Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Corb Blimey!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Ha ha, yes. Good old Toro. I don't know about unicorns, but I think university is different to school spending, because only a minority go and it costs so much. I think there's a case for people who don't go to get some sort of general grant instead. I don't know what it costs to train as a hairdresser, but it can't be anything like what a 3 year degree course costs. You can say that the hairdresser gets their training free, and a university student gets theirs, but is that really fair? How about some money being available for the hairdresser to invest in their career in some way? You could extend that in lots of ways. In terms of getting experience of work (not work experience, I mean work paid properly but which you do as "entry level" for something you're particularly interested in), it makes a lot of difference if you live in London or South Wales. How about the person from South Wales be eligible for a grant to help with London living expenses?

    I don't know exactly how this would work- it probably wouldn't, I've just thought of the last bit. But you get the point, that it's possible to see unfairness in a system of free university fees. When you address that, the costs mount, and I think it's harder to afford free fees. Certainly on the sort of tax we're prepared to pay in this country. When people say Corbyn would be completely mainstream in some places, they're right in terms of how much he'd spend. What isn't clear is that he can make it work on the taxes he proposes.

    In terms of Labour plans, the extra taxes from anti-avoidance/evasion are already "spent" in the budgets. It's certainly time for more co-ordination internationally. But if we drop out of the EU/EEA mainstream, it'll undermine international efforts.

    Comment


      I can't help getting the feeling that the UK is pretty much the only country in europe where you get the discussion that there are too many people going to University. Is this common anywhere else? Here it's kind of assumed that you're going to need a degree or a third level qualification of some sort to be able to do most jobs. If only to prove that you can get through a degree. People need to stop treating University education as though it's the key to higher income and professional status like back in the 50's, when barriers to entry were much higher.

      Comment


        Originally posted by The Awesome Berbaslug!!! View Post
        I can't help getting the feeling that the UK is pretty much the only country in europe where you get the discussion that there are too many people going to University. Is this common anywhere else? Here it's kind of assumed that you're going to need a degree or a third level qualification of some sort to be able to do most jobs. If only to prove that you can get through a degree. People need to stop treating University education as though it's the key to higher income and professional status like back in the 50's, when barriers to entry were much higher.
        Netherlands. They decide at 12 if you are cut out for university.

        Comment


          It's an odd mix of people who agree that too many go to university. Some are just regular reactionaries, but some aren't. When people point out the cost of abolishing fees, somebody who seems generally progressive will pop up and say "we can afford it if we stop sending all those people to university".

          Comment


            There's some of that argument in the US, though it generally revolves around the quality of what is considered "higher education" here and the difficulty that graduates of lesser institutions have in paying off massive loans.

            Comment


              Degrees are a barrier to entry for loads of jobs where they really aren’t necessary at all. To that extent I’d agree too many folk are going to university. But I’d rather free third level for all who want it than the alternative.
              Last edited by Lang Spoon; 09-10-2018, 18:12.

              Comment


                Well it's a CV sifter. Have they demonstrated that they can do a degree, with all that entails? Then Did they get a II.1. Whether it's needed or not, you have to narrow down the pile of CVs somehow. That more than anything is the reason that you need to have free access to third level for all.

                Comment


                  For me, that argument doesn't follow. I did a post graduate diploma thing in 2002, as a CV sifter. It wasn't free. I don't think anybody expected that it would be.

                  Comment


                    Post grad is one thing. But if almost everything barely paying more than minimum wage requires a level 8 degree, then they should be free.

                    Comment


                      CLP advice appreciated: If I want to propose an amendment to a pre-published motion do I do it in advance to the secretary or wait until the meeting?

                      Comment


                        https://www.disabilitynewsservice.co...versal-credit/

                        John McDonnell drew widespread praise when he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday that universal credit was a “shambles” and “iniquitous” and added: “I think we are moving to a position now where it is just not sustainable. It will have to go.”

                        His comments were widely reported, with Sky itself saying “Labour to ditch universal credit”, the BBC reporting him as saying “universal credit has to go”, the Mirror saying “Labour would scrap ‘unsustainable’ Universal Credit”, and iNews saying that “Labour will scrap ‘shambolic’ Universal Credit system”.

                        But when Disability News Service (DNS) asked Labour’s press office to confirm that the party’s policy was now to scrap universal credit, a spokeswoman said instead that the benefit system was “clearly failing in its current form”.

                        Instead of committing to scrapping universal credit, she said that Labour wanted “a root-and-branch review of the social security system”.
                        Both Leader and Shadow Chancellor said it was being scrapped.

                        Seems like an unnecessary short term political mess. Are they worried by getting questions about what they're going to do instead?
                        Last edited by Tubby Isaacs; 12-10-2018, 12:12.

                        Comment


                          It's a work in progress https://twitter.com/tom_watson/statu...76893857370118

                          Comment


                            Fair enough.

                            Given the shitfest under McVey, who said "yeah people will get less money, but that's because they're getting less benefits", I don't mind them taking a bit of time to "find the money".

                            Comment


                              How it was pre-Corbyn...

                              Comment


                                Strangely weak article about Corbyn from one of the best education journalists, Laura McIerney.

                                https://www.theguardian.com/educatio...her-job-labour

                                Shift over, Jeremy Corbyn, and let Angela Rayner do her job
                                McIerney reports a poll showing support for Labour among teachers at below 45%, and thinks it should be higher, but support for Labour among teacher is never as high as people seem to think it should be. Whatever Labour was saying, I expect a lot of teachers would think "heard it all before", and with good reason.

                                She criticizes Corbyn for turning up to Rayner's events, and turning them into a circus of self-taking. Sure, the element of the public who think Corbyn is Elvis are irritating, and he could probably do with spending less time with them. But he's probably trying to help Rayner by showing what she's doing is important, and maybe taking a bit of pressure off her in person.

                                The money earmarked for Education in the manifesto (whatever we think about whether the tax to pay it would show up) was pretty decent. Rayner did make a few announcements at the conference, so I think she's doing OK.

                                Comment


                                  I'm good friends with a hardcore Remainer (literally had an argument with his mum after the vote about her cancelling his German passport when he was a kid) Tory teacher who despises Tory education policy but can't bring himself to vote Labour. I'm from Lincoln, where's the money, it's all a load of BS. He's not a vuvuzuela-style reactionary, but he's not buying it yet.

                                  Comment


                                    Does he think the Tories are more on his side with discipline, or something like that? Whether or not it's true, I can see why people might think it. And given that my brief attempt at teaching involved me not being able to control (half) a class, I'm not in any position to criticize.

                                    Comment


                                      I guess this is Rayner's way of replying to that. (to Tubbs re the article)

                                      Comment


                                        Ha ha, that's quite a good subtle response.

                                        I was wondering if Rayner might have whispered something to McIerney.

                                        Comment


                                          Originally posted by Tubby Isaacs View Post
                                          Does he think the Tories are more on his side with discipline, or something like that? Whether or not it's true, I can see why people might think it. And given that my brief attempt at teaching involved me not being able to control (half) a class, I'm not in any position to criticize.
                                          No, he's not really that kind of guy. Runs a tight ship but isn't a "bring back caning" type.

                                          I basically think he was born Tory in a Tory part of the UK to two Tory-voting parents (IIRC he was born in Germany because dad was in the Forces), and although he doesn't really like the Tories, he doesn't trust Labour to be competent.

                                          I feel like there's more teachers like this than people let on, and that while the lefty hippyish teacher stereotype has some truth in it, a lot of them are just working stiffs at the end of the day like everyone else.

                                          Comment


                                            If Corbyn doesn't go he's accused of ignoring the issue. If he does go along he's accused of jealousy.

                                            The media seem generally speaking either to ignore him- his response to May's statement yesterday was simply ignored by most of the BBC and ITV news - or to do a drive by attack. On Radio 4 this morning Nick Robison in the course of a chat with Blair acolyte and Times journalist Philip Collins (who has a book advocating a centrist party) and Polly Toynbee just opined that Labour MPs stop him daily to tell him Corbyn would be a threat to National Security.

                                            Comment


                                              John Bercow has reportedly stated that he will resign as Speaker next summer.

                                              Comment


                                                Originally posted by Nefertiti2 View Post
                                                If Corbyn doesn't go he's accused of ignoring the issue. If he does go along he's accused of jealousy.
                                                True.

                                                But he could also help himself by doing detail far more than he does. Someone like McIerney (and I agree that article isn't very good) would be delighted to be getting into her teeth into that. Someone I know on another board, who was a senior education professional, said Labour in opposition now are way behind where they were in the mid 90s in terms of detailed work, thinking of trade offs etc.

                                                McDonnell's in the process of walking back his eye-catching employee shares/corporate tax thing from conference. Maybe that plan was an opening gambit, from which McDonnell looks flexible and understanding when he retreats, but it's not giving me any sense of being on top of the job.

                                                Comment


                                                  I think McDonnell and Corbyn have excellent reasons to be about as vague as possible about what they would do in Government to prevent sabotage.

                                                  Comment


                                                    On stuff like tax-avoidance, they certainly do.

                                                    Comment

                                                    Working...
                                                    X