Unfairness of mandatory A-levels
As an outsider, I'm not sure if A-levels are mandatory in the UK, but are students required to have triple A's to get into university? Or at least BBB, or AAB?
I think that would be extremely unfair and discriminating to students who have lesser chances, no access to study material or who are not that bright or fast at learning. Imagine if a student goes through a hard time in his life and he has maybe 3 years of life's problems (like I did), which completely screw up his education.
What if a student is simply slow of comprehension? What if he could handle university and even graduate, but he had D and F grades all over the line in high school (which was my situation)?
I think everyone should have a fair chance to enter university. Sure, the percentage of students who pass in less strict universities (in my country) without this verification system is lower, but I think it's better than to block them from a beautiful, chance-rich and wealthy future. Look at all the ghetto kids who had terrible and chance-poor lives. Don't you think they deserve multiple chances to get higher up in society, say, to middle class? In fact, I don't think social classes should exist.
When I was at (my prestigious) university, all the rich kids would be privileged by professors and I've seen the poor kids, time upon time, be mistreated by them. It is a horrible shame!
I would see a line of rich kids sit up front and the professor would explain everything to them and talk to them like they were all chatting in a bar, while the poor kids would sit at the middle or back row, having troubles following, getting yelled at and treated like ****, professor acting condescending, calling names even. I've had this terrible professor who would do that and every time he passed by the poor kids, he would completely shoot them down, saying: "Hahaha, you kind of suck, don't you think? What are you doing here anyway? You shouldn't be in this line of study".
A horrendous discovery I made later (by professor's words, even!) was that "universities have a certain budget and professors are told to purposefully fail a certain batch of students and let another batch of students pass, especially if the latter have rich parents who put in a good financial hand for the university". It's all a dirty money game. I was truly shocked when I found that out.
One thing that profoundly aggravates me is countries whose education system blocks students from a lower level class to reach a higher level class. This is completely a Hitler mentality: "only the smart and wealthy shall prevail!".
I've had this happen to me: I was shy, then people would completely misdiagnose me and send me to mental institutions and aid centers until my parents took me out of there fast enough because I turned out to be normal and I wasn't supposed to be hanging out with people with mental problems.
In my first year of high school I flunked every course and even though my parents fought so hard to defend me, the nazi teachers kicked me to lower-class education, where I was stuck and I couldn't get accepted back to the classes with normal-level kids (even though this wasn't even stated in the law!!). I ended up 5 agonizing years in high school, spending it with low-intelligence chavs who bullied me. I felt completely out of place for so long, until I went into community college and into university afterwards.
The point is: you should not create chicken hens or boxes to box people into and label them like livestock, preventing them from 'mixing' with 'bad products'. Every human should have the right to repeat his education for as long as they wish until they succeed. Look at me, I came out right; I graduated with a Bachelors - that's not something that can be said about everyone who had my terrible life situation.
This is exactly the kind of misunderstanding and discrimination that I think has to end.
Watch this video for my perspective on it:
[video="youtube;zDZFcDGpL4U"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U[/video]
I think that would be extremely unfair and discriminating to students who have lesser chances, no access to study material or who are not that bright or fast at learning. Imagine if a student goes through a hard time in his life and he has maybe 3 years of life's problems (like I did), which completely screw up his education.
What if a student is simply slow of comprehension? What if he could handle university and even graduate, but he had D and F grades all over the line in high school (which was my situation)?
I think everyone should have a fair chance to enter university. Sure, the percentage of students who pass in less strict universities (in my country) without this verification system is lower, but I think it's better than to block them from a beautiful, chance-rich and wealthy future. Look at all the ghetto kids who had terrible and chance-poor lives. Don't you think they deserve multiple chances to get higher up in society, say, to middle class? In fact, I don't think social classes should exist.
When I was at (my prestigious) university, all the rich kids would be privileged by professors and I've seen the poor kids, time upon time, be mistreated by them. It is a horrible shame!
I would see a line of rich kids sit up front and the professor would explain everything to them and talk to them like they were all chatting in a bar, while the poor kids would sit at the middle or back row, having troubles following, getting yelled at and treated like ****, professor acting condescending, calling names even. I've had this terrible professor who would do that and every time he passed by the poor kids, he would completely shoot them down, saying: "Hahaha, you kind of suck, don't you think? What are you doing here anyway? You shouldn't be in this line of study".
