Ummm, what…?
Teachers could 'blind mark' pupils' work in an attempt to raise exam scores of children from ethnic minorities.
The controversial plans are designed to reduce inequalities between races. Under the proposals, teachers would not know the identities of pupils when marking their work.Why aren’t the teaching unions going berserk about this? And just who could possibly come up with such a stupid pl…
Oh.
Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrat party and Deputy Prime Minister, is believed to be in support of the policy.
It is believed Liberal Democrat communities minister, Andrew Stunell, along with Clegg, want to introduce the policies soon despite opposition from other ministers.Opposition, presumably, from ministers who don’t have their heads up their backsides?
A study by education watchdog Ofsted in 1999 showed that children with African or Asian-sounding names were likely to be given lower marks of up to 12 per cent in some cases.I tried to look up this ‘study’ to see what it really says, but couldn't find it. Did they test this with the same work, re-named? Or is there more to it?
A senior Whitehall source told The Guardian: 'We waited a long time to get the integration strategy out the door, but we're now keen to get on with the job of implementing it.
'A lot of the projects supported by the integration strategy have slipped by under most people's radars, but Andrew is keen that we turn up the volume and speak out much more often and much louder on race issues.'Oh, good! You aren’t quite yet unelectable enough.
But you soon will be…
Is it not equally possible that ethnic minority children might be further "disadvantaged" by blind marking as those doing the marking would no longer be able to spot the name and "make allowances"?
ReplyDeleteDO they mean pupils with Asian sounding names were marked 12% less than their white counterparts on actual exams, (as in they may have actually underperformed) or are they saying there was a controlled study where there was an 12% difference purely based on the name?
ReplyDeleteGiven that every pupil is going to have a reference ID on the database of the examination board(s), why not just use that? Those doing the marking won't have access to the database to look up the names.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what is Asian being used as a generic term for here? Aren't we always told that Oriental and Indian kids doing better than everyone else?
Marvin, I suspect the latter - all part of the diversity outreach culture you know?
ReplyDeleteClarissa - with the examination boards having proved themselves on many occasions to be unable to organise a piss-up in a brewery then I fear you are asking over much of them - simple and effective though it sounds to us mere mortals who have to work for a living.
.. and yes, we are told that Indian and Chinese (both Asian) kids score better than many academically - but, you see, that just doesn't fit with the terms of reference for this particular "study"
I know I'm starting to repeat myself, but this appears to be yet another set of people who are busy justifying there existences
is you sayin' dat I is bein' prejadissed like becozz de whitey examina is like racialist and see I is a person of color coz of me name jah?
ReplyDeleteEasy, we'll just give them extra marks for being black; problem solved.
ReplyDeleteClarissa, I mark exams for AQA and this is already the case with the many exams that are now marked online. We have no way of finding out the ethnic origin or sex of the pupil we're assessing.
ReplyDeleteStill, why should the simple truth prevent Nick Clegg from getting an easy headline and pretending that the country's plummeting level of educational achievement is caused by racist teachers.
Of course we're also racist when we give higher marks to certain groups such as Chinese and Indians who out-perform their white counterparts.
I think it is a good idea. THEN we will be able to PROVE that niggers are just thick bastards, when they STILL get 12% fewer marks.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that teachers, the most left-wing 'profession' in Britain and whose house journal is the Guardian, are riven with racism is just laughable. Aren't racists thick knuckledraggers? Yet they can finely discriminate against Jamaican blacks but not African ones, and against Pakistanis but not Indians.
ReplyDeleteThis is just another sheet to throw over the huge elephant blocking the view of the TV.
"...as those doing the marking would no longer be able to spot the name and "make allowances"?"
ReplyDeleteHeh! Oh, what dun could be had with this!
"...or are they saying there was a controlled study where there was an 12% difference purely based on the name?"
I would HOPE that's what they are saying. But...I can't find any reference to any such study.
"Also, what is Asian being used as a generic term for here?"
Good point. We KNOW it won't be Chinese or Vietnamese, for the reasons Fidel points out.
"Still, why should the simple truth prevent Nick Clegg from getting an easy headline..."
God knows, he needs all of those he can get right now!
It went from bad to parody and now it's moved into the funny farm.
ReplyDeleteI used to blind mark when I was assessing students at University. It was self-preservation.
ReplyDeleteIt has been known for some years that Oriental and Asian pupils out perform black, Afro-Caribbeans, with white pupils usually somewhere in between. Whether this is a cultural thing or not I have no idea, though my (Chinese) wife suggests it's because family values and personal advancement are considered quite high among these groups while a number of Afro-Caribbean families tend not to. There was some suggestion by a genetisist some years ago - details forgotten - which suggested Asian and Orientals are more cerebral while Afro-Caribbeans are more physical. Again, whether this is true or not, I have no idea, but I do know there are more Asian and Orental surgeons, consultants and medical specialists in London hospitals than there are Afro-Caribbean.
ReplyDeletePenseivat
XX which suggested Asian and Orientals are more cerebral while Afro-Caribbeans are more physical. Again, whether this is true or not, I have no idea,XX
ReplyDeleteLook at ancient Chinese and Indian cultures, then look at Africa. Then, look at Africa now.
That is all the proof you need.
One has an ancient and rich culture and tradition, whilst the other is STILL sitting under a tree, and shitting in its own drinking water, waiting for the big white God "U.N" to arrive with the food parcels.
I'm surprised this didn't come to light years ago.
ReplyDeleteTeacher: I have to tell you Mrs Lawrence, Stephen needs extra help with his reading and arithmetic.
Mrs Lawrence: Raycist. That's what this is, raycist. All the schools are institutionally raycist.