Monday, 12 November 2012

A-Levels switch to Summer Exam only

A lot of people taking A-levels know if you do it wrong the first time you can take the exam again and sometimes even more than twice. The Government are trying to get rid of this. Their is 2 parts to a 2 years course of a-levels their is firstly AS which is the first year and in order to move on to A-levels you have to pass your AS's. Then in your 2nd year some subjects give you the opportunity to take the exam in January and then depending on what you get, you will then re-take it in June. The Government are now trying to change it so you can only take your exam in a-levels in June. This although means Schools pay out less money, but it effects the chances of a child passing their exams straight away. Although the next step is Uni for people who take a-levels I don't think the Government realise the stress and pressure students are under just to pass the first year of a-levels. It isn't fair that just because you don't get it right the first time that you shouldn't be able to take the exam again. Its like the saying "everyone deserves a second chance" if the  Government really believe that then why are they pushing students so hard to get it right, although i understand we signed up to take a-levels rather than going to college, but if all of us went to college then we wouldn't be well educated enough to go Uni as a lot of Uni's are only taking a-levels and not diplomas personally i feel like the Government needs to think about the effect they are having on Students and if they keep pushing eventually we are going to break. To hear the Governments side here is the link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20266533

Nadine Dorries in I'm a Celebrity

There has been a lot of conflict over the fact Nadine Dorries is gone in to the Jungle because she is an MP,  she has been suspended by her Parliamentary Party whilst she is away. For me I think that although doing it with out people knowing is wrong, but she is only doing it for fun and their is a lot of pressure on MP's nowadays so taking a risk isn't the end of the world. Also their are a lot of bigger issues out their than going in to a Jungle, their is people fighting a war. She has also stated than she is going donate her MP's salary to Charity while she appears on TV in Australia which is really good of her I think and does show that she does care.
To find out more about this story here is the BBC link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20291303

David Cameron: We must make prisons work for offenders

In the news recently David Cameron said we must make prisons work for offenders. I think this is very true, some people come out of a long sentence and people believe they are genuinely changed but something happens in their lives which leads them back to the same things they were inside for. Others just cant interact with the Society and the people around them, so they decide to rebel. I think their does need to be changes people need to rehabilitate so that they can live a good life rather than just going straight back to prison, failing that a lot of people believe the death penalty should be brought back in the UK, but what does it prove people die hasn't any on heard of a second chance first? I think things need to change inside prison enough opportunity's are out their for people to fix their lives before they go back in to reality, but not enough people are helping them to do this.
For more on the story this is the link;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20022794

US prepares first-strike cyber-forces

The US are trying to prepare for a potential cyber attack which some people say could have the same effect as the 9/11. This piece of news shows in society no one will ever get over the tragic 9/11 attack. And that the society in US are still paying the cost of the massive effect it did actually have on the world. Although we relate to cyber online it could potentially have an effect on certain area's. "They could contaminate the water supply in major cities, or shut down the power grid across large parts of the country". This is just one effect this Cyber attack could potentially cause if they hacked in to the data online. Things like this makes me as a person worry for the world we live in. People will constantly have to live in fear because of 9/11 and as a country as well as society American as well as New York will never be the same. As a country America has primary groups as well as secondary groups. As a whole they are a primary group of people because it is their country which was effected by the 9/11 bombings and it is them that have had to pay for it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19922421
This is the link to the BBC News to find out more.

PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes in Manchester

An important and serious case which has been in the news recently is the death of the 2 police officers, who were tragically murdered. Today a man from the Derbyshire decided to make a poor joke about scoring more points killing police officers. Mr Stephenson who is the man that made the joke loses his cabinet seat but remains as councillor for Little Hallam in Derbyshire. As a lot of people have heard about this case and as media is a primary and secondary agents of every ones socialisation a lot of people will see what this man has done and younger people might think its 'ok' to make this kind of joke. Mr Stephenson seemed to think his punishment was harsh but i feel as a student and a teenager who has heard about this case that it is far from harsh he hasn't thought about the 2 family's in this horrible murder.
To hear the whole story this is the link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19713024

The media isn't all bad!

The National Television Awards is known for the between popular talent shows and there rivalry, but recently in the news today, it has been said that at the NTA they will be honouring Team GB Olympians/Paralympians. Viewers are being asked to vote for their favourite moment during the events from start to finish. Surely this is the same as voting for your favourite act in a talent contest. i think the news are shining a different light on the media as people are coming together to show there support for Team GB. This is also helping to stop the stereotypical view people have on the media and on talent competitions that they are all bad as now the NTA are coming together to celebrate the Olympics/Paralympics events.

Science GCSE exam grades face parent challenge

Recently in the news GCSE English marks have been changed in Wales in England they have stayed the same although when students received there GCSE results this summer results have shown that some students have been lowered by a whole grade boundary. This shows the difference of how some area's are dealing with problems, this is also shaped by the society they live in compared to where we are living. I have also included the link about the Science grade's as this is one of many issues that have been raised from GCSE results lately.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19599279