Re: Housing : Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:41 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

I suspect there are significant numbers of individuals who will have benefitted from the increase in personal allowances who are not in receipt of benefits e.g. younger single workers who still live at home of which there will be hundreds of thousands.

Of course there are. Unfortunately however it is a coalition policy (a liberal democrat one to be specific) hence it is automatically bad regardless of whether it actually helps people or not.

Re: Housing : Sat Dec 07, 2013 6:20 pm  

Ajw71 wrote:

Of course there are. Unfortunately however it is a coalition policy (a liberal democrat one to be specific) hence it is automatically bad regardless of whether it actually helps people or not.

Boo!

Any answers forthcoming or are you simply here to cheerlead?

Re: Housing : Sat Dec 07, 2013 6:54 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

Boo!

Any answers forthcoming or are you simply here to cheerlead?

Don't be silly.

He never answers questions: he lacks the facility to come up with anything other than a plagiarised soundbite, some poll or an 'oh yes, you're so right'.

Re: Housing : Sun Dec 08, 2013 12:01 am  

Mintball wrote:

No, you haven't.

I gave you answers to your stupid little 'questions'. You might not like the answers; you may well not agree with them, but I gave you answers.

I also answered your question about where the evidence on the costs of income inequality comes from.

It's your own stupid fault if you don't want to do some reading up on it, but don't come back pretending that you know anything about it.

As usual no answers just juvenile insults. At least you are consistent.

Re: Housing : Sun Dec 08, 2013 4:06 pm  

Ajw71 wrote:

Blah Blah Blash AS USUAL.

By the way.

WHICH ECONOMY?

Re: Housing : Sun Dec 08, 2013 6:01 pm  

Him wrote:

Why? And can you define social spend yet? Or why pure GDP is the sign of wealth of a nation?

What fact? You haven't stated any.

No it's not. Anyone who describes the French economy as a basket case, thereby equating it to Greece, doesn't understand economics. Having said that our dear Chancellor kept equating the UK to Greece so it's an easy mistake to make, especially if you don't know what you're on about.

Why do people on the right insist on making stuff up?

Do we? How are you quantifying how much is spent per head at school kids compared to other countries? Because they aren't easily obtainable or comparable figures. And how are you quantifying the outcomes?

What makes you think it's extra spending that means the outcomes today are worse (in your opinion) than in your day?
Are you saying that schools, teachers and students are more complacent than they used to be? Because I think you'd be in a minority there.

In our day teaching was seen as a noble profession a bit like nursing - under paid - a vocation. Can you honestly say that is still the case. If the standard of education is improving why are they dumbing down the exams?

Re: Housing : Sun Dec 08, 2013 6:19 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

In our day teaching was seen as a noble profession a bit like nursing - under paid - a vocation. Can you honestly say that is still the case. If the standard of education is improving why are they dumbing down the exams?

Is that really true though ?

I like to think that my early 1970s O levels were "worth" so much more than my own kids GCSE's but when helping them with their homework a few years back either their coursework was as hard as I remember mine being, or I'd forgotten everything I was taught.

Just to preempt the reply that businesses are forever complaining about the standard of English and Maths in their young employees, there was nothing wrong with my O level English when I started an office job in 1974 but everything wrong with my application of English in those first months of that job, I'd never written a business letter before I got the job, had hardly even used the bloody telephone, but I was tutored by my employer and shown these things - something that most employers seem to expect to be already supplied as part of the school leaver package these days ?

Re: Housing : Sun Dec 08, 2013 6:45 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

In our day teaching was seen as a noble profession a bit like nursing - under paid - a vocation. Can you honestly say that is still the case. If the standard of education is improving why are they dumbing down the exams?

I've no reason to believe the teaching profession is particularly either over or undervalued today compared to the past.
I've also no reason to believe that teachers are overpaid.
Though, from my limited knowledge, I'd suggest its harder being a teacher today than in the past and that the role and duties of a teacher are not fully known/misunderstood by a lot of people.

Re: Housing : Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:10 am  

Him wrote:

I've no reason to believe the teaching profession is particularly either over or undervalued today compared to the past.
I've also no reason to believe that teachers are overpaid.
Though, from my limited knowledge, I'd suggest its harder being a teacher today than in the past and that the role and duties of a teacher are not fully known/misunderstood by a lot of people.

I did not say today's teachers are overpaid - I said teachers in our day were underpaid. Nor did I say the teaching profession was under/over valued by society. What I said was teachers saw the role as a profession and accept the T&C as an occupational hazard.

I would agree it is harder to be a teacher these days as the behavioural standards in society have dropped and the respect for your elders has subsided.

Re: Housing : Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:14 am  

JerryChicken wrote:

Is that really true though ?

I like to think that my early 1970s O levels were "worth" so much more than my own kids GCSE's but when helping them with their homework a few years back either their coursework was as hard as I remember mine being, or I'd forgotten everything I was taught.

Just to preempt the reply that businesses are forever complaining about the standard of English and Maths in their young employees, there was nothing wrong with my O level English when I started an office job in 1974 but everything wrong with my application of English in those first months of that job, I'd never written a business letter before I got the job, had hardly even used the bloody telephone, but I was tutored by my employer and shown these things - something that most employers seem to expect to be already supplied as part of the school leaver package these days ?

If you want to see how dumbed down the exams have become compare exam papers from the mid 1970's to now - especial in technically subjects such as Maths and Sciences.

I agree re. the last paragraph - but isn't that the point of education? It should be possible to combine knowledge with some life skills in the 11/12 years that kids are in the education system.