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[STEMO]

....almost every single day. My son brought his A level timetable home today. There are approx six exam boards in England (WHY?) and, apparently, they don't communicate with each other.
Here is the timetable:



On the day where two clash, he will have to sit one after the other. On the day where three clash they have given him two alternatives. One is unacceptable, the other is just plain fickin cloud cuckoo land.
1) Do all three in a day, 2x2.5 hr exams and 1x1.5 hr exam. He's bound to do well in those...not.
2) Do two exams on that day (Friday). Then get taken away and put in isolation. Stay at an invigilators home on Friday night (no phoning us or any communication with anyone at all. Take your own food and stay in your room. No phone or iPad) Then take the exam Saturday morning.
Now, I'm sorry, but the lad is 17 and has Aspergers. He is not being imprisoned in a strange mans house overnight, not that I'm the distrustful type, you understand.

FU KIN ELL. Stupid, useless winkers. 

[Bigron]

Bring it to a wider public, STEMO; your MP. local newspaper - Minister for Education? 

Ron.

[STEMO]

Bring it to a wider public, STEMO; your MP. local newspaper - Minister for Education? 

Ron.

Ron.....I don't know how long you have been away from education, but this is far from unusual. Remember, I have a wife who is a headteacher as well as a student son, and the whole system is under pressure from two corners. 1) No money 2) knobheads who go into the job for the wrong reason and don't give a shit or are incompetent.

[STEMO]

Oh...and 3) people in LA's/government who are also incompetent due to having no background in education.

[Bigron]

Retired 10 years now, but nothing much changes! I was in the non-compulsory sector as a Lecturer at a Further Education College, but we never seemed to run short of managerial dickheads, whatever else we lacked! Mostly, my colleagues were dedicatedm and caring, but we were, as ever, under-resourced and forever being interfered with by management and governmental "new thinking" on how to do our jobs better. Sound familiar to you? 

Ron.

[Lazydocker]

Clashes have happened since examination boards started. When I was at school there was even a clash between subjects on the same board!!

[STEMO]

Clashes have happened since examination boards started. When I was at school there was even a clash between subjects on the same board!!

I guess so but, if we didn't have so many boards, it wouldn't be as bad. I suppose my rant about the clashes was heightened by the resolution they proposed. Sheesh.......

[New POD]

The third alternative  : take his results from the Mocks (I assume they still have them?) and award him the same result.

My nephew is Aspergers, and was home schooled from 11 to 15, after the school washed their hands of their statutory duties of care, and then he went to the local sixth form college where he passed 6 GCSE's in one year and then studied 2 A levels and passed in the next year and another 2 and passed (4 A*'s) I guess that took pressure off from an exam point of view.
 He's now at Liverpool university during something sciency to do with DNA, but obviously living at home. 

[TD]

Steve,

Re: Option 2

I carnt believe they even suggested that option! 

I would point out to them, that as your wife is a head teacher, if she carnt be trusted to ensure your lad doesn't use the internet or phone his friends overnight (ie try to cheat, not saying he would tho) who can be trusted to look after youngsters!

[STEMO]

Steve,

Re: Option 2

I carnt believe they even suggested that option! 

I would point out to them, that as your wife is a head teacher, if she carnt be trusted to ensure your lad doesn't use the internet or phone his friends overnight (ie try to cheat, not saying he would tho) who can be trusted to look after youngsters!

I still cannot believe they suggested this, Dave. It's a good job he doesn't get home until about an hour after the college closes, because I think I'd probably be regretting making that phone call now.
The other thing is, he doesn't want me making a fuss and, despite me knowing what a bunch of idiots they are, I have to respect his wishes. He will end up sitting them all in one day, I hope he copes.
Over the past two years I have virtually ignored every communication from them, for the sake of him. But when leaves........

[zirk]

Never had Exams when I was at school. Well, if they did, no one told me about them, if they did I might have actually gone to school that day. 

[Bigron]

STEMO, if he is anything like my son (also has Aspergers) then he will be very ill at ease in unfamiliar surroundings and people, as demanded by Option 2.
This scenario is totally unacceptable and flies in the face of the purpose of assessments; they are to test ability and recall, etc., and not part of a Triathlon/Endurance Test! 

Ron.

[TD]

Steve,

Re: Option 2

I carnt believe they even suggested that option! 

I would point out to them, that as your wife is a head teacher, if she carnt be trusted to ensure your lad doesn't use the internet or phone his friends overnight (ie try to cheat, not saying he would tho) who can be trusted to look after youngsters!

I still cannot believe they suggested this, Dave. It's a good job he doesn't get home until about an hour after the college closes, because I think I'd probably be regretting making that phone call now.
The other thing is, he doesn't want me making a fuss and, despite me knowing what a bunch of idiots they are, I have to respect his wishes. He will end up sitting them all in one day, I hope he copes.
Over the past two years I have virtually ignored every communication from them, for the sake of him. But when leaves........

So do I 

But that's 7.5 hours of concentrating in a about 8hr day..without a lunch break or coffee/tea/piss breaks...I don't think anyone could do that....I would kick up a fuss...

[STEMO]

Steve,

Re: Option 2

I carnt believe they even suggested that option! 

I would point out to them, that as your wife is a head teacher, if she carnt be trusted to ensure your lad doesn't use the internet or phone his friends overnight (ie try to cheat, not saying he would tho) who can be trusted to look after youngsters!

I still cannot believe they suggested this, Dave. It's a good job he doesn't get home until about an hour after the college closes, because I think I'd probably be regretting making that phone call now.
The other thing is, he doesn't want me making a fuss and, despite me knowing what a bunch of idiots they are, I have to respect his wishes. He will end up sitting them all in one day, I hope he copes.
Over the past two years I have virtually ignored every communication from them, for the sake of him. But when leaves........

So do I 

But that's 7.5 hours of concentrating in a about 8hr day..without a lunch break or coffee/tea/piss breaks...I don't think anyone could do that....I would kick up a fuss...

One beacon of light in all of this is the examinations officer. She has said that, if he decides to sit all three in one day, she will stay late with him so he can have a decent break between each one.



And breathe....... 



I have used my coping strategy, it stops my head exploding. There are folk a lot worse off than us, we will manage. Some wouldn't.

[STEMO]

And, as if to vindicate my views, Penistone grammar has just come on the local news. There are spending £1000 a day more than they get, and will have a large deficit at the end of the school year.