That's why the best college proffesors tend to be the ones who give papers and take home essay tests.

It's the hardest to grade, but the best course of action for MOST majors.

With the exceptions being ones that should have practical tests anyway.

Multiple Choice and in class tests really reward memorization more then ability.

It's also why "National achivement" benchmark tests are BS.  Really you've just got to handle things on a local level and hope the people are doing a good job, and instead of looking at it from a grades perspective, look at it from what each area produces graduates wise.

Which is why I said too much value is given to core subjects, the reason why art, music, drama and PE are taught in such a manner, and that isn't just a problem in the UK, is because people don't value them enough, and so those subjects don't get the funding. This is an issue that stems from Governments and goes right down to parents.

I think the education model should be rewritten so that the arts, and humanities are given the same amount of attention as core subjects. This way we could unlock people's hidden talents, which, not only would help engage the child more in education, and not only reduce the amount of people getting useless degrees, but which could also lead to a new generation of highly talented musicians, artists, actors, play writers - and people would be a hell of a lot happier in their careers than what they are now.

I honestly don't think maths, or science should be forced-taught beyond year 9, and students that actually enjoy and excel at them can choose to continue them.

@Akvod

Completely agree. Memorising lists of random facts is not helpful. We have ~13 years to teach every child about the world! Explaining why history happened, why physical processes happen, etc. should be the goal. Exams, while necessary to demonstrate and stratify ability, should not be the focus of the teaching.

They even get to play with ps3's in UK prisons its that cosey, hell whats the time for murder in the UK now 2 years with good behavour? This country has gone to far lefty,  He went in their country with intent to sell mass quantities of illigal drugs, Those drugs he "wanted" to sell could have ruined lifes, he didnt give a crap he deserved what he got tbh.

I know people say Capital Punishment is a great deterrent but if its so good,why are so many people being excecuted there? There are many well known cases of people being excecuted because of lack of evidence pointing to somebody else and then years later the killer confesses,im not saying their all like this,but there is a reason why we outlawed capital punishment.I agree