BBC pushing the 'positive discrimination' agenda again.

[flamingreen]

It wasn't victoria derbyshire, by any chance ?

No. It was yesterday, Sunday. I was only half listening but pricked my ears when I heard what was being discussed.

[Road_Hog]

Every year many pupils with exccellent grades are turned down by Cambridge. 5A* is no guarantee for anyone. Private school and grammar school pupils know this, while some pupils who have been 'spoiled' in their small comps where they have been treated as if they are budding Einsteins (simply because the competition in their schools just isnt there), classed as 'gifted and talented' just do nto realise how competitive it is to get into a world class universiity and think 5A* should be an automatic passport.Most people with 5A* will, of course, get in, but Maths demands that little bit more, as do other very popular subjects like Veterinary science and medicine. This has nothing to do with prejudice against state schools and everything to do with a very high standarsd of candidates for few places.

As I've mentioned before, my wife works ofr one of the top exam boards. The exams are dumbed down every year. No one within the industry will privately disagree with this, but no one will say it publicly, because that will be the end of their contract.

They (the exam board that the wife works for), currently have a problem. One of their exam papers is more difficult than the other exam boards. Teachers have KPIs (targets) to hit and when the rep comes in and says, our exam is easier, you''l get more top level passes, which do you think that the teachers recommends?

So, the other exam boards has a choice, keep producing a quality exam with a decent standard to pass, or dumb it down so it sells more and competes with the other exam board? Which do you think it will do?

[flamingreen]

As I've mentioned before, my wife works ofr one of the top exam boards. The exams are dumbed down every year. No one within the industry will privately disagree with this, but no one will say it publicly, because that will be the end of their contract.

They (the exam board that the wife works for), currently have a problem. One of their exam papers is more difficult than the other exam boards. Teachers have KPIs (targets) to hit and when the rep comes in and says, our exam is easier, you''l get more top level passes, which do you think that the teachers recommends?

So, the other exam boards has a choice, keep producing a quality exam with a decent standard to pass, or dumb it down so it sells more and competes with the other exam board? Which do you think it will do?

I am aware of this. My daughters school, a grammar, used to do all the hardest boards, which they felt prepared their bright pupils best for university. Under pressure of league tables and to get the kids into top universities (when more and more kids get As and A*s) they have gradually abandoned this policy.

[teddy4paws]

It seems that the BBC has been pushing a positive discrimination agenda since the mid-1980s, as reference to the jobs section from this time of the weekly staff newspaper 'Ariel' may well make clear.