Points to Ponder

[SteveH]

It's a sad day when you have to bring the army in to educate children...

[Ian]

The problem lies in the poor training potential teachers receive. Teacher Training courses should not be designed and delivered by academics: the people doing that should be survival and wildlife experts.

The teacher in a secondary school is facing a pack, a pack that will metaphorically tear them limb from limb unless they establish who the alpha is very quickly. Potential teachers are never told that.

[SteveH]

Caught this on BBC this morning...... highlighting the shortage of future skilled labour.

Why competing in the skills Olympics could boost UK growth
1,200 young people from around the globe gathered to compete for medals in the World Skills competition
Allan Cook, chairman of Atkins, one of the biggest engineering companies in the UK tends to agree that Britain is failing to inspire a young generation of vocational workers.
"We think we need 1.8 million engineers; graduates, technicians, apprentices into our industry by 2020. Without them we will struggle," he says.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33979182

[SteveH]

Re the above..... from an earlier post..........

In recent months Fifth Wheel Company has been trying to recruit new staff members due to the expansion and growth of the business.
However they have been unable to find candidates with the right skills or attitude towards work.

Jobs site Adzuna announced that there were more jobs advertised in April than there where people looking for a job.
They believe this could be a warning sign that the workforce lacks the skills necessary to fill up many of the new jobs being advertised.
One option in the past has been to recruit migrant workers arriving in the country as they can have better skills and a higher work ethic for manufacturing job roles.

But one initiative that the Fifth Wheel Company are keen on implementing is the “see inside manufacturing programme” which invites teachers and students from local schools to visit the manufacturing facilities.

This will also educate teachers and students about the kind of skills that are needed to thrive in manufacturing.

Ceri Whiteley at White House hotel, part of the Fifth Wheel group, agreed there were issues recruiting.
 “School leavers do have the literacy and numeracy to succeed although they lack work ethic and the willingness to complete tasks to high standards.”

[Ian]

There's a long history of competition inspiring advances in Science and Engineering.  It is, after all, how the Airline industry emerged. But there's a culture in the UK of denigrating achievement and it starts in schools. Boys who aim to succeed and learn are often held back by peer ethos. It also seems to pervade the national press. It's an improving picture, but far too slowly.

[SteveH]

People to take to streets of Conwy to raise awareness of TTIP

CONWY people will be taking to the streets this Saturday to raise awareness of a secretive deal with the USA that is set to give more power to big corporations.

The day of action in Llandudno is part of a nationwide effort coordinated by independent campaign group 38 Degrees. It will see local campaigners talk to hundreds of people about the dangers of this deal, and how it might affect their lives if it isn’t stopped.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a free trade agreement that has been proposed between the European Union and the USA which aims to remove regulatory barriers for transnational corporations such as food safety rules, labour rights, banking safeguards, digital privacy laws and more.

Campaigners say the deal could force NHS trusts across the country to open up to American private healthcare providers, and could allow big businesses to sue the government if British laws dent their profits.

Conwy volunteers will take to the streets near M&S on Mostyn Street, Llandudno at 10.00am on Saturday 22nd August, joining thousands of other people who are also taking action across the UK. They’re calling on people in Aberconwy constituency to sign the petition against TTIP, which will be delivered to politicians in October.

Mike Bird, a 38 Degrees member from Llandudno Junction, said: “TTIP could affect every part of our lives: from watering-down environmental protections to lowering food safety standards to American levels. This could re-introduce bee-killing pesticides onto our fields and chlorine-washed chicken into our supermarkets. That’s why I’m totally against this awful trade deal.”

Amy Lockwood, campaigner at 38 Degrees said: “This Saturday, 38 Degrees members in Conwy will be pushing TTIP, the dangerous trade deal, out of secret negotiating rooms and into the public spotlight.

“People in Conwy have a right to know that this dodgy deal is being hashed out behind their backs. From the NHS, to schools, to the food on our tables, TTIP could tear up the public services and protections that people fought hard for.

“Saturday’s day of action is all about the people of Conwy sending a message to corporate lobbyists: we won’t sit back while you re-write the rules of democracy.”
The EU-wide petition against TTIP has got over 2.5 million signatures already. It can be found at www.38degrees.org.uk/ttip.

http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/151794/people-to-take-to-streets-of-conwy-to-raise-awareness-of-ttip.aspx

[SteveH]

What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you
Have you heard about TTIP.....
If your answer is no, don’t get too worried; you’re not meant to have.
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is a series of trade negotiations being carried out mostly in secret between the EU and US. As a bi-lateral trade agreement, TTIP is about reducing the regulatory barriers to trade for big business, things like food safety law, environmental legislation, banking regulations and the sovereign powers of individual nations. It is, as John Hilary, Executive Director of campaign group War on Want, said: “An assault on European and US societies by transnational corporations.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-is-ttip-and-six-reasons-why-the-answer-should-scare-you-9779688.html

[Ian]

Yep.  It's a serious threat to the UK.

