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Hi there, I am looking for a teaching assistant/nursery assistant apprenticeship and hoping to begin around September 2013. I am also studying counseling alongside in the evening one day a week, I was wondering whether you could help....... Read More- need help to find apprenticeship
Im looking for and Apprenticship. Im in 6th form at the moment, but want to leave asap as im really not enjoying it. I want to look for an apprenticship in either interior design or buying and merchandising. I cant seem to find anything....... Read More - Apprenticeships for adults.
Hi. Im 28 years old and have been unemployed since coming back from 2 year working holiday in Australia. I have no qualifications and would like to do an apprenticeship, preferably in business admin or IT. I have applied for a few....... Read More - Left school after GCSE's a year ago, not sure what to do next.
Hi, I'm 17 years old and completed my GCSE's last July. I went into Sixth Form until January 2013 but really didn't enjoy it, so I left and got a part-time job that I love in retail. I'm not looking to go to Uni, but I do want to get....... Read More
News
Exam board blunders ruin students' uni chances
2012-07-11 14:42:33
The Oxford Cambridge Royal Society of Arts (OCR) examination board admitted that 114 students were given the wrong GCSE and A-level grades last year - potentially ruining their chances of taking up university places they'd been provisionally offered.
Four officials of that exam board have been sacked, while 78 others have been reprimanded for the blunders.
Examination board Chief Executive Mark Daw was forced to apologise, saying: "Mistakes were made by examiners in the transcribing and totalling of marks.
"These are unacceptable and OCR apologises to students, schools and parents that our high standards for quality and integrity were not met by some individuals during routine processes."
2011 was not a good year for exam boards: for instances, twelve papers contained errors that made it completely impossible to answer some of the questions.
Exam regulator Ofqual has since instituted a new system of fines for boards - while could run into the millions of pounds.
But errors in questions weren’t the only problem last year: in what MPs on the Commons Education Select Committee called a "race to the bottom", exam boards were trying so hard to get schools to sign up with them that they've been accused of passing tips to teachers about the questions most likely to come up in forthcoming exams.
Examinations are an integral part of studies of all kinds - including apprenticeships. Where an apprenticeship differs from more academic studies, though, is that as well as work experience and classroom education, apprenticeships offer trainees not only the chance to gain nationally-recognised qualifications in the career of their choice, but also a salary.
However, the true test of the worth of any qualification gained is the apprentice's workplace performance, and in many cases the reward for excellent performance during an apprenticeship can be the offer of a permanent position afterwards.
2012-10-21 18:08
I'm really disappointed, for I happened to be the victim amongst those students as well. That's just terrible, having to wait every 5 months to appear for the exams is a struggle itself let alone studying at my best.
I really hope they take a notice of their actions and not repeat this shameful act again.
I really hope they take a notice of their actions and not repeat this shameful act again.
2012-07-15 22:38
it a shame that this had to happen after 13 years in the industry, i feel really bad for the students affected although i dont think it will go a miss in the ocr's strive for excellence.
