Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Monkey Tennis]

51 minutes ago, mizfit said:

 

Seems most in York are. My apprehension was going down and doing nothing but walking about.

 

I was in York almost a month ago.  Everything was pretty much open even then.

[welshbairn]

44 minutes ago, Suspect Device said:

At least some good has come of this pandemic. English kids have achieved great grades in their A levels.

 

Or their grades will not be taken seriously by universities or employers in the future.

You have to feel for the poor sods with honest teachers. 

[Monkey Tennis]

1 minute ago, welshbairn said:

You have to feel for the poor sods with honest teachers. 

In Scotland, the improvement in grades this year, compared to those from 2019 and before, owes little to 'dishonesty'.  It's down to kinder assessment conditions.

[Gordon EF]

14 minutes ago, Michael W said:

Schools grades lose relevance pretty quickly when you're in the workforce tbh. 

The problem is more one that universities have to deal with in the immediate aftermath. A whole load of offers will have gone out in the expectation that lots of people wouldn't make the cut and now they're going to have to sift because they've been handed them. If you've oversight of their grades prior to their Highers/A-Levels you can probably differentiate between a genuine A student and an inflated C student, but it must be a total nightmare sorting it all out. 

I imagine universities will see record drop out rates in a year's time. Not just because students with inflated grades got places but they'll be sitting their first proper exams in years.

[Monkey Tennis]

The BBC Scotland headline on the website is rather stupidly misleading.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58150287

The meaningful comparison is not with last year's absolute dog's dinner.  It's with what grades looked like before Covid.  The latest results are still well up on those.

It's still regrettable, but I think the reasons for it are more defensible this time in terms of the teaching profession. The issue revolves around the SQA instructions regarding assessments.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 minute ago, Gordon EF said:

I imagine universities will see record drop out rates in a year's time. Not just because students with inflated grades got places but they'll be sitting their first proper exams in years.

Another issue is that genuine high flyers are getting lost among big crowds of kids with top grades.

This year, I've seen more knockbacks from universities for genuinely very able kids applying for the most demanding courses, than I've seen before.  It's likely to continue that way for at least another year and is a real concern.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

In Scotland, the improvement in grades this year, compared to those from 2019 and before, owes little to 'dishonesty'.  It's down to kinder assessment conditions.

The results are actually down this year compared to last for fairly obvious reasons.

[scottsdad]

31 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

In Scotland, the improvement in grades this year, compared to those from 2019 and before, owes little to 'dishonesty'.  It's down to kinder assessment conditions.

Exactly this. Many students freeze in the face of exams - the big, quiet exam hall, the date marked, the exam timetable and the associated stress of worrying what they should study, and when, and how much. Many university students do the same. This year the theatre of that experience is gone and replaced with in-class tests (many, many tests) that cause less panic and stress. And pupils do better in those conditions.

[Monkey Tennis]

9 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Exactly this. Many students freeze in the face of exams - the big, quiet exam hall, the date marked, the exam timetable and the associated stress of worrying what they should study, and when, and how much. Many university students do the same. This year the theatre of that experience is gone and replaced with in-class tests (many, many tests) that cause less panic and stress. And pupils do better in those conditions.

In my experience, it's not so much that.

Lots of assessments took place in exam halls anyway. 

It had more to do with the fact that the best bits of performance over more than one assessment were picked out and put together to complete an overall grade.  That's what has made much of the difference.

Edited August 10, 2021 by Monkey Tennis

[Monkey Tennis]

5 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

The results are actually down this year compared to last for fairly obvious reasons.

Yes, but not by that much.  

They're still up on previous years and presumably, therefore, well up on what last year's algorithm arrived at.

 

I said earlier that teacher 'dishonesty' is less of a feature this time in that these marks aren't estimates based on inferred attainment.

I do think, however, that there are questions over marking consistency and the capacity here for bias, whether conscious or otherwise, to enter the picture.

[welshbairn]

10 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Exactly this. Many students freeze in the face of exams - the big, quiet exam hall, the date marked, the exam timetable and the associated stress of worrying what they should study, and when, and how much. Many university students do the same. This year the theatre of that experience is gone and replaced with in-class tests (many, many tests) that cause less panic and stress. And pupils do better in those conditions.

Would have been awful for me, did bugger all work all year with a few weeks mad cramming before the exams.

[scottsdad]

Just now, welshbairn said:

Would have been awful for me, did bugger all work all year with a few weeks mad cramming before the exams.

I'm the same. I was never good at coursework and was always better at exams. 

