Bolitics The New Condem Government

[peterms]

 

 

I have to say 'the kitten' is looking very dapper in that jacket, waistcoat, tie combo.

 

Smartest man in the H of C yesterday?

 

In the still at the start of that clip, he looks like he has mutton chops and should have a pocket watch and chain.

 

But yes, possibly the smartest person there, whichever way you mean it.

 

 

Pretty damning of the rest if he is either the smartest in ether sense. Starting to look a little like Rhodes Boyson

 

 

Rhodes Boyson always looked like he would smell of pipe smoke.

[Jon]

Boyson always had a decent 'old school' look going on, which was fitting for a former headmaster (i think that's right).

 

Bit of an arse policy wise, and his views were certainly dated. 

 

Stil, the kitten did look very dapper yesterday, in comparison to the starched shirts sitting in front of him ...

[PauloBarnesi]

Probably his pulling suit...

[chrisp65]

[peterms]

That looks like the jumping scene from this famous competition:

 

[Risso]

 

That really is a an ace photograph, on so many levels.

[StefanAVFC]

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/start-school-at-six-or-seven-says-expert-panel-branded-misguided-by-gove-8811044.html

 

 

Children should not start formal school lessons until the age of six or seven, a group of experts has suggested.

Due to the "profound damage" the current education system is causing, British youngsters should be exposed to an early focus on playing, as opposed to the Three Rs.

More than 120 experts, from academia, teaching, literature and charities, have suggested that adopting a system in line with Scandinavian countries would provide children with "crucial opportunity" for "children to be children".

In a letter to the Telegraph they call for changes to a system that they say focuses too early on formal lessons from the age of four or five when children should be allowed to play instead.

 

Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the former Children's Commissioner for England and one of the letter's signatories, told the paper: "If you look at a country like Finland, children don't start formal, full-scale education until they are seven.

"These extra few years, in my view, provide a crucial opportunity, when supported by well trained, well paid and highly educated staff, for children to be children."

Other signatories of the letter include Lord Layard, director of the Well-Being Programme at the London School of Economics, Dr David Whitebread, senior lecturer in psychology of education at Cambridge University, and Catherine Prisk, director of Play England.

The Telegraph said the letter was circulated by the Save Childhood Movement, which will launch its Too Much, Too Soon campaign tomorrow.

It will reportedly call for reforms including play-based schooling for children between three and seven.

Wendy Ellyatt, the founding director of the movement, told the Telegraph: "Despite the fact that 90% of countries in the world prioritise social and emotional learning and start formal schooling at six or seven, in England we seem grimly determined to cling on to the erroneous belief that starting sooner means better results later.

"There is nothing wrong with seeking high educational standards and accountability, but there is surely something very wrong indeed if this comes at the cost of natural development."

 

But the Department for Education described the ideas as "misguided".

A spokesman for Education Secretary Michael Gove said: "These people represent the powerful and badly misguided lobby who are responsible for the devaluation of exams and the culture of low expectations in state schools.

"We need a system that aims to prepare pupils to solve hard problems in calculus or be a poet or engineer - a system freed from the grip of those who bleat bogus pop-psychology about 'self image', which is an excuse for not teaching poor children how to add up."

 

Ah, so the experts in education are misguided yet the bloke with no background or experience in education is correct?
 

Right.

[PauloBarnesi]

 

 

That really is a an ace photograph, on so many levels.

 

Its photoshopped. They removed his nanny and various far right wingers...

[PauloBarnesi]

In February 2012, Rees-Mogg made the record books with the use of floccinaucinihilipilification -an Eton college neologism meaning "pettiness" or "nothing" -in the House of Commons which became the longest word in Hansard

[tonyh29]

StefanAVFC, on 12 Sept 2013 - 4:30 PM, said:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/start-school-at-six-or-seven-says-expert-panel-branded-misguided-by-gove-8811044.html

 

Quote

 

Children should not start formal school lessons until the age of six or seven, a group of experts has suggested.

Due to the "profound damage" the current education system is causing, British youngsters should be exposed to an early focus on playing, as opposed to the Three Rs.

More than 120 experts, from academia, teaching, literature and charities, have suggested that adopting a system in line with Scandinavian countries would provide children with "crucial opportunity" for "children to be children".

In a letter to the Telegraph they call for changes to a system that they say focuses too early on formal lessons from the age of four or five when children should be allowed to play instead.

 

Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the former Children's Commissioner for England and one of the letter's signatories, told the paper: "If you look at a country like Finland, children don't start formal, full-scale education until they are seven.

"These extra few years, in my view, provide a crucial opportunity, when supported by well trained, well paid and highly educated staff, for children to be children."

Other signatories of the letter include Lord Layard, director of the Well-Being Programme at the London School of Economics, Dr David Whitebread, senior lecturer in psychology of education at Cambridge University, and Catherine Prisk, director of Play England.

The Telegraph said the letter was circulated by the Save Childhood Movement, which will launch its Too Much, Too Soon campaign tomorrow.

It will reportedly call for reforms including play-based schooling for children between three and seven.

Wendy Ellyatt, the founding director of the movement, told the Telegraph: "Despite the fact that 90% of countries in the world prioritise social and emotional learning and start formal schooling at six or seven, in England we seem grimly determined to cling on to the erroneous belief that starting sooner means better results later.

