for their employees is not a good enough argument for scrapping public sector pensions. We are facing a massive pension timebomb, massive. Huge. You think old age poverty is a problem now? It'll be ten times worse in 30/40/50 years time.

But headfairy, that's the only one that counts. All the rest are just fish and chip wrapping paper. The Daily Mail, the Guardian and Newsnight are the only 3 that count.

claig 1 out of three ain't bad :o

'Hmmm, currently O levels is top on Newsnight.'

Knew it. Never worked in the media or newsapers but can spot some aspects of the game.

I'm not surprised, headfairy...

What was promised to me when I took out my private pensions twenty-plus years ago was that my dividends wouldn't be taxed.

First thing Gordon Brown did was tax the dividends in my pension.

We have all had to go through this; doctors are no different and are in a considerably better financial position than the rest of us.

'From trumpeting with excitement at the return of O levels, you've now completely changed your tune.'

I agrre on this one, I have been taken in hook, line and stinker. I didn't think it through, I was pleased that standards were going higher, but it doesn't make sense to bring back a divisive qualification system. It is much better to fix the one we currently have.

I haven't read the Mail's propaganda about doctors over teh last few days and I bet lots of Mail readers have skipped it to. We know the game enough to understand when information is duff. But the Mail know that New Labour's dumbing down is like a red rag to the Daily Mail and is bound to get them fired up and back on side with teh government. As one Daily Mail commenter said "this week the Tories are back" - but that commenter has been tricked too.

Because Abra1d, it's what was promised to them when they busted a gut doing a 5 year med degree, when they were working 100 hour weeks as junior doctors and the sum isn't really the point is it? You can't take away what someone has been promised for years and years of their working life. If you focus on the amount alone, you sound like you're jealous rather than making a political point.

And I'm afraid the point about children being supported during course work is exactly the problem. If everyone can get the qualification, with support, there's no point in having the qualification, is there? Because the child who can only achieve them with support and course work has the same qualification as the high-flyer who is very good at the subject. It tells you nothing about the two candidates and their differences.

'Great - until it's your child confined to the CSE equivalent. Or who suffers from severe hay fever / another illness so can't perform as well on the day of the exam. '

I had severe hay fever and took my O levels in 1982 with only sleep-inducing Piriton available so I either sneezed or felt sleepy during exams. That's life, isn't it?

I am glad about this change. Some of the GCSE content is a joke.

As for doctors: could someone tell me why I someone whose AVERAGE pension is £48,000 a year is not available today in surgery? Because I think it is outrageous.

Hmmm, currently O levels is top on Newsnight.

Gove is a COCK.
He has now excluded my DS2 from getting any meaningful qualfications.
He could cope with GCSEs. You can be supported with course work.

He has no chance with o levels. NONE.

What is the big deal about sodding Olevels anyway? I have o levels. You sod about all year and if you are good at exams you get your certificate.

"Also, people who were at school in the 1950s can, invariably, read, write, spell and do basic maths."

I'm baffled as to where you get that idea. Run a mail order company and type in orders for a while. You'll find that Ken/Shirley/Frank make just as many spelling errors and I reckon more arithmetical errors than Sophie/James/Katie.

(Clearly you can't assess people's age purely from name and handwriting style but over the mass of orders it is quite easy to guess who is an older customer and who a 20something.)

With this fuckwit Government, nothing would surprise me.

From trumpeting with excitement at the return of O levels, you've now completely changed your tune.

Again, no media knowledge...both Tory newsheets the Telegraph and the Mail would like nothing better than to rubbish the "greedy" doctors on their front pages, but tickling their aspirational readers' fancies (we're all joining the elite with our wonderful O levels, just like granny) is even more attractive.

As the line they are supposed to take is that they hate the NHS for taking too much of their proprietors tax money and helping the proles live longer than they should, they aren't being distracted by a cod story...they are chasing their desired audience.

The Guardian is read by a lot of teachers who will be pissed off at more Government interference.;

Good that the BBC had doctors as top story. I wonder what will be top story on Newsnight though? Will watch with interest tonight.

I think the fact that doctors are striking for the first time in 37 years makes it more interesting. It just shows there's a tipping point for everyone, we're not talking about tube drivers who walk out at the drop of a hat.

i might have to take back that last declaration

I sincerely hope you're right, though actually i think Gove is deadly serious. After all, he's already recently released plans to shake up A Levels and primary ed, so why not GCSEs?

He's bonkers enough. :(

Don't actually think the doctors' strike is such big news it needed burying - quite easy to rubbish that as just 'selfish, rich doctors'. Already been done plenty in the mail, Torygraph etc.

On the other hand, the point abot it not getting through the Lords is very true - story yesterday that all legislation may now get gummed up due to rebellion against reform of the Lords. So nothing may get through at all until the next election1

Here's hoping...

ahem Claig, top story on the BBC 1 o'clock news was the doctors, top story on the 6 o'clock news is currently.....

the doctors.

Exam bollocks is currently third. I'll bet today's pay it won't even make it to 10.

'the Gove story is breaking news'

I agree with headfairy and slug, the Gove story is barking news. It's not going to happen, but the Guardian and probably the BBC will discuss it all day instead of talking about the doctors.

the doctors' strike has already happened, that should be

They couldn't afford me!

You don't know anything about the way newspapers work, claig.

The doctors' strike has already happening and is a bit of a damp squib, the Gove story is breaking news and the potential to be much bigger with its elements of Government strife and a big bun fight between the Tories and the Lib Dems...

Don't go applying for any news editor jobs, although I'm sure they would be lucky to get you

Gove used to work for the Mail, that's why they got that story. And that's why they reported it as they did, triumphantly wanking all the way.

Returning to a system that was inadequate 30 years ago is pathetic. The world has changed a great deal as most of us have noticed.

Oh hang on, it wouldn't be anything to do with a bit of divide and rule from the Tories, would it? Working class jobs for the plebs? Mark them out at 14? Shurely, shurely not!

All those dribbling with excitement about O levels will be highly pissed off if their little darlings end up in the CSE group (which will NEVER happen darling because they are all so clever with THOSE genes from us).

I am not a particular fan of GCSEs, especially the modular system, but creating an educational elite and writing off the rest at 14 is not going to improve anything in a country which is already deeply divided into the haves and have nots.

One trouble with the education system is that if you aren't "academic" forget it. Vocational education is poor and seen as third best, an extremely short sighted attitude.

Some of us fell for the bait on this one and have been well and truly reeled in, we've been done up like a kipper. It's not going to happen, it's had its chips.