[realmadrid]

16 hours ago, Thereisalight.. said:

I caught the tail end of a news report so I may have this wrong, but masks still required in places of worship for singing? I think all religion is a crock of shit but jeez why isnt that "safe" yet snogging the face off of some random and doing karaoke on a dancefloor is? Its beyond laughable now 

A lot of the issues are due to the Church of Scotland being ultra cautious and adding in their own add on's . Yes its still masks for singing.

We are still working with 2m distancing at Kinnoull in Perth and trying to get to 1m when in fact distancing is now gone.

There are so many regulations and a lot of the members have got used to watching at home online so will probably only return to the building for their own funeral !

[vikingTON]

1 hour ago, Bob Mahelp said:

I've never been entirely sure it's the 'modellers' are at fault over this (although some of them are undoubtedly cretins), it's more the concept of 'modelling' itself. 

As pointed out in the article, modelling is not an exact science. It's effectively guess work which attempts to predict certain scenarios based on sets of criteria which may, or may not, happen. 

The term "exact science" is doing a lot of heavy lifting, for models that couldn't predict the daily number of cases within a margin of 75,000 (175,000 at the top end), nor even the basic direction of travel, one week out. Their predictive value is non-existent and so barely counts as science at all.  

The reason why it is the fault of modellers can be traced back to the Ferguson interview that I posted yesterday evening. There was zero humility or transparency in stating that their models were a giant stack of guesswork: Ferguson stated that 100,000 cases a day was coming regardless and the only question was whether the UK would reach 200,000 as well. 

Many so-called experts like Ferguson have misleadingly presented The Science as a package of indisputable facts all along - their shan infection models included. In the case of a novel virus pandemic, there can be no such facts. The Science has been as blind to what would happen next at every turn as any other branch of knowledge, yet has hogged 99% of the government and media spotlight for the nasty agenda of public health psychos and grasping careerists. It's time for a reckoning and then a rebalancing of views to focus on addressing the economic and social costs of the pandemic response. 

[Monkey Tennis]

3 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

I'm the same. I was never good at coursework and was always better at exams. 

There are also issues attached to the clamour to do away with exams altogether in terms of closing gaps.

Exams are imperfect, but there's at least a level playing field element to them that other methods of assessment lack.  

Continuous assessment is already a large element of most school courses, although you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise if relying on ignorant media coverage.

Increasing it, however, would just increase the advantage for those with educated parents and access to private tuition.

[WhiteRoseKillie]

Seems most in York are. My apprehension was going down and doing nothing but walking about.

..although there are worse cities to just walk around in..
One poster on here (MM?) was asking for recommendations a bit back, and on checking, most attractions were open, some requiring booking, with just catering operations being restricted. I would assume they're even closer to normality now.

[WhiteRoseKillie]

What's aw that about? I work with t&t and I'm completely unaware of this. Where's this came from?

'Tis genuine. The idea of being ok to go to work yet not be allowed to go out on your rest day has, surprisingly, not been overwhelmingly popular.

[The Master]

That’s me fully Pfizered. 

When does the invincibility kick in?

[Left Back]

3 minutes ago, The Master said:

That’s me fully Pfizered. 

When does the invincibility kick in?

[Moomintroll]

1 hour ago, superbigal said:

There is 100% restrictions by stealth still going on in England.   So not just Premier League football.

My company is exhibiting at the CV show in the NEC Birmingham in September.

Take a look at this which is applicable to both exhibitors & visitors.

So much for FREEDOM DAY.

COVID-19 Status Update

We are dedicated to delivering a safe and secure event for all and the safety and comfort of all our visitors at the CV Show remains our top priority.

In line with the latest government advice, we have worked closely with both the NEC and the Exhibitions and Events Industry to establish guidance to allow us to confidently offer a safe environment for all, where we will be verifying the COVID-19 status of everyone on arrival at the event.

Visitors will therefore need to demonstrate proof of COVID-19 status for entry to the 2021 Commercial Vehicle Show. This can be in the form of ONE of the following:

• Proof of completion of a full course of COVID-19 vaccination two weeks prior to arrival, either through the NHS App (see below) or through your Vaccination Record Card.
• Proof of a negative Lateral Flow Test result taken within 48 hours of arrival, either through the NHS App or a picture of your negative reading on the cassette device itself
• Proof of a negative PCR Test result taken within 72 hours of arrival through the NHS App.

Use of Masks at the Show:

We are a mask friendly event. Although it is no longer mandatory to wear masks, we encourage all attendees to consider wearing masks, especially when in enclosed or crowded spaces. 

Pretty much the same as Giants Live at the Manchester Arena this Saturday although you need an official text or email for the LFT result.