Why is 6th form thought of more highly than attending FE college ?

[Summersunshinee]

I can never understand why if you say that you attend 6th form at school you are thought of more so than if you attended FE college.

I would feel that if anything it would be more impressive to attend FE college as you made the decision to go somewhere else and try something different /

Yes, I work in the construction industry, plenty of people with alcohol, gambling and substance abuse in the industry.

Exactly. The people I know who gamble and have substance abuse issues work in the trades.

but we’ve said all this before, pages ago, OP refuses to listen and accept there might be other viewpoints. OP wants to consign lots of children and young people to a life of misery or worse.

@Comefromaway He may not hold a hammer, but does he hold an axe ?

He holds mallets sometimes (they are a type of drumstick)

So nobody in Music or Acting has addiction issues ?

People in every profession do. But especially people who are unhappy/feel,life has no purpose because they have not been given the opportunity to follow the path they wanted to.

So nobody in Music or Acting has addiction issues ?

I didn't say that did I?

Were you suggesting that nobody working in a trade had addiction issue though?

I'm familiar with this poster.....
Can't grasp that not everyone want to study a vocational subject or learn a trade.

@Summersunshinee I accept your apology but your posts are getting weirder so I am leaving this conversation for now.
But ironically this thread is addictive with it’s strangeness so I might be back 😂

I’ve always thought FE colleges offering trades and other practical courses fill a much needed role in society, but if OP is a genuine poster and representative of the critical thinking skills being taught in those programmes, they are clearly in need of a dire overhaul.

Get some therapy, OP, to work through your feelings of inadequacy and to improve your emotional and social intelligence. You made the choice that was best for you, others make the choice that is best for them. Don’t knock others down to try to make yourself feel better. It’s very sad.

They do fill much needed roles in society.

If they do then why do more people go to 6th form seemingly.

Why not ? people should look to expand their minds and horizons.

Why not ? people should look to expand their minds and horizons.

I don't think you understand what this means.
Some people are not interested in learning a trade. They investigate it, learn what's involved and decide it's not for them.

You can't force people to enjoy something if it doesn't interest them.

There are many ways to broaden your mind and open up new horizons.

University is one of those ways.

But ironically this thread is addictive with it’s strangeness so I might be back 😂

Totally. I know I shouldn't click on updates but I can't help myself.

I'm predicting we'll be having the same circular argument on post 999. At which point we all feel vaguely bereft at the lack of closure.

So it`s ok for kids to have to take compulsory lessons at school the have little interest or aptitude for prior to 16 ?

So it`s ok for kids to have to take compulsory lessons at school the have little interest or aptitude for prior to 16 ?

Yes, and no. We've already covered how ideally there would be such things as functional maths, English and science for kids with a vocational aptitude, starting from the year options are chosen. So the current system needs change. You won't get a lot of argument against that idea at all. But those basics do need to be covered because they are required for someone to cope with life in the real world.

In the Netherlands the cut-off point for going into vocational education is at age 14 - and yes, those kids in the Netherlands do also have to take functional maths, Dutch language, science and English language too. It equips them for everything that comes with their trade - invoicing, business communication etc.

So what we need is more choice, not less choice. Got it now?

So it`s ok for kids to have to take compulsory lessons at school the have little interest or aptitude for prior to 16 ?

pointythings has it covered ....... but I will add that we also need more career guidance to help young people understand where their strengths and interests lie so they can make informed choices.

What we should never do is force young adults into learning a trade.

Since we've all become dedicated fellow posties, would you care to explain a bit about your background?

We (somewhat) get your passion for colleges but, rather than your views themselves, what's driving the crusade?

I think we're all a bit baffled.

My background ? Not sure what that has to do with anything but ok.

After secondary school I went to college an studied GNVQ Intermediate Business. After this i studied BTEC National Business at the same college.

My older sister went to 6th form and did A levels.

I seem to recall that you went to college and your sister went to 6th form, and you feel for some reason that your sister should also have gone to college? Or was she coerced into going to 6th form?

Either way, none of that means that nobody should go anywhere but the place where the best education for them as an individual is on offer. Which could be college or 6th form.

Either way, none of that means that anyone should be forced to do qualifications they have no interest in/no desire for/which will not contribute to their chosen path. What we need is reform pre-GCSEs to better support students whose aptitudes and interests lie in the vocational arena.

@pointythings I think she should have gone to college as it would have been more of a challenge for her.

I`m still all for abolishing 6th form in school and making the only post 16 option college A levels or vocational.

Also a compulsory vocational subject at gcse and more work study/placement in that time also.

@pointythings I think she should have gone to college as it would have been more of a challenge for her.
You think it was ok for you to have free choice but not her. Riiiiight.

I`m still all for abolishing 6th form in school and making the only post 16 option college A levels or vocational.
Aside from the fact that it's logistically impossible in terms of demographics, infrastructure, travel, cost etc. you are once again advocating the removal of freedom. Which is abhorrent.

Also a compulsory vocational subject at gcse and more work study/placement in that time also.
What would you cut in order to make that possible in terms of timetabling? And don't say complex maths and science because you've already been told that we need those to keep our world safe and functioning. Don't say the arts because that makes you look shortsighted economically, not to mention like an utter Philistine. So what?
And of course once again your solution to a problem (English lit and current maths structure) is to reduce choice for everyone, not increase it for everyone. Your view is so blinkered. It's a shame you live in a world that is so small, and that you want to shrink the world for all young people in school today. Very sad.

@pointythings Who said i had a choice ? my school didn't have a 6th form.

Not necessarily logistically impossible etc. Also people would have a choice of subject so your argument falls flat really.

Well I would get rid of history as it`s already happened so what's the point ? RE as religion is becoming less relevant these days. Make a language optional. Problem solved.

OK, so because you didn't have a choice (presumably your parents moved so that your sister did), other people shouldn't get one either. Envy, resentment, chip on shoulder, bad attitude all round.

Get rid of history? Have you looked at the world today? Can you see what's happening and how relevant history is?

RE - same thing. The only way we will ever stop having conflicts over religion is if there's mutual understanding.

MFL is already optional rather than compulsory.

And having only 6th form colleges is going to be a logistical nightmare because more young people will have to travel to get to the right school or college. This will cost families more - do you know how much school transport costs? - and make their school day longer at both ends, leaving less time for independent study, family life and leisure. It's a completely stupid idea. It will favour people who live in big cities where there is good public transport, so it will embed more inequality.

Nope. You're a wrong sandwich in the great lunchbox of wrong.