Aibu to think that the Scottish education system is far superior to the English one?

[Margerykemp]

What I see on the news and here about GCSEs and it sounds crazy!
-different exam boards
-modular exams
-sitting exams in different years
-inflexible attitude to deferring entry
-no automatic entry to local school
-league tables
-some courses being 'worth' numerous GCSEs
-going to secondary at 10/11 rather than 11/12
-church schools
-academies
-different systems in different regions
-local authorities not having enough places for all their residents
-a high proportion of private schools, with eye watering fees
-schools making kids do 'Micky mouse subjects' to get them up the league tables
-a ' choice' system which favours pushy middle class parents

• lottery placements

-too big a jump from GCSEs to a level -too few a levels taken -not knowing a level results before applying to uni -Michael Gove being in charge!

I don't know how you all put up with it!

A friends child went to medicine and started when he was 17 and of course it was always a laugh after he graduated still looking like a young 18 year old, all be it a tired one, that he could prescribe morphine all day yet would get asked for id. for a drink for himself at night

25% in private school in Edinburgh as I understand it. I don't think the majority to A Levels, at George Watsons they do Higher but I know Merchiston does do A Levels so I presume Fettes and Loretto will as well. I think it's only the schools which are more geared towards boarders that do A levels with the day schools (the majority) still doing Highers.

I agree with the point of the OP for the most part although I was unimpressed by DD's CFE school report - read like it was computer generated via a series of tick boxes!

My brother was 16.5 when he went to uni but that was because he'd started primary school in England, did the first year and then we moved and he placed in the second year in Scotland when he was two months below the usual cut off point.

Novak - the 17 year old Scots medics at my English university had to do a year 'pre-med' before they were accepted on to the proper course.

Why???

I studied advanced higher applied maths with mechanics and was told that a good pass in it would make me eligible to skip straight to second year uni maths courses. I finished school in 2004.

So AHs are pretty good qualifications.

I'm confused. I thought Scotland had church schools too op? I distinctly remember my cousin going to a roman catholic school and another cousin going to a different school that was Church of Scotland affiliated. They would have left 10 years ago.. Is it different now?

I've no idea Novac. I only know because I lived with a 17year old medic in first year. This was at Sheffield University. It was odd because she wasn't allowed drink in the union although that didn't stop her

Jolly, did you go to uni in Scotland? When I was at Edinburgh, the English students could go straight into second year if they were studying a science course. It was pretty much accepted that after studying A levels, English students were had a greater knowledge base than those who had just studied Highers in sciences at least.

Oh god the separation of children according to religion is a major drawback in some places.

Scotland has non-denominational schools and Catholic schools. As an example, of the 4 schools v close to me, 1 is Catholic, 3 are non-denominational. Seems a fairly standard distribution for our council.

At non-denominational schools we teach RME. At Catholic schools children are instructed in Catholicism and morality.

When one girl from my school went to Oxford, the school laid on extra work for her over the summer after she'd finished school, so post-sixth year/sixth yr studies. I assumed that was because the university syllabus there was designed to flow from the base provided by the A Level syllabus and the Scottish one was slightly different.

Have to say I am very anti-segregation. I have been in 'inclusive' campuses where a non-denominational school and a Catholic school are in the same building, but the children aren't allowed to mix in the playground.

Thanks roughtyping. That sounds similar to England I think. All though even some of the schools that aren't directly linked to a church down here seem to build relationships with them as a side thing. I much prefer the learning about all religions and would hate my children just to learn about one. Sadly from my experience it seems to be the church schools that are best academically.

Sorry should point out there are other schools e.g. Steiner etc. Gaelic language schools are becoming more popular but teach pretty much the same curriculum.

The Catholic primary schools do take non-Catholics as well as Catholics although how places are prioritised I don't know

I agree about the Catholic school thing, it is very, very wrong. My hope is that somewhere down the line the Scottish government will have the balls to make all state schools secular.

Green - I should also point out that non-denominational still means Christian! We just don't instruct. All faiths welcomed, not attached to a church etc (although there is usually a visiting minister). We teach about 'world religions' and I love it - have actually done extra topics about e.g. Buddhism with an Eco slant!

One of the english unis I applied for wanted 5 CSYSs...

I think the Steiner schools are private? Not sure about the gaelic?

itsallgoingtobefine I hope so. I love teaching RE though and I think it's an important part of the curriculum, especially in areas that are predominantly white Christian.

Scottish Unis have those 4 year course though don't they which thy call honours is that right. Even the good ones like St. Andrews or Edinburgh so it seems sensible to let A levels into the second year as the first years from scotland only having a higher would be far behind an a level used to be.

There might be private Gaelic schools but I know of at least 4 council ones. Think you're right about Steiner