Re: Testing job applicants

[phil@ricochet.net (phil)]

On Fri, 10 Sep 1999 19:26:35 GMT, z80@ds1.com (Peter) wrote:

>
>I happen to know a number of teachers, school, college and university
>ones, who have all been in the business for many years, who *all*
>agree that standards are falling.
>
>>Or it could be that young people today are under far greater
>>pressure to succeed than in your day.
>
>Evidence?
No evidence, but today we are a more balanced society where obvious
ability can often be translated into opportunity. Thatcher's children
could be one explanation. 

>>Or it could be that the slow increase in average intelligence has
>>lead to greater exam successes.
>Evidence? You would need an awfully big increase in average IQ to
>account for the improved exam passes.

Certainly one possibility. Another is the application of that
intelligence. This has always been a problem in (the one i know about)
a British environment, it is so frowned on to succeed. Maybe it is
changing.

>>Don't go round insulting those who have achieved good exam
>>results recently (I'm not one of them) without better evidence for 
>>falling standards.

Yes, that's one of the problems. Any discrediting of exam results is
really unfair on the exam takers. It's a problem to go back in time
and take earlier exams.

>But look on the bright side: the UK has a very long way to go with
>adult illiteracy to match the USA.

The US is fucked because of the S.A.T. It's only a matter of time
before the UK adopts it as well. 

phil.