A horrendous discovery I made later (by professor's words, even!) was that "universities have a certain budget and professors are told to purposefully fail a certain batch of students and let another batch of students pass, especially if the latter have rich parents who put in a good financial hand for the university". It's all a dirty money game. I was truly shocked when I found that out.
One thing that profoundly aggravates me is countries whose education system blocks students from a lower level class to reach a higher level class. This is completely a Hitler mentality: "only the smart and wealthy shall prevail!".
I've had this happen to me: I was shy, then people would completely misdiagnose me and send me to mental institutions and aid centers until my parents took me out of there fast enough because I turned out to be normal and I wasn't supposed to be hanging out with people with mental problems.
In my first year of high school I flunked every course and even though my parents fought so hard to defend me, the nazi teachers kicked me to lower-class education, where I was stuck and I couldn't get accepted back to the classes with normal-level kids (even though this wasn't even stated in the law!!). I ended up 5 agonizing years in high school, spending it with low-intelligence chavs who bullied me. I felt completely out of place for so long, until I went into community college and into university afterwards.
The point is: you should not create chicken hens or boxes to box people into and label them like livestock, preventing them from 'mixing' with 'bad products'. Every human should have the right to repeat his education for as long as they wish until they succeed. Look at me, I came out right; I graduated with a Bachelors - that's not something that can be said about everyone who had my terrible life situation.
This is exactly the kind of misunderstanding and discrimination that I think has to end.
Watch this video for my perspective on it:
[video="youtube;zDZFcDGpL4U"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U[/video]
(edited 7 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Well A levels aren't mandatory - though I can undrstand why you might think so from reading TSR. You do need to be doing some education, training or work until you're 18 though.
the UK is quite progressive really in that you can get access to the same student loans as a 18 year old in later life, so you can still go for it if your first pass at education got messed up.
the UK is quite progressive really in that you can get access to the same student loans as a 18 year old in later life, so you can still go for it if your first pass at education got messed up.
Original post by 571122
As an outsider, I'm not sure if A-levels are mandatory in the UK, but are students required to have triple A's to get into university? Or at least BBB, or AAB?
No, and no. There is no requirement to take A-Levels, and most courses do not require AAA. If you want to go to Oxbridge (or similar), or take something like Medicine, you will need those grades, but for anything else BBB or even lower would suffice perfectly well.
Original post by SummerStrawberry
No, and no. There is no requirement to take A-Levels, and most courses do not require AAA. If you want to go to Oxbridge (or similar), or take something like Medicine, you will need those grades, but for anything else BBB or even lower would suffice perfectly well.
Yes, Oxbridge is a beautiful spot in the education system I think students should go for.
I think that students should be allowed infinite attempts at Oxbridge, if they really wanted to. We should all have the right to freely pursue our dreams. Teachers and professor should teach for free.
Original post by 571122
Teachers and professor should teach for free.
How are teachers going to eat?
Original post by 571122
Yes, Oxbridge is a beautiful spot in the education system I think students should go for.
I think that students should be allowed infinite attempts at Oxbridge, if they really wanted to. We should all have the right to freely pursue our dreams. Teachers and professor should teach for free.
I think that students should be allowed infinite attempts at Oxbridge, if they really wanted to. We should all have the right to freely pursue our dreams. Teachers and professor should teach for free.
What a bizarre concept
Yes, excellent idea - all students including those with CCC should be able to apply to Oxbridge indefinitely should they wish to so that they can pursue their dreams (that will inevitably never come true).
Original post by 571122
Yes, Oxbridge is a beautiful spot in the education system I think students should go for.
I think that students should be allowed infinite attempts at Oxbridge, if they really wanted to. We should all have the right to freely pursue our dreams. Teachers and professor should teach for free.
I think that students should be allowed infinite attempts at Oxbridge, if they really wanted to. We should all have the right to freely pursue our dreams. Teachers and professor should teach for free.
1. What happens when they have tried for 10 years and reach the age of 28, still doing A levels, and working minimal wage jobs to support themselves? Do they try for another 10 years? When on the other hand, they could have gone to a technical college, picked up the skills via a different route and still become successful in their field?
2. As someone above mentioned, what will teachers and professors eat? Air?
Original post by ViewOnlyMum
Yes, excellent idea - all students including those with CCC should be able to apply to Oxbridge indefinitely should they wish to so that they can pursue their dreams (that will inevitably never come true).
