Some years ago when I worked in a State Education Department here in Oz, a number of employers declared their intention to set their own examinations for school leavers who applied for jobs. They claimed that the youngsters leaving school were inadequately educated and that the Year 12 Examinations had no value.
In an attempt to prove that the employers were wrong, the Education Department set new papers in Maths and English. The results were so appalling, that the markers were told to ‘upgrade’ the marks so that any student who wrote his name correctly would get 20%. If they got the date right – they got a pass mark.
It is about time that more people took Professor Buckland’s stand…
The employers were not convinced…
Boadicea's Chariot 
Couldn’t agree more. I have seen the quality of university engineering graduates fall year by year for the last 15 or so years, and I imagine that it is even worse in the soft subjects.
I read the article earlier, and with a certain amount of horror. Yes, we all know that this goes on, but for someone to resist this and lose their job in appalling.
It is hardly surprising though, that this happens, considering the dumbing down of A’Levels and the insistence by our government that fifty percent of six-formers should go onto do a degree.
Traditionally 2-5% graduated from University in the 60s.
50% now says it all, the truth of the matter is that the recent entrants would have had a hard job getting that of a ‘bedder’ in the 60s!
I made a point of never employing anyone under the age of 25, by then they had either grown up a bit and got their arithmetic and English up to scratch at least to a commercially acceptable level or they were a lost cause and I wasn’t a charity insitution.
No wonder graduates can’t get jobs!
One of my cousins, in Northern Ireland, (the location is important) reckons the trend for everyone to get a degree is having a terrible effect on the standards of clerical staff as those who used to take such jobs now consider their qualifications entitle them to more. Consequently it is those who cannot get onto degree courses who end up as clerks. One of her friends works in the local hospital and told a salutary tale.
A woman being clerked on a ward was asked for her religion. The woman said she had none. The clerk dutifully filled in the form.
Later that day the woman was visited by a Roman Catholic priest looking for the nun he had read was on the ward. Red faces all around.
i-so-bel hysterically amusing!
Glad you liked it! Must get the dinner now.