Posts by Idris Musty
Positive discrimination for white working-class boys, good for the goose, good for the gander
Positive discrimination for white working-class boys…. If it’s good for the goose, should it necessarily be good for the gander as well? A distinguished mathematician, Sir Bryan Thwaites, very recently had his donation of over £1m rejected by two public schools (public schools are top independent, private schools) – Dulwich College and Winchester. The reason…
Read MoreCan I afford a tutor?
Can I afford a tutor? How about, can you afford not to get a tutor? Here, I challenge you with the million pound question – is there really such a thing as value for money’, affordable tuition? However, that begs the question, if we don’t invest those extra pennies in our child’s educational prospects, can…
Read MoreAlas, how come some public schools don’t teach their students GCSEs, and they still take exams in it
A lesson for me from a sixteen-year-old, which you may find intriguing I was at the intensive revision course for our A-level and GCSE students today and, during the break, I was chatting to the teenagers, as I usually do. I usually try and make small-talk and chat about their travelling experience, school and so…
Read MoreMaking the best of the autumn term for GCSE and A-level
Making the best of the autumn term for GCSE and A-level I can’t believe there are roughly just six teaching weeks left before the Christmas break. This is the longest term of the academic year and many young people are just getting into the nitty-gritty of the year group they are in. It is particularly…
Read MorePrivate tuition at GCSE and A-level – Is it really the Hidden Secret of Britain’s Educational Arm Race?
Private tuition at GCSE and A-level – Is it really the Hidden Secret of Britain’s Educational Arm Race? This headline has a rather strong “educational arm race” tone, but it has been used on media platforms such as the BBC and the TES – Times Educational Supplement – and so on. This is following a…
Read MoreThe other side of GCSE success in English and Maths – the forgotten third of sixteen year olds!
The other side of GCSE success in English and Maths – The Forgotten Third of sixteen year olds! It was reported in newspapers, just before the GCSE results were released last month, that one third – about 170,000 of young people in England and Wales, are still falling short of securing good pass grades in…
Read MoreMisconceptions about post-sixteen and sixth form A-level subject options
There are so many misconceptions about post-sixteen and sixth form study and before I discuss them briefly, I’d like to list some of those: If I study Media Studies at A-level, I have an excellent chance of getting the top job in the media – like being a top TV presenter or something. A-level in…
Read MoreShould your teenager challenge their A-level exam result?
Should your teenager challenge their A-level exam result? At one school – Guildford High – a quarter of students who challenged their A-level results ended up with a higher grade. Given what may be at stake if a teenager misses out on their A-level result, it is a little concerning that one in four of…
Read MoreAre universities lowering admission requirements for Medicine and Engineering?
This is a follow-up on my last blogpost titled “Almost 40% of degree courses are offered unconditionally – what a scandal” The fact that Manchester University and one or two other universities, as reported in the Sunday Times of 4th August, 2019, will, from 2020, remove Chemistry as a compulsory subject for gaining admission to…
Read MoreAlmost 40% of degree courses are offered unconditionally – what a scandal
I could not believe my eyes when I read in yesterday’s Sunday Times that 40% of universities degree courses are offered unconditionally. This means students can come and study on that course regardless of the grade they obtain at A-level. It was also reported in that newspaper that the entry requirement for Medicine is now…
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