Such positive outlook you have on things. My university is the most difficult in the country, requires AAA grades but I was exempt from that through my community college degree. I graduated with a Bachelors. Oh, and guess what, I had all F's and D's before.
Original post by hipsterrapunzel
1. What happens when they have tried for 10 years and reach the age of 28, still doing A levels, and working minimal wage jobs to support themselves? Do they try for another 10 years? When on the other hand, they could have gone to a technical college, picked up the skills via a different route and still become successful in their field?
2. As someone above mentioned, what will teachers and professors eat? Air?
2. As someone above mentioned, what will teachers and professors eat? Air?
1. Newsflash, it took me 6 years to graduate from my 3 year education. Bigger newsflash: one of my classmates took 7 years. Biggest newsflash: he graduated and he's going for his Masters now.
Yeah technical college, I don't think so. I've been down that road before. Try to get a job with a simple technical college degree and no one will hire you and they will say "Eh, we only hire Bachelors and higher".
2. Teachers and professors will get funded by the government, an ideal government that doesn't waste millions on fraud and other crap, like right now. Have you been keeping up with NATO's goals at all?
(edited 7 years ago)
Unfortunately I disagree.
University in my opinion should be for students who are of high intelligence.
I've had a very very hard time, resulting in also taking two years out of education, but im still going to university next year
University in my opinion should be for students who are of high intelligence.
I've had a very very hard time, resulting in also taking two years out of education, but im still going to university next year
Original post by 571122
Yes, Oxbridge is a beautiful spot in the education system I think students should go for.
I think that students should be allowed infinite attempts at Oxbridge, if they really wanted to. We should all have the right to freely pursue our dreams. Teachers and professor should teach for free.
I think that students should be allowed infinite attempts at Oxbridge, if they really wanted to. We should all have the right to freely pursue our dreams. Teachers and professor should teach for free.
"teachers and professors should teach for free"
I'm sorry, but the concept of free and good quality coming in one package is delusional to expect. It will never work and as much as the education system is flawed, it functions even at the standard it does. Not well, but it's something.
Unless of course you mean communism-like concepts are the answer, and we all know how that ends. Where are you going to find anyone who would teach for free? Would YOU do it for the rest of your life for no money?
Not all universities require A-levels to be of such high requirements. There are those with lower requirements, but obviously they wouldn't be the same as the more prestigious ones. I'm not sure about the UK but in my country, there are alternative Diplomas that people can pursue. Or, if it's the case of business or entrepreneurship, people dismiss A-levels altogether and focus in succeeding in them entirely.
The reason why Oxbridge or anywhere else that highly regarded stand with such a reputation and appearance is because they charge higher sums from students and invest it in all things that maintain their standard; recognised lecturers, state-of-the-art facilitation and resources etc. This acts like a positive feedback loop where these traits further appeal to richer and more able students over other, so they can be charger higher sums still and the circle continues. And that's where standards come from. More affordable universities of course don't have any other features besides the degree itself, and neither should you expect more. They're all businesses in the end of the day.
In the end of the day, it's not really a matter of where you get your degree, but how far you choose to go with it and how you carry your passion and talents with it.
And sometimes it's all a matter of chance and luck. Not everyone is obviously privileged by such opportunities and no, no one is obligated to make it as such. Because this is life and it's riddled with unfairness. And as humans and adults we should accept it. Life is no Disney movie to "believe" in everyone.
I'm sorry that your University experience was so dreadful, but again, considering the circumstances of life, we all have to face it. At least we have 3 meals a day, a roof over our heads and a chance to educate ourselves to begin with.
(edited 7 years ago)
I'll have every one of you know that I sacrificed my own free time to help everyone in my class pass and get good grades. Everyone in my class had bad grades (read: they flunked) in Computer Science and I spent 3 months rigorously teaching them for free. And guess what, all of them passed and they came running into my arms saying how thankful they were!!
Here's a good example of a teacher:
[video="youtube;iP0p7zTt3cc"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP0p7zTt3cc[/video]
Believe in people!!!
Here's a good example of a teacher:
[video="youtube;iP0p7zTt3cc"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP0p7zTt3cc[/video]
Believe in people!!!
Original post by A-LJLB
Unfortunately I disagree.
University in my opinion should be for students who are of high intelligence.
I've had a very very hard time, resulting in also taking two years out of education, but im still going to university next year
University in my opinion should be for students who are of high intelligence.
