Education

Thursday

Alex Massie

Dumb Britain

The Assault on Reason continues: A-Level results are out today in the UK and, amazingly, our kids is learning even betterer - more than one in four papers is now given an "A", ensuring, natch, that everyone can have a prize. 96.9% of papers received a passing grade. The always excellent Burning Our Money has been on the case for some time. This handy chart shows just how much the system has been corrupted: on average, pupils are being marked two grades more charitably than was the case 15 years ago: NB: the rot really sets in after 1992 which, happily, was the year I took my A-Levels. This affords all manner of opportunities for immensely satisfying "When I were a lad..." grousing.

Tuesday

Alex Massie

A view to a kill in the morning*

Ah, August. Season of twits and sillyness. How else would the papers ever be filled? Even so, I confess to being mildly startled to discover that a story headlined "'Chav Chasing' public schoolboys criticised" concerned my own dear old alma mater. But yes, as this video demonstrates, it seems some public spirited members of the college community been spending their time clearing vermin from the woods (home of many a fondly remembered smoking den back in the day). This will appeal most to the decent working class and the smugger elements of the state-educated middle classes who can have the pleasure of scoffing at the toffs and chavs alike... (Clive? Pootergeek?) Watch More Videos        Uploaded by www.bebo.