[SteveH]

Campaigners will take to streets of Colwyn Bay to raise awareness of NHS and TTIP
CAMPAIGNERS will be holding a demonstration in Colwyn Bay tomorrow against the potential sell off of the NHS through a controversial trade deal.

Campaigners from The People’s NHS Wales will be taking to the streets of Colwyn Bay to call on MP David Jones to raise the issue with Prime Minister David Cameron.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a trade deal proposed between the European Union and the USA which aims to remove regulatory barriers for transnational corporations such as food safety rules, labour rights, banking safeguards, digital privacy laws and more.

Critics believe the inclusion of healthcare could mean forced, or irreversible privatisation of the NHS, if the right wording is not included.
Supporters of the deal believe that TTIP will not open the NHS up to privatisation, but will will open up access for Britian to the U.S consumer market.

Member of The People’s NHS Wales, Dean Jones, said: “The People’s NHS has obtained a copy of legal advice that could save the NHS from sell-off.

“The Government has the power to protect the NHS from irreversible privatisation under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). According to EU law expert, Dr. Kyriaki-Korina Raptopoulou, protecting the NHS would require inserting just 83 words in the TTIP trade deal.

“We have sent this to leading figures in government. The British people have made it abundantly clear that they do not want an NHS privatised and run for profit by corporations.

“David Jones has a real opportunity to defend our NHS from an EU trade deal - we urge him to raise this issue with David Cameron in Westminster.

“Thousands of households across Wales have already taken part in this unprecedented nationwide movement to demand David Cameron uses his veto to get the NHS out of TTIP. Now voters in Colwyn Bay are demanding action to get the NHS out of TTIP.

“That’s why David Jones must use his position to put pressure on David Cameron to act. The Conservative government does not have a mandate to allow the sell-off of the NHS to become permanent.”
MP for Clwyd West, David Jones, said: “TTIP will deliver huge economic benefits to Britain and the rest of Europe, by giving free access to a market of around 300 million U.S. consumers - the most important market in the world.

"The Government has made it absolutely clear that TTIP will not result in privatisation of the NHS. The rules governing the NHS have always been set by the British and devolved governments and will continue to be, even after TTIP.”

The demonstration will take place tomorrow, on Friday, August 28 from 11am to 1pm on Princes Drive, Colwyn Bay, LL298DG. http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/152021/campaigners-will-take-to-streets-of-colwyn-bay-to-raise-awareness-of-nhs-and-ttip.aspx

[Hugo]

So much for Cameron's promise to reduce immigration to the tens of thousands.       I wonder if the Government was aware of these figures before the General Election?      It may have been a completely different result if the figures had been published before the election
What is Europe doing regarding the illegal migration of people from Africa and Asia?     Nothing apart from sending out boats to collect them off the coasts of Libya and then transporting them hundreds of miles across the sea to Italy thus  compounding the already serious immigration problem




http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34071492

[Fester]

Hugo, it's issues like that, and statements like Mr Cameron's that show politicians to be what they are, impotent liars.

That situation is out of control, and it was never in Mr Cameron's control to deliver his promise.  Yet it made a good headline, so we fell for it.

Don't forget, this is a man who promised to bring an end to 'Punch and Judy Politics', if he ever attained power..... but since attaining power, he has become the worst protagonist of that brand of 'debate'   

[Hugo]

Don't forget, this is a man who promised to bring an end to 'Punch and Judy Politics', if he ever attained power..... but since attaining power, he has become the worst protagonist of that brand of 'debate'   

He's introduced a lot of things but nothing outstanding or useful.   How about performance related pay for all our MP's,   now That's the way to do it.   

[Hugo]

SERIOUSLY this is for real!

New lollipop lady in Birmingham.

you just could not make it up.

UK must be the laughing stock of the world.

The e-mail I received seems to be genuine according to checks I've done
 
 

[Ian]

This has been going the rounds since 2012. Those who understand the technicalities of Photoshop are certain it's a photoshopped image and certainly not genuine. There's a lot of detail about it here:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/muslim-lollipop-lady

[Hugo]

Thanks Ian, I've been looking this up again and it appears to have been photoshopped so it's a fake.

I would think that if this was true then it would have been on TV or the front page of the DFM.