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!

roughtyping I completely agree, RE is a very important subject, but it should be a taught subject, not embedded throughout the school.

Yes, I went to uni in Scotland. Although I had an acceptance for a maths course and had discussed starting in second year, I preferred to start in first year.

I actually didn't end up doing maths, but I also had acceptances (to Aberdeen and Glasgow) for medicine on the back of 5 highers (Ab) and 6 highers (Gla).

I know a number of people who were accepted to Oxford or Cambridge based on their AH results.

It seems to me that as long as you stay for 6th year and study advanced highers it should be possible to get accepted to English universities and to not struggle with the work. (Clearly dependent on your grades/level of application)

Anyway, I'm not sure I see the attraction of English universities, but I had no desire to travel far from home, I understand this is not the case for everyone.

Yep totally on same wavelength

Yup Scottish uni degrees are 4 years, I don't know of anyone who has ever just done three and missed out on the Hons.

Has anyone mentioned free university in Scotland yet?

Yay free uni!

I was very lucky - free tuition for my undergraduate degree, and my PGDE (to become a primary teacher) was fully funded as well.

In Aberdeen there are three Catholic Primaries. IIRC there are no catholic secondaries - or all catholic depending how you look at it. All Aberdeen's secondaries can provide a catholic education.

Re Catholic schools, if you live in the catchment area, you get in. They are run by the local authority and the curriculum is the same as Church of Scotland schools, which are not secular or even non-denominational, pupils still go to the local church at Christmas and have the minister visit as far as I know. Catholic schools do prep for the Sacrament of Reconciliation though and Confirmation, though most of that was in the evening at DD's school.

Summer, they're not Church of Scotland schools though?

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Scotland#_

Exactly the Hons thing is just a fake name at the end of the day to try to appear more special since a English child at he same Uni would only do 3 years and get the same degree.

As for RE being taught in school. What a load of jot that is unless it is part of a wider humanities and culture course covering al the major religions. Although perhaps with all the west coast bigotry it should remain there until that finally ends.

Tollcross primary in Edinburgh has gaelic stream, not private

RE does cover all the major religions doesn't it? As well as looking at moral dilemmas etc?

YANBU.

Novack have you read any of my posts re: religious education in non-denom schools? RME (Religious and Moral Education) is a seperate part of the curriculum covering world religions. Catholic schools are different, don't know how they educate re: other religions.

Yep, there's also Glasgow Gaelic Ahool, one in EDC, one in Inverclyde, one in East Kilbride, think there's one in Cumbernauld as well

SCHOOL obviously not Ahool! On my iPhone...

I remember applying for uni and needed.four highers at a or b but the a level equivalent was six.

Itsallgoingtobefine, me! I started uni at 16 (5 highers) and finished at 19 with a BA ordinary degree. In retrospect, I was too young - just wanted to leave school really and didn't think about what I wanted to do long term.

Many of DS's friends are starting uni in the next couple of weeks, having just done 5th year, so 16 and 17.

Nah, who takes scottish education seriously? Most Scots can't get into real universities having left school at 14 or whatever knowing absolutely nothing of their subjects

Yeah, that well known non university, Oxford

Where I got my first degree aged 19.

You're so right.

Are English university degrees not referred to as "honours"? I thought they all were (English 3 yrs, Scottish 4 yrs) - if this isn't the case MN has taught me something tonight!

I've always been a bit about Edinburgh calling some straight forward undergraduate degrees "masters" (such as my Geog degree). MIL thinks it's fine as it's a four year degree but as discussed above, it's not the same as four years at an English uni. They do (or did) offer a "proper" masters in Chemistry which could be signed up to from first year but that was a five year course.

My DS1 has 6 highers (5As and a B) and 3 AHs (AAB). He is in his 5th year at St. Andrews on a fairly exclusive MSci. He was offered the chance to go stright into 2nd year but choose not to because it would have limited his choices later in the year. AHs are level 7 in the SQF so count as advanced education. They are the equivalent of an HNC or 1st year uni, so reasonably taxing and very different from Highers.

I know a few kids who have gone to uni at 16, straight from 5th year. I always advise them to do a 6th year, though, just to give themselves time to mature.

Edin soudn like they are just trying to pretend they are Oxford or Cambridge who award you a masters a few years after you graduate.

There seems to be a lot of confusion on wikipedia about the scottish MA. Not the same as an english MA, It seems to be some sort of historical archifact.

I don't think it's fair to suggest Scottish universities are "pretending" to be anything. You can't directly compare the two, and given that the standard course is a year longer than in engalnd I thinthink that the (hons) /MA reflect this.

Wikipedia discussion here:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AMaster_of_Arts_(Scotland)#section_5