How is the Tory government doing?

okocha wrote:It's about doing the right thing at the right time..... but the more worrying, perennial question is how ministers with no relevant experience get to run government departments. Gove, for example, ignorantly wrecked the teaching of English in his time as Education Secretary, and now Williamson is totally out of his depth, lacking any understanding of the workings of schools or the problems faced by headteachers. His only qualification is that he was once a pupil!  

Worse still, he follows Johnson in being sacked from previous roles in government for his failings, so how is he in position in this key role?


PS: Gove insisted on Eton-like changes to the National Curriculum to involve such "essentials" as Fronted Adverbials and prepositional clauses for God's sake! How to kill enjoyment of the subject!!

Embarrassing post. Just admit the government got it right this time.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Ha ha, one day you're having a pop at the government for being too slow with lockdown, now you're saying they've rushed putting people into quarantine. Which is it?

I'm sure you'll agree, if this quarantine stops just one person passing the virus to a vulnerable loved one it will have been worth it.

I don't think I did criticise the government for being too slow with lockdown. Can you can show me where I did?

We will never know whether a 20 hour delay in the timing of the quarantine has a material effect. My point is that where is the evidence that it couldn't have waited 20 hours? This is a government that continues to make bad decisions and often lies about important things. For instance do you really think that posting out testing kits that may not even be returned counts as making a test because Matt Hancock does.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Embarrassing post. Just admit the government got it right this time.

Nat, your response to what I wrote is the biggest, most embarrassing non-sequitur I've ever come across. Can you not read and understand, or has the succession of incompetent, unqualified ministers had an even greater detrimental effect on education than I thought?

The new Gov track and trace app is used for Government contracts. It traces them back to the MP`s mates.

xmiles wrote:I don't think I did criticise the government for being too slow with lockdown. Can you can show me where I did?

Maybe I'm mixing you up with another poster. My apologies.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Maybe I'm mixing you up with another poster. My apologies.

Thank you.

Rumour has it the government have given into pressure and plan to u-turn on the A-level results algorithm later this afternoon. 

According to Twitter anyway.

T.R.O.Y. wrote:Rumour has it the government have given into pressure and plan to u-turn on the A-level results algorithm later this afternoon. 

According to Twitter anyway.

 And so they should! The way this has been handled is shocking. Why did they not just rely on teacher assessment and mock results?

Scotland, N.I., backbenchers, unions, Labour, Lib Dems, grammar schools, state secondary schools, sixth-form colleges, pupils, parents, local councils, teachers and headteachers etc........
....all denounce the unfairness of using a flawed algorithm to decide young people's future prospects-----

--- and this is Boris' response, all arm-waving, hammily punching the air, blather, rhetoric and denials:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53771965


He and Cummings, whose brainwave I expect this is, are not fit to run the country, and should resign, taking Williamson and the rest of the sycophantic cabinet with them.

Sadly just another example of how incompetent and complacent this government is. It is almost as they don't care but then as long as doesn't affect them or their money they probably don't.

okocha wrote:Scotland, N.I., backbenchers, unions, Labour, Lib Dems, grammar schools, state secondary schools, sixth-form colleges, pupils, parents, local councils, teachers and headteachers etc........
....all denounce the unfairness of using a flawed algorithm to decide young people's future prospects-----

--- and this is Boris' response, all arm-waving, hammily punching the air, blather, rhetoric and denials:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53771965


He and Cummings, whose brainwave I expect this is, are not fit to run the country, and should resign, taking Williamson and the rest of the sycophantic cabinet with them.

Once again though Okocha, don't you think it's all AFTER the event.

Shouldn't all these outraged people have brought this to our attention before the results were out?

I wasn't even aware they were using an algorithm until it all kicked off, was it common knowledge that was the plan?

I'm glad my Son is only 12 and doesn't have to put up with this potentially ruining his future.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Once again though Okocha, don't you think it's all AFTER the event.

Shouldn't all these outraged people have brought this to our attention before the results were out?

How could anyone possibly know beforehand that the outcome of using Cummings' algorithm would be such an abomination? 
Such wild ineptitude exceeds any of the most pessimistic forecasts.

Anyway, Wales are now going to use predicted grades too. And hopefully Boris and co. will fall into line as regards a u-turn on the A level results.... and before the GCSE grades are released on Thursday.

The bigger question on here is why you continue to defend the Government and all its often calamitous errors and blatantly callous decisions that favour the privileged few.

okocha wrote:The bigger question on here is why you continue to defend the Government and all its often calamitous errors and blatantly callous decisions that favour the privileged few.

I'm not defending them, but it is becoming tiresome seeing every single thing being criticised after the event. People just lose all credibility in my eyes.

If it's such an outrage why didn't you say so in advance so something could be done?

Tell me before the event and you've got my attention.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

I'm not defending them, but it is becoming tiresome seeing every single thing being criticised after the event. People just lose all credibility in my eyes.

If it's such an outrage why didn't you say so in advance so something could be done?

Tell me before the event and you've got my attention.

If you don't mind me saying so, your comment is pretty ludicrous, Natasha.

 Only the government and Ofqual knew in advance what they were going to do with the results, and, having known for months that, without actual exams, they would adjust grades so that those in private schools would benefit whilst those in deprived areas or at run-of-the-mill state schools would be penalised. You can't call that fair, can you? At least the other leaders in the rest of the UK saw what to do, whereas Boris is more intent on stubbornly defending the indefensible.

We, the unsuspecting public, trust government to do the right thing.

And as for your opinion that if I had said something before the event, action  could have been taken, that's plainly potty! What influence do I have, writing on a fooball forum?!
And finally, I don't seek your attention, but thank you for showing some interest, which is my only aim.

I see they have now come to their senses and done the decent thing finally, but have caused themselves untold damage.

The thing i don't understand is why (from a political standpoint) they decided that being harsh was the right way to go in the first place? Surely somebody said behind the scenes that public moral is low and that last thing they need to do is kick it more, while giving critics another angle of incompetence and callousness.

Right outcome in the end anyway, hope Williamson resigns though the weasle.

okocha wrote:If you don't mind me saying so, your comment is pretty ludicrous, Natasha.

 Only the government and Ofqual knew in advance what they were going to do with the results, and, having known for months that, without actual exams, they would adjust grades so that those in private schools would benefit whilst those in deprived areas or at run-of-the-mill state schools would be penalised. You can't call that fair, can you? At least the other leaders in the rest of the UK saw what to do, whereas Boris is more intent on stubbornly defending the indefensible.

We, the unsuspecting public, trust government to do the right thing.

And as for your opinion that if I had said something before the event, action  could have been taken, that's plainly potty! What influence do I have, writing on a fooball forum?!
And finally, I don't seek your attention, but thank you for showing some interest, which is my only aim.

I was talking people in general, not you in particular.

You say "at least the other leaders in the rest of the UK saw what to do", but again that was only after the event. Why didn't they find out beforehand what the plan regarding marks was? Surely these "leaders" carry some sway?

It's too easy in these unprecedented times to have a pop after the event.

Williamson and the head of Ofqual have apologised as they should have, but not a word of apology from Cummings, the apparent "brains" behind the algorithm, or from his puppy dog, Johnson, who this morning was proclaiming that the system was robust and fair, and that there would be no u-turn.

Hands up if you expected Boris to apologise! They embarrass themselves daily and need to resign along with Gavin, before more damage is done. Can't see good trade deals materialising, especially given the ministers that are trusted with delivering them. All public trust in competence has disappeared.

okocha wrote: All public trust in competence has disappeared.

You know that for a fact?