Headline May 31, 2016/ ''' *NOT SO *SWEET 16* - O'' DEAR STUDENTS! '''

''' *NOT SO *SWEET 16* - O'' DEAR 

STUDENTS! '''

IN PAKISTAN  -THE FIRST historic conceptual host AND TRUSTEE , of  the World Students Society, most loving called, !WOW!- that is  sprouting an Ecosystem called, !E-WOW!-

Prime Minister Mohammed Nawaz Sharif, the great admirer and supporter of the students,  *of all the  Pakistani students on  !WOW!, and !E-WOW! is taken ill for an open heart surgery*.

The World Students shares the gloom. worry and the concern  of the family of the Prime Minister Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif,and extends  all their feelings and best wishes to Begum sahiba Kulsum Nawaz, their children, and Mian Shabaz Sharif, the Chief Minster of Punjab. 

The World Students Society prays for the Prime Minister's  earliest and complete recovery. May God Almighty accept our humble prayers. Ameen! 

I COULD VERY WELL BE, suffering from  a low here, that sinking feeling

But when I think and  return to the subject of  education, no matter how I am feeling at the moment, what I say, I still believe to be the utter truth-

*Not so sweet 16*, the turning point in education that just so, ever and always fails young and mighty students. Paul Johnson couldn't be more right.

In the developing world, say, Pakistan, Siri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Egypt, Morocco,  if you go past A-levels, you have every chance to get somehow, somewhere in life. The social pressures of a tradition bound societies are piercing. 

When we hear a lot about schools and universities surely the greatest challenge facing any education system remains its failure properly to serve many of those young people who do not get on to do, say, A levels or equivalent at age 16.

The World Student Society totally agrees with the great illumination of Paul Johnson, that for decades upon decades, the world over, we have been encouraging  millions of young students-

To study for qualifications that do not seem really benefit them, either because they don't teach them the skills employers want or because employers don't recognize the value of the skills they provide.

In the UK, it is no wonder that system is terribly tarred.......... 

And in the UK, it is still the case that only a minority do A levels

Associated with this failure is a  deeper failure  that means that at  16 to 24-year-olds in England have worse basic literacy and numeracy skills than in almost any other developed country.

Even more truth: 

England has the unique distinction of being a country in which young people coming out of the education system today have literacy and and numeracy skills no better than the generation that completed its education half a century ago. 

This lack of basic skills among the UK young is a huge economic and social problem. It holds back productivity and economic growth. It constrains the earnings employment potential of millions.

The fact that most young people do not do A levels is not a problem in itself. What is a problem is that there continues to be lack of clear, high-quality alternative for far too many of those who don't follow the academic route.

To quote a recent House of Lords report: ''Non-academic routes to employment are complex, confusing and incoherent. 

The qualifications system is similarly confused  [and] ever so often poorly understood by the employers.''

The dearth of basic skills and the lack of good alternative qualifications are clearly different problems, but they are related. While the lack of basic skills reflects the continued failures at primary and secondary education, it also reflects the fact-

That far too few young people develop their basic skills further beyond age 16. Even among those who go on to higher education around  1 in 10 has numeracy skills or literacy skills below the level supposedly tested by a grade C at GCSE.

The greater problem is the relative neglect of those who do not follow the A level and university route. These are more likely to be young people from less advantaged homes and with lower achievement at secondary level.

Yet the FE sector is the one big part of the education system to have suffered heavy cuts in resources over recent years. Spending up to age 16 has been protected and schools with sixth forms have been able to use some of that to protect sixth form spending.

The introduction of fees at Pound 9,000 a year has allowed many universities to increase funding devoted to full-time undergraduate teaching. Meanwhile, spending on further education has in general including 16 -to- 19 education, has been cut.

Yet funding isn't even the biggest problem. That lies in the complexity, incoherence and often poor quality of the qualifications on offer. A levels are a well recognised brand. 

There is no equivalent single brand or clear route on the vocational route. School leavers, teachers and employers are all often unclear about the role and value of different qualifications.

So what should we do?

The Honour and Serving of this very important ''operational research on education'' continues. Thank Ya all for reading and I hope sharing. And see you on the following one.

With most loving and respectful dedication to the Students, Professors and Teachers of the World. See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society and !E-WOW!  -the Ecosystem 2011:

''' The Chaos Plans '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless