Tag: UK

Educational qualifications can be, and often are used to maintain the status quo – the existing social order. When I lived in the Netherlands, you had to have qualifications to be able to open a shop. Sounds fair enough, you might say, but the exams were only available in Dutch, which is not one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world.

If Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods, wanted to open a shop in the Netherlands, he would have to learn Dutch or circumvent the regulations by hiring local managers.

While I can see the need for people (shop keepers in this case) to provide evidence of an understanding of the law of the land, some countries take it too far. They make education a weapon of class warfare.

After all, it allows the ruling class to say that they are only trying to raise standards, while not providing the means for the poor to reach those standards. By not providing a universal education, they are in fact ensuring that the best jobs stay with the richest families.

There is a subtle way of modifying this scheme so as to make the gentry look innocent – they can put schools in every village and then stock them with low-grade teachers by making the wages and conditions awful, and simultaneously open the universities to all who have reached the requisite level of education.

This method also keeps the riff-raff out but allows the rich to maintain the illusion that a university education is open to all. This is the most common tactic in the Developing World.

In richer countries like Europe and America, the glass ceiling is put in place by making higher education expensive and offering ‘cheap loans’ to students who wish to continue their education.

In the UK, at the moment, the cap on university fees is about $14,000 per annum, so after a typical three tear course, a student comes away with a degree, which is no longer a guarantee of a job, and a $40,000 overdraft.

That is enough to deter the riff-raff too.

So what is the solution to this subtle form of the poverty, or at least, the social status trap?

Means-tested grants used to work just fine.

A student has to be able to embark on an educational course without having the distraction of worrying about money. Rich kids don’t have to worry about their finances at or after university, so why should poor kids? Let’s make it fair.

Britain as a whole had this enviable system for decades, but Scotland is the only country within the UK to maintain it. Welsh students have to pay something, I think, but not as much as English kids.

This will probably result in more Scottish and Welsh graduates per head of population than English ones in the near future. The Celts will love that, but it doesn’t seem fair on the English working class.

One of the reasons why Lek in ‘Behind The Smile’ did not stay at school was because the family thought the the cost seemed to be too high for the benefits that they could see it delivering. This is not the state’s direct fault, but it does result from a lack of ambition in people who have never known anyone in their family go to university.

Behind The Smile : ISBN: 978-1-475-21688-2 : Published by CreateSpace 19-4-2012 : Paperback and eBook.

High demand for excellent colleges, less seats and intense competition lead to students opting for studying in top-notch colleges abroad. It is seen over the years that bright students too aim for renowned universities abroad as they are well aware of the fact that overseas education can give them an edge over others when applying for jobs in any part of the globe.

There is a lot of research involved in studying abroad as it is a matter of your career and life. There are many education portals like connectuniversities etc that give complete information about the best colleges abroad. If doing research on your own is tedious and confusing, then it is best to take help from the associated counsellors working for these education portals or some renowned global education consultancy. The experts can even check your aptitude and tell you more about a course suitable for you.

Informed and thought-over decisions are the best way to proceed further in case of overseas education. It is essential to ascertain first that the college has the course you are looking for. Only after knowing that it will be lucrative in the long run, one should go forward and apply.
The exposure that one gets while staying in a foreign land is something that will aid in understanding yourself and others better. Once you step in to the job market, this will help to interact better with your clients/manager considering the enviable communication skills you will acquire while studying abroad.
Global education fairs are a good platform to meet delegates of various universities around the world and get specific answers directly from them about any question that may be bothering a student regarding overseas education, some university or a course. The Global Education Interact (GEI), a much-awaited education fair which opens the gates of opportunities for students who wish to study abroad, will be hosted by ‘The Chopras’ this year too.

GEI has been a blessing in disguise for a large number of students across different cities in India in deciding about their further education, overseas education journey, which university to choose, best degree program and numerous related avenues. The main aim of the delegates is to meet students who are interested in taking admission in the current or up-coming batches. There will be personal interactions with each student to discuss more about various countries’ processes, visas, scholarships, et al.
Delegates from renowned universities of US, UK, Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia, etc along with expert counselors of ‘The Chopras’ will be there to help every student. The schedule of this event is as following:

Coimbatore – 28th Jan, 2014
Hyderabad – 30th Jan, 2014
Bangalore – 1st Feb, 2014
Chennai – 2nd Feb, 2014
Pune – 5th Feb, 2014
Mumbai – 7th Feb, 2014
Delhi – 9th Feb, 2014
Jaipur – 11th Feb, 2014
Chandigarh – 13th Feb, 2014
Lucknow – 15th Feb, 2014
Nepal – 24th Feb, 2014

Today, studying abroad for various study program have become a trend among Indian students and. every year thousands of Indian students apply in various Universities abroad. Universities in US and UK receive high numbers of Indian applicants for their various regular and vocational courses. Overseas education is indeed a big breakthrough in someones career and promises him/her many wonderful career opportunities ahead. Today, overseas education is not limited among the people of higher status and elite class but many middle class families across India and other countries of the world are also sending their children for overseas education for a bright future and well paid job.

There are various advantages of studying abroad; the first one is concerned with academics. You would find wide spectrum of courses in a foreign university with excellent education system and infrastructure. They use modern technique of teaching applications with highly qualified and proficient faculty.

The safe and sound environment of the university makes you very feel comfortable to get adjusted in a foreign land. You also get incredible chance to meet students of different nationalities and religions. It gives you plenty of exposure and knowledge about various cultures and creed. The exposure you receive from studying abroad would be very helpful in your career building and life. Pursuing education from a prestigious foreign university opens the doors of countless job opportunities for you. You are being offered a high paid job, respectable position and many other perks

Studying in foreign land also makes you proficient in the language of the country. For instance, if you are seeking overseas education from UK, US or New-Zealand where official language is English, you would be able to learn the language and gradually become a Master in English. Studying abroad also gives you wonderful opportunities to travel to other neighboring countries which would give you plenty of exposure and knowledge. You have a global network of social contacts by studying abroad.

Overseas education also gives you opportunity to work at your spare time thus, you get work experience as well and for some companies work experience is also an important requirement before recruiting the candidate. Studying abroad helps students to become more mature, confident and resilient and all such qualities are counted at their workplace.

However, everything has a flipside as well and overseas education also comes with certain demerits. Though overseas education promises you great future and rewarding jobs but it is very expensive for a middle class family to send their children for a higher education in US, UK etc. Most of these families take loans or other financial aids to sponsor the education.

Educational qualifications can be, and often are used to maintain the status quo – the existing social order. When I lived in the Netherlands, you had to have qualifications to be able to open a shop. Sounds fair enough, you might say, but the exams were only available in Dutch, which is not one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world.

If Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods, wanted to open a shop in the Netherlands, he would have to learn Dutch or circumvent the regulations by hiring local managers.

While I can see the need for people (shop keepers in this case) to provide evidence of an understanding of the law of the land, some countries take it too far. They make education a weapon of class warfare.

After all, it allows the ruling class to say that they are only trying to raise standards, while not providing the means for the poor to reach those standards. By not providing a universal education, they are in fact ensuring that the best jobs stay with the richest families.

There is a subtle way of modifying this scheme so as to make the gentry look innocent – they can put schools in every village and then stock them with low-grade teachers by making the wages and conditions awful, and simultaneously open the universities to all who have reached the requisite level of education.

This method also keeps the riff-raff out but allows the rich to maintain the illusion that a university education is open to all. This is the most common tactic in the Developing World.

In richer countries like Europe and America, the glass ceiling is put in place by making higher education expensive and offering ‘cheap loans’ to students who wish to continue their education.

In the UK, at the moment, the cap on university fees is about $14,000 per annum, so after a typical three tear course, a student comes away with a degree, which is no longer a guarantee of a job, and a $40,000 overdraft.

That is enough to deter the riff-raff too.

So what is the solution to this subtle form of the poverty, or at least, the social status trap?

Means-tested grants used to work just fine.

A student has to be able to embark on an educational course without having the distraction of worrying about money. Rich kids don’t have to worry about their finances at or after university, so why should poor kids? Let’s make it fair.

Britain as a whole had this enviable system for decades, but Scotland is the only country within the UK to maintain it. Welsh students have to pay something, I think, but not as much as English kids.

This will probably result in more Scottish and Welsh graduates per head of population than English ones in the near future. The Celts will love that, but it doesn’t seem fair on the English working class.

One of the reasons why Lek in ‘Behind The Smile’ did not stay at school was because the family thought the the cost seemed to be too high for the benefits that they could see it delivering. This is not the state’s direct fault, but it does result from a lack of ambition in people who have never known anyone in their family go to university.

Behind The Smile : ISBN: 978-1-475-21688-2 : Published by CreateSpace 19-4-2012 : Paperback and eBook.

School equipment is one of the most basic things that all schools require. Anything from learning materials such as stationery, exercise books or sports equipment to school furniture and facilities, and also safety and maintenance equipment. This article explores various opinions on school equipment and why it is important to learning.

Certain equipment, such as pencils, pens, or paper does need to be replenished on a frequent basis and are known as consumables. Other equipment such as tables or electricals tends to be much more expensive and there can be reluctance to replace them even when it is necessary. This is especially true now that schools are given very tight budgets from councils and the government.

According to a recent study carried out by BBCs Newsround, the news service for children across the UK, school equipment may not be fit for purpose. The study asked children their general opinions on the equipment and furniture they used. The responses were surprising: Almost all children reported serious problems. These ranged from broken, uncomfortable chairs, damaged tables, equipment that is unsuitable or too small. It seems as if headteachers do not realise how unhappy children are with the equipment they use which is a serious concern.

Another very recent debate about the quality of school buildings versus the quality of teaching was recently posted. The new education secretary Michael Grove announced that the new school building project and the BSF Building schools for the Future set up by the previous government would be cancelled to save money. But many people have argued that this means children will need to use outdated equipment in an educational setting, while others have said that the buildings as long as safe are effective enough. Whether they have considered the effect on existing furniture and equipment remains to be seen.

The recent credit crunch, recession and general lack of money in public sector spending may become a serious problem for schools with limited budgets. A typical budget for school equipment must be spread across everything from site equipment and maintenance to teaching material for children. While some of the material may still be adequate from the point of teachers, they may fall short of health and safety or quality standards set by UK and EU laws.

While the conditions of the buildings themselves are perhaps not the most important, unless of course they fall below the minimum standard, the equipment itself must always be fully functional and up to the minimum standard. School equipment can be purchased from large educational suppliers such as The Consortium. School equipment are some of the fundamental building blocks to a childs education, and combined with effective teaching can be a very important step for any child. Schools can save money by negotiating for bulk prices of items, especially expensive items such as educational furniture and searching for the best prices possible for any item. Any school budget, especially for schools which are having difficulties financially, should be carefully planned and set aside to be spent on items which need the most investment and replacement.