“David Sanderson wrote: "but employers aren't looking for people who can tell you who won a battle in 35 BC or the capital of Honduras, they are looking for people who can drive a forklift, have a HGV licence, real skills for the 21st century"

I wasn't aware that Universities were now offering degrees in Fork Lift driving and lorry driving. You learn something every day!

But you enforce my point exactly .. one doesn't need to go to university if one aspires to be (for example) a shop assistant, a personal trainer, a pub manager, a nail artist .. or a fork-lift driver. All those 'skills for the 21st century' you mentioned.

But as well as the above 'skilled' people, society also needs it's doctors, teachers, architects, lawyers, physicists and engineers .. people steeped in the arts, science and the humanities - And it needs the best. If British universities are no longer fit for purpose, then our future professional and academic elite will simply go elsewhere (and no doubt if you have your way Britain will be left with a generation of very 'skilled' lorry drivers!).”

“Fair point but you didn't go to university, it's not all fun and games and if you study via the OU, now that really is hard work, even I managed, eventually to 'get' a degree, my niece swanned off to Cambridge (and we were all deep down, very proud of her). I don't think education standards have been dumbed down, if people want to learn Latin and read poetry fine, but employers aren't looking for people who can tell you whowon a battle in 35 BC or the capital of Honduras, they are looking for people who can drive a forklift, have a HGV licence, real skills for the 21st century, who would stand more chance of getting a career these days, someone with dubious dress sense who could bore you to death with his synopsis on Alexander the great or someone who could fix yer central heating luv?

Times change.

I know my blog is boring and probably I am too, but I did manage to survive a vindictive ex, meet people who basically didn't deserve to be classed as subhuman and come out smiling, it's not a bad way to approach life, hapiness and all that.”

“David .. when are you going to get it through your head that other people's past and personal lives are none of your business? Why are you so nosy?

Unlike you - who's seemingly never happy unless divulging every self-pitying, 'blood on the screen' episode of your life on this forum, the rest of us would rather simply stick to the topic in question, have a good old ding-dong about it, and keep our private lives .. private.

If you really *must* bore the world to death by yielding to this maudlin self-indulgence (and all the "what-a-great-guy-I-am-because-I-overcame-all-my-trials-and-tribulations" drivel that goes with it) either go tell someone who gives a damn, or spew it all out on your excruciatingly tedious 'blog' .. (better still .. be a man and keep it to yourself)

I'm not interested, other readers of this forum aren't interested .. and I doubt the world and his uncle is interested either!

As they wouldn't be interested in my past, or private life either.”

“JO, perhaps you can tell us which university you went to, you've already refused to tell us if you've ever claimed benefits, I'm easy on either question.”

“The original poster cites Herr Hampson as having an OBE therefore his reputation is proven.
Might I say that this year, a milkman dressed in a cow suit also received the OBE....says it all really.
The man is nought but a dictator, a masterful manipulator of statistics and ruthless eradicator of under performing pupils who might otherwise show a truer picture of his abilities...or lack thereof.”

“Arthur, you wrote "A University education is a must in 21st century Britain'. You should rather have said, "A GOOD university education is a must in the 21st century. Surely it's the *quality* of that education which determines if it is 'a must'?

This isn't just my own opinion Arthur, it's the general consensus among educationalists I'm afraid. For example, a report by the Association of Graduate Recruiters earlier this year confirmed that .. "Tony Blairs 1999 committment to "set a target of 50% of young adults going into higher education in the next century" has devalued the currency of a degree and driven down standards by forcing thousands of students to enrol onto programmes that lack academic rigour and which are delivered by below-average institutions".

This is no criticism the students - of *course* they've worked hard - it is a criticism of a (perhaps) well-intentioned but misguided system which has not only 'dumbed down' our Universities, but has misled and let down a whole generation of young people in the process.

It's tragic.”

“I understand why apprenticeships are important. Perhaps you would be kind enough to explain Arthur why a university education is a must. Doesn't that make it rather pointless and in many cases counter-productive?

University is an academic place. What would be the point is incarcerating even more of the non-academically inclined into classrooms for even more years when there are no jobs at the end of it?

Surely we should be encouraging gainful employment for the non-academic not more time sitting on their backsides.”

“Josephine, universities are not open to 'the average' as a 'right' - students on the whole study tremendously hard to get to their choice of university. Together with apprenticeships and the like, a university education is a must in 21st century Britain.”

“The GT wrote: "both qualifications enable students to move to university"

True .. but the perception that every young person somehow *has* to go to university has to end. Universities should be for 'the cream' not thrown open to 'the average' as a 'right'.”

“Good letter. It shows the dilemma Hampson has put parents and pupils in with this idea. On the one hand the IB is a much better and stricter guide to academic ability than A levels. On the other, it is not so acceptable for university entrance and it is harder to get the headline grabbing fistful of A+ passes.

Personally I think IB is a much better way forward at the moment but we shall have to see what changes the government makes to A Levels to see if a switch is really worthwhile.

In the meantime, as I understand it, IB is optional at Toll Bar, so the best thing would be for parents and pupils to vote with their feet and show Hampson which they would like based on these results.”