Education

[jayuk]

Gareth

I know that feeling....sometimes its hard to get into other roles without the academics! an example was one of my family members...he had the role of a Financial Director but was not a ACA (chartered acct) and the company wanted to float.....so Chair said that they would have to pay him off, or redeploy him due to the SM requirements!...

I guess same applies across many practices!....very frustrating!

J

[Andrew MacLean]

It is not only in the old and new professions that this sort of foolishness had taken hold.

There was a time when the old fashioned "city and guilds" qualification was universally recognized as a certificate of competence.

Nowadays people with degrees offer for the same sorts of jobs, but without he skills honed in the day-to-day practical training of the apprenticeship.

I think the pendulum may swing back, but when?

Andrew

[Louise Pembroke]

well I wish it would because secondary education fails those who do not have the ability. I watched my nieces being put through GCSE's when they didn't have a hope of passing, and young people feel worthless without them. It's all very well Blair wanting half the country to have degrees but not everyone can do them, so what about them? Vocational qualifications don't have the same status unfortunately. My dad did a 5 year engineering apprenticeship, and there are less courses like that now where people hone a craft with day to day practical skills but we need this.

[GarethB]

I applied for my degree when you had a choice of University or Polytechnic.

I opted for the polytechnic as I still got a degree, but it allowed me to do a year in industry.

Lucky for me, the place I was at sponserd my final year and guarenteed a job if I passed my exams.

Past 6 months has seen some of my work decalsiffied

Still not allowed to say what the work relates to, but I am allowed to say the British armed forces were involved in an armed conflict at that time (1990)

Will give you a clue, our troops went in for another go a couple years back and are still there

[Andrew MacLean]

I think that the thing that I find most offensive is the way in which personal value comes to depend on academic qualifications. this then spills out into an attribution of value according to ability (and a corresponding diminution of value in relation to disability.)

Am I a better person because I went to University ... Clearly not
Am I a lesser person because I have an eye condition ... I don't think so\
but, according to the perverse standards of our time the answers would be 'yes' to both. that's the prejudice we have to continue to attack.

And, Gareth, I think your research connection to a theoretical syndrome makes the point admirably. Hospital radio may not value you, but people's lives are made better because of you.

Andrew

[Louise Pembroke]

I'm with you Andrew

[Paul Osborne]

Andrew,

re the lesser person because of an eye condition.

Its far worse if you are bit deaf, at least eye conditions right through to blindness quite often have some sort of visual indicator - ie: glasses, white stick, dog. Yes I know contact are not obvious but thats not the point at present.

If you are deaf or partially so its not at all obvious as most hearing aids even behind the ear ones are not at all obvious, and so you get branded as an ignorant bugger.

Talking to a blind friend of mine she pointed out that she would rather be blind than deaf as at least she can hear people talk, music and her husband tell her that she loves her.

Being partially deaf I am inclined to agree as I really struggle to manage without my hearing aids - I end up being so isolated.

Still it has fun moments as the wife can shout sweet nothings in my ear!

[Andrew MacLean]

I know that one too, Paul. I have asymetric hearing loss, and wear two hearing aids (when I remember).

But I think we live in a community that is generally intollerant of any disability. You are right, though. People seem to enjoy mocking the deaf in a way they never would mock the blind.

Andrew

[jayuk]

Andrew

its interesting you talk about mocking between the two....going to be REALLY honest here and say I mock it as well!....When its the Deaf, its like What? (said twice!)...however when its visual I mock myself!...........in fact I mock visual stuff with myself more.....ever since ive had KC....

Im now trying to think if I do both, as I have it myself (visual) or because Im a disturbed individual!


J

[jayboi2005]

Personally i think being a minister would be a great job! Very reqarding and never two days the same (apart from the lords prayer )

The minister i know is always very busy, here and there. THis and that there is always something!