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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2011 19:51:53 GMT -1
30,000 Scottish young people got their exam results a day earlier than planned. First thing this morning, many kids suspected they'd got prank texts, not knowing if what they'd been sent was their valid results or not. Cruel. The texts were supposed to go out at 9am tomorrow, roughly in line with the (perhaps unreasonable) expectation of post being delivered around the same time As the day went by the SQA finally admitted a mistake had been made and that those who'd signed up for text notifications rather than the post had got their results a full 24 hours early. That's cool for the kids who've got the grades they needed but perhaps difficulties ahead tomorrow in the scramble for 'clearing' places for those that didn't. It's first come, first served for those places. Those that apply for them, being in the know by text before those that know by post, is possibly a very big issue in the making Meanwhile, I don't mind admitting to a simmering fit of the jitters chez nous tonight The wean, like 130,000 others, opted for the old-fashioned postal option ;D My girl's worked really hard again this year, a year in which the entry requirements for Glasgow Uni changed sharply upwards, so she's against the odds but undeterred, she gave it her best. I can but hope she gets her conditional place tomorrow. <bit wobbly, apologies all>
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Post by minime on Aug 3, 2011 19:57:13 GMT -1
Fingers crossed then for Rolo jnr.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2011 23:27:32 GMT -1
Thanks. But back to the big picture ;D This is bad. This is really bad. There are going to be children who don't now have an equal chance of a "clearing" place because kids who've got texts will be on the clearing site on a first come, first served basis very early doors--- HOURS before the majority's postmen have been. Totally unacceptable and fucking inexcusable . Mike Russell, SNP Education Minister, better have a plan to make things right.........and I say that as a party faithful.
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Post by bormes on Aug 4, 2011 7:58:01 GMT -1
I wish rolo cub all the best, I had no idea that this iniquity had happened. Will the Universities sort this or will the SNP have to give some instructions to the Uni's or is it going to be unfair and "bad luck" on the young ones' who have waited on their mail ?
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Post by notanimby on Aug 4, 2011 8:26:43 GMT -1
The SQA (ur whitevur they huv called themselves over ra years) are no strangers tae fukkin up.
Nooadays when everywan huztae huvva qualification (albeit even if its worthless) jist gives them merr opperchancities tae fuk up.
Over ra years ah (and some pals) huv been involved in SQA IT of varying flavours - they are really good at not acting on advice, preferring to fuk it all up rather than take advice frae ootsiders
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Post by bormes on Aug 4, 2011 11:14:45 GMT -1
A good family friend's daughter has won a scholarship to the International University in Beijing, China. She has a first class honour degree from a Scots Uni., However her accomodation and all expenses are being paid for by the Chinese Government. She will be studying Mandarin and Chinese history and Chinese language. (She already speaks Chinese) It seems most of the other young people on the course are from Yale, Oxford and Cambridge. What a good show for a wee lassie from Strathclyde Uni., I think there are only 30 places given out by the Chinese, so what a wonderful opportunity she has. She is flying out on the 26th Aug I wish her all the best.
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Post by stan on Aug 4, 2011 20:41:49 GMT -1
Some kids used modern technology and, wholly unitentionally, might possibly have gained a competitive edge? Isn't using modern technology, like renewables, to gain a competitive edge what Salmond is always shouting about?
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Post by westender on Aug 4, 2011 21:24:16 GMT -1
30,000 Scottish young people got their exam results a day earlier than planned. First thing this morning, many kids suspected they'd got prank texts, not knowing if what they'd been sent was their valid results or not. Cruel. The texts were supposed to go out at 9am tomorrow, roughly in line with the (perhaps unreasonable) expectation of post being delivered around the same time This is infuriating, exasperating... but I'm not surprised. The exams system, both is Scotland and the UK, is being run by incompetent nincompoops... see the earlier Edumacation thread, "Exam paper errors 2011", that got me thoroughly exercised. For absolute shame. To think what this country's education system once was... and now we cannae even run the fuckin exams halfways competently!!! and illiterates and innumerates are getting into uni... not only that, they're also teaching in the schools!! This isn't going to get better. It's only going to get worse. Mark my words.