"There is nothing wrong with seeking high educational standards and accountability, but there is surely something very wrong indeed if this comes at the cost of natural development."

 

But the Department for Education described the ideas as "misguided".

A spokesman for Education Secretary Michael Gove said: "These people represent the powerful and badly misguided lobby who are responsible for the devaluation of exams and the culture of low expectations in state schools.

"We need a system that aims to prepare pupils to solve hard problems in calculus or be a poet or engineer - a system freed from the grip of those who bleat bogus pop-psychology about 'self image', which is an excuse for not teaching poor children how to add up."

 

Ah, so the experts in education are misguided yet the bloke with no background or experience in education is correct?

 

Right.

 

they start school much later in Hungary and my impression is that their school deliver better results than ours in the long run

 

but I've seen studies that suggest the more you can cram inside a kids brain before they are 5  the better it is for them in the long run  ... there was a documentary on the TV about Stoke and how poor it was and how the kids were at a disadvantage to the kids of rich parents who did pre school ( or something like that)

 

my own experience with my 2 kids was that my son wasn't ready for school when he started at 5  .... he has Asperger's which didn't help as he just wasn't emotionally ready to deal with it all ... he's coming up for 9 now and thankfully seems to be better suited to school life and all it entails 

 

My daughter is just a cheeky monkey and takes everything in her stride , but even then I don't think she was ready at 5 either

[peterms]

 

In February 2012, Rees-Mogg made the record books with the use of floccinaucinihilipilification -an Eton college neologism meaning "pettiness" or "nothing" -in the House of Commons which became the longest word in Hansard

 

 

No doubt the result of a bet.  They like to play little games about introducing random and inappropriate words when speaking.  So much for their role as alert parliamentarians, scrutinising legislation closely in the public benefit.

 

But at least they're awake slightly more of the time than the Lords, who seem to turn up for a subsidised lunch, a drink or three in the bars, the attendance allowance, and a little nap.

[Risso]

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer to education at young ages.  My daughter, who is 7 now, has been reading and writing fluently since turning 4, and is now at a level for maths and English closer to an 11 year old..  My 5 year old son on the other hand, is a bright lad but isn't remotely interested in reading, and much prefers just playing and messing about.  I see similar discrepancies in all their friends, so in my opinion you can't say that kids shouldn't go to school until they're a certain age, but just do the best with what you've got. 

[PauloBarnesi]

I suspect he was filibustering? I guess parliamentarians would argue they are doing it for the benefit of the public, just they have their own definition of the public they represent? Lets be honest most people who enter politics aren’t doing it for anyones benefit but their own. On both sides of the house this applies. I remember some female Tory MP, I think who was a doctor originally, being shocked by her fellow mps and their attitude. Of course exceptions exist to the rule, but most of them aren’t the people I would choose to govern and legislate. I would like to add my local MP Andy Slaughter, Labour is not such a man, and a fine gentleman*. 

 

If one looks at both houses they are usually mainly empty, so one might ask is it better they are there asleep or somewhere else completely (probably asleep)

 

 

* He got me a free pass to go up the tower that contains Big Ben.

[Xann]

 

 

... Greens...

have you read their manifesto... the math is totally unsustainable  ...

 

By what measure?  The unsustainable one!

 

Brilliant.

 

Glad we got that sorted.

[snowychap]

In February 2012, Rees-Mogg made the record books with the use of floccinaucinihilipilification -an Eton college neologism meaning "pettiness" or "nothing" -in the House of Commons which became the longest word in Hansard

Not sure that meaning is right. is it?

It's the process of valuing something at nothing was what I thought.

[PauloBarnesi]

 

 

In February 2012, Rees-Mogg made the record books with the use of floccinaucinihilipilification -an Eton college neologism meaning "pettiness" or "nothing" -in the House of Commons which became the longest word in Hansard

 

Not sure that meaning is right. is it?

It's the process of valuing something at nothing was what I thought.

 

Always good to have an old Etonian on board

[snowychap]

..

Edited September 13, 2013 by snowychap

[privateer]

 

 

In February 2012, Rees-Mogg made the record books with the use of floccinaucinihilipilification -an Eton college neologism meaning "pettiness" or "nothing" -in the House of Commons which became the longest word in Hansard

 

Not sure that meaning is right. is it?

It's the process of valuing something at nothing was what I thought.

 

Glad you picked up on that as well. I'm going from memory but my recollection of the definition differs a little. I can't be arsed looking it up but I seem to recall it is the act of estimating something as worthless. Not a substantive difference, of course. It essentially means "That ain't worth shit". Like Rolf Harris's future paintings or SHA's existence..

[chrisp65]

oooooh, Privateer you just mentioned something I hadn't clicked with!

 

My boss / Director has invested a serios amount of money collecting Rolf Harris paintings. I must mention this, casually, at some point during the day......

[thetrees]

oooooh, Privateer you just mentioned something I hadn't clicked with!

 

My boss / Director has invested a serios amount of money collecting Rolf Harris paintings. I must mention this, casually, at some point during the day......

Unless he has bought originals, the money isn't too serious. I think that one popular original sold a couple of years ago for around £85k.

I have a few (not originals, out of my league). I bought them because I like them, and when I pop my clogs the kids can sell them. So people will have forgetten by then, or the kids will be a little short on their inheritance