Grabbing England's kids by the Balls.

[mongrel]

Schools Secretary Ed Balls seeks power to dictate what textbooks GCSE and A-level students must study

From the Guardian 9and others).

The schools secretary, Ed Balls, is seeking a new legal power to dictate the basic content of every public exam in England, in a move that would give him or any future secretary of state the right to decide which books children must study at GCSE or A-level.

Only kids in England mind, Scottish , Welsh and Ulster kids can still have their curricula set by education professionals.

Ministers say that the law would limit political interference

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/ma...ed-balls-books

[Justinian]

That man has the most unfortunate last name I have ever heard.

As for this, it seems like a silly move. Why let one person decide?

[Ahlerich]

[QUOTE=Justinian;4734581]That man has the most unfortunate last name I have ever heard.

[QUOTE]

rofl

[Holger Danske]

That man has the most unfortunate last name I have ever heard.

As for this, it seems like a silly move. Why let one person decide?

Well at least his first name isn't Dick...

[Mikelus Trento]

Well at least his first name isn't Dick...

Back when I was in college in Portland, Oregon, there was a morning TV show host named Dick Klinger.

[Mikelus Trento]

That man has the most unfortunate last name I have ever heard.

As for this, it seems like a silly move. Why let one person decide?

How so?

[John-117]

That man has the most unfortunate last name I have ever heard.

he should be happy his last name isn't hairy or sweaty

[Plutarch]

That man has the most unfortunate last name I have ever heard.

That is a bad move imo, to give one person control over the texts that will undoubtedly influence millions. I dont like it one bit!

Good thing I'm here in the states, where our politicians just dont give a crap about education.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Yes, it's a really bad idea.

[Desperado †]

I don't see it as a massive deal. My school gets little choice what books to study for GCSE under the WJEC, I guess it just means the choosing power goes a bit higher up (that said this wont effect my school (Welsh), though the WJEC does function in England as well)

[Magic Man]

Let the kids decide.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Let the kids decide.

I was once a kid, and I would likely choose to read Flashman.

[The Alcotroll]

I was once a kid, and I would likely choose to read Flashman.

Bloody hell! I'm not sure how many kids could even spell that nowadays, let alone read the books. I doubt many of them would volunteer to read it even if they knew of it though. Let the kids decide and we'll be marking coursework done on Wayne Rooney's autobiography!

[Desperado †]

Bloody hell! I'm not sure how many kids could even spell that nowadays, let alone read the books.

Nah. When you compare how much better kids are doing in English exams, and how many more are going for law as a career, I'd say kids are much better nowadays.

And treat a kid as a kid, and they'll be a kid. Treat a kid as something better and they'll aspire to greater things.

[The Alcotroll]

Nah. When you compare how much better kids are doing in English exams, and how many more are going for law as a career, I'd say kids are much better nowadays.

Not convinced by that. Can't speak for secondary, but at Primary level we have an entire generation of children who simply don't read books at home, or see their parents reading books. In fact, their lives are largely devoid of the need to use their imaginations because playstations and X-boxes have made entertainment instantaneous and effort-free. As a consequence, none of them have working imaginations or the inclination to develop one.
They are much more confident with maths and numeracy related skills, and utterly terrified of literacy- especially reading, interpreting and writing stories.

[Magic Man]

I was once a kid, and I would likely choose to read Flashman.

Nothing wrong with that.

[Desperado †]

The books we do (under the WJEC) at the moment are all pretty lame, save 'Of mice and men'. I'd love it if they left each school to decide, and just had more moderators, but this would obviously cost so much more. Welsh it's terrible, but Welsh literature in general is worse than English. No jokes, the books we've done so far in are so filled with sex, it's almost as if they think this is the only way to catch a kid's attention.

I reckon that whoever's choosing needs to take a closer look at what books GCSE level children really like. It's far from rocket science.

[Pickle_mole]

A politician gets to decide what texts kids get to read and that would limit political interference? lol

[William the Bastard]

Ministers say that the law would limit political interference

Is that double speak or blatant hypocrisy?

Let the kids decide and we'll be marking coursework done on Wayne Rooney's autobiography!

Yeah but are you not joining myself in the consolation that one day kids will be studying Jade Goody as History as opposed to current affairs?

[Babur]

Yeah but are you not joining myself in the consolation that one day kids will be studying Jade Goody as History as opposed to current affairs?

The horror!