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Post by stan on Aug 4, 2011 22:37:49 GMT -1
............. Mark my words. I see what you did there. "Mark my words"
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2011 23:06:59 GMT -1
The tardy postman finally arrived today at 1pm. and the news is..... The wean got through. She actually exceeded the requirements for her conditional place by a considerable margin... and starts at Glasgow University in September. She's got what she dreamed of and what she's worked towards. Such an emotional day today hearing all the news of the children she's been at school (and nursery) with since they were tiny wee. Three out of 220 in S1 have made it to Glasgow Uni; two to medicine and one to research psychology. One has made it into the prestigious Strathclyde Business School and a couple more to Strathclyde in pharmacy and maths. Four who were removed out of the local secondary toot-sweet and put into private schooling have made it to Edinburgh, St Andrews and Heriot Watt and one to Glasgow in dentistry. Some have narrowly missed out on their conditional places and are now scrabbling in the 'clearing' to find something. But of the 220 classmates in the wean's big urban school, the vast majority either took jobs at 16 to help their family out financially or went straight onto the dole. Notions of equal opportunity are just plain laughable until we tackle deeper social problems, IMHO. Anyways, I managed to keep it together all day till teatime when I went into Clintons after w*rk to get the wean a congratulations card. At that point, it all inexplicably came away from me and I broke down in great heaving sobs and had to hide behind a pillar
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Post by westender on Aug 4, 2011 23:25:02 GMT -1
The tardy postman finally arrived today at 1pm. and the news is..... The wean got through. She actually exceeded the requirements for her conditional place by a considerable margin... and starts at Glasgow University in September. She's got what she dreamed of and what she's worked towards. Such an emotional day today hearing all the news of the children she's been at school (and nursery) with since they were tiny wee. Three out of 220 in S1 have made it to Glasgow Uni; two to medicine and one to research psychology. One has made it into the prestigious Strathclyde Business School and a couple more to Strathclyde in pharmacy and maths. Four who were removed out of the local secondary toot-sweet and put into private schooling have made it to Edinburgh, St Andrews and Heriot Watt and one to Glasgow in dentistry. Some have narrowly missed out on their conditional places and are now scrabbling in the 'clearing' to find something. But of the 220 classmates in the wean's big urban school, the vast majority either took jobs at 16 to help their family out financially or went straight onto the dole. Notions of equal opportunity are just plain laughable until we tackle deeper social problems, IMHO. Anyways, I managed to keep it together all day till teatime when I went into Clintons after w*rk to get the wean a congratulations card. At that point, it all inexplicably came away from me and I broke down in great heaving sobs and had to hide behind a pillar ;D ;D ;D ;D Ya big saft jessie that ye are!! Great news re junior. Off to a proper uni, and staying a westender! I'm sure she'll have a rerr terr. I can't imagine how emotional a time it's been for you. There are no kids in my life (thank gawd), so I can't see our education system through a parents' eyes, which now has given you so much pride and hope for the future... but I have pessimism hardwired into me, and in the bigger picture and the long view, all I know is I really, really fear for what's happening to education in this country. I've been round a uni campus most of my adult life and have spent several years working with humanities academics all over the UK. The indications of coming utter disaster are absolutely everywhere, and at every level. And NO-ONE involved will speak the truth about it in public. No-one.
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Post by westender on Aug 4, 2011 23:27:15 GMT -1
... sorry rolo, don't want to rain on your parade. Enjoy and delight in this time. In a very few years, you'll be at the graduation ceremony... ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2011 22:05:39 GMT -1
... sorry rolo, don't want to rain on your parade. Enjoy and delight in this time. No worries, m'dear. No offence intended and none taken, far from it ;D I'd have been a bit of a basket case no matter which course the wean had chosen to take. My cup overfloweth, as it were ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2011 18:52:53 GMT -1
Today we learn that many kids who'd taken Higher RMPS (Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies) were awarded the wrong grades. Meaning that those with conditional places for Uni were refused their places by UCAS. How utterly bewildering for those kids who'd done A grade work only to be awarded way less. The SQA are giving it apology and excuse. Well there isn't one They better put this right and make DAMN sure kids who've lost out will be recompensed by way of them being offered their uni places back. As it happens the wean was one of the 3000 Scots kids who sat this Higher and it would seem it's only been luck that she's not been affected. The SQA, in my opinion, needs to be thoroughly investigated because I for one don't believe we're getting anything LIKE value for our spend on this rather well-paid quango
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2011 17:56:32 GMT -1
Much excitement chez Rolo just now; the wean just got a big envelope from the Yooni with all the details of course start-dates, clubs & societies, and a guide to uni life. It finally all seems real ;D She was all shiny eyed and thrilled. Notwithstanding the £40 registration for Freshers Week which I'll happily donate, as well as her 'keep' for the next four years...I thank my lucky stars that we live in a country that values higher education and doesn't charge our students prohibitive tuition fees. I would really like to say thanks to everyone who contributes by way of their taxes to give my girl this opporchancity Muchos Congrats also to Lynnski, who I ran into this morning. I was dead pleased to hear all her hard w*rk's paid off and she's got her well-deserved place at Glasgow as well. ;D
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