Yet Another Fine Mess...

UK newspaper headline 18-Aug-2020
By pgn
@pgntwo (22408)
Derry, Northern Ireland
August 18, 2020 9:46am CST
"Why is a raven like a writing-desk?", wrote Lewis Carroll once. How would you feel if your work was assessed not using a formal exam result, but by a computer algorithm? That is what happened in all 4 constituent countries of the UK last week - exam results came out, based on exams that should have been held in May, but which, for reasons of pandemic restrictions, did not happen. Each country's exam board chose a different way to deal with the dilemma, but many fresh-faced 18-year olds hoping to win a place at the University of their choice were stymied. And then the UK government decided to abandon said, algorithm and instead base the "results" on teachers' predictions of how the student would have done had they been able to sit the exam. It's all a bit stressful here, at the moment. More detail here, if you use Twitter: "How the U-turn on exam results is affecting students and universities"
https://twitter.com/i/events/1295672176347975680?s=09
4 people like this
5 responses
DE
@DaddyEvil (137461)
• United States
22 Aug 20
As if they weren't already under enough stress...
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137461)
• United States
30 Aug 20
@pgntwo Oh, crap! I just read up on what is going on there with the student grades. Why are the opinions of the teachers being downgraded like that? I don't understand why grades gotten by previous students should be used to assign grades to the present graduates. Something is wrong!
1 person likes this
pgn
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
30 Aug 20
@DaddyEvil Things are in a shaky enough state with COVID-19 as it is... So far, the guy at the top, Williamson, has hung on... But the Civil Servant who looks after these things, beneath Williamson, has gone, as has the head of two related elements of the exam-marking system and education authority. It's a complete, total and utter hames (there's a word for you!) atm.
1 person likes this
pgn
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
23 Aug 20
Stress City here these last few days...
1 person likes this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (19588)
• London, England
20 Aug 20
Even before Johnson got into No 10 he demonstrated a level of ineptitude and all around uselessness. We've become more of a laughing stock than any other country with a buffoon for a leader
1 person likes this
pgn
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
21 Aug 20
Yes. So the mighty (!) have fallen. Or been dragged down...
Fiacre Banks
@xFiacre (13117)
• Ireland
18 Aug 20
@pgntwo But no resignations yet? Could do better, as I was always told at school.
1 person likes this
pgn
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
18 Aug 20
I too was firmly given that impression (Christian Brothers did firm really well, too...!). This is as good an elucidation as any for how the process could work... Sorry it's a bit long.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (341742)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Aug 20
This came up on a news segment last night. It's just crazy what authorities come up with sometimes.
1 person likes this
Raj
@Butterfingers (66583)
• India
18 Aug 20
Haha that's fine. This whole year has been a mess and these things make it even more bizarre
1 person likes this