I've had a very very hard time, resulting in also taking two years out of education, but im still going to university next year
Ok, you're going to the ignore list. I won't talk to people like you. It seems you have learned nothing from the elitist horrors (hint: WWII) of the past.
Original post by JohnGreek
Another silly utopian statement from someone who hasn't thought about this properly.
I'd love to hear where you got the preferential treatment thing. The lecturers at most universities in the UK won't know their students' names, let alone backgrounds, and will only be teaching them for one year (over the duration of their module). In my personal experience, I've even seen academics deliberately distance themselves from pupils for fear of appearing to be biased. I think that OP thinks that rich and able students are only able to get good marks due to the "rich" part, not the "able" part. I'd love to hear what university and course this was (presumably US, but I have no idea as to why this is presented as a universal problem).
Hitler's ideology was based more around one's ethnic background than social status (if anything, he despised the "Jewish" bankers and businessmen who had "sold Germany away"
. Calling people "Nazis" is a testament to your immaturity and nothing else. If judging someone on ability is a Nazi belief, then, hell, I'd be happy to identify myself as such.
The fact that you have no idea as to what the status quo in the UK is with regard to university admissions and A-levels just means that you shouldn't be talking about it. Not all courses require A grades (in fact, the largest number of them admit people with lesser grades, even within the amazingly "prestigious" RG), and most of them accommodate for alternative degrees, even BTECs (which are vocational and bear little similarity to university study). Then, of course, we have to remember that the UK government wants keep you in some full time education or apprenticeship until the age of 18. That means that non-academic routes are available for those who can't handle A-levels.
Tl;dr OP is projecting his own mistaken diagnosis and personal problems onto the general education system of a country that he has presumably little knowledge of.
I'd love to hear where you got the preferential treatment thing. The lecturers at most universities in the UK won't know their students' names, let alone backgrounds, and will only be teaching them for one year (over the duration of their module). In my personal experience, I've even seen academics deliberately distance themselves from pupils for fear of appearing to be biased. I think that OP thinks that rich and able students are only able to get good marks due to the "rich" part, not the "able" part. I'd love to hear what university and course this was (presumably US, but I have no idea as to why this is presented as a universal problem).
Hitler's ideology was based more around one's ethnic background than social status (if anything, he despised the "Jewish" bankers and businessmen who had "sold Germany away"
. Calling people "Nazis" is a testament to your immaturity and nothing else. If judging someone on ability is a Nazi belief, then, hell, I'd be happy to identify myself as such.The fact that you have no idea as to what the status quo in the UK is with regard to university admissions and A-levels just means that you shouldn't be talking about it. Not all courses require A grades (in fact, the largest number of them admit people with lesser grades, even within the amazingly "prestigious" RG), and most of them accommodate for alternative degrees, even BTECs (which are vocational and bear little similarity to university study). Then, of course, we have to remember that the UK government wants keep you in some full time education or apprenticeship until the age of 18. That means that non-academic routes are available for those who can't handle A-levels.
Tl;dr OP is projecting his own mistaken diagnosis and personal problems onto the general education system of a country that he has presumably little knowledge of.
You are too young to understand life and therefore the ignore list has now been populated.
Original post by 571122
Ok, you're going to the ignore list. I won't talk to people like you. It seems you have learned nothing from the elitist horrors (hint: WWII) of the past.
Good troll.
Original post by JohnGreek
Oh, so this was a troll post? I genuinely believed that OP was unintelligent enough to believe in the points he made.
Not sure, but I really hope it is a troll post. For OP's sake.
Original post by AvWOW
And sometimes it's all a matter of chance and luck. Not everyone is obviously privileged by such opportunities and no, no one is obligated to make it as such.
And sometimes it's all a matter of chance and luck. Not everyone is obviously privileged by such opportunities and no, no one is obligated to make it as such.
I don't know where you live, but you are obligated when your parents make you.
Because this is life and it's riddled with unfairness. And as humans and adults we should accept it. Life is no Disney movie to "believe" in everyone.
I wonder what kind of parenting you've had and what kind of closed mind you have if you don't believe in everyone. I'm glad I do. I believed in everyone and I made everyone pass in my class. See my other post. Limits don't exist.
I'm sorry that your University experience was so dreadful, but again, considering the circumstances of life, we all have to face it. At least we have 3 meals a day, a roof over our heads and a chance to educate ourselves to begin with.
I can't afford 3 meals a day.
Original post by DarkEnergy
Good troll.
You go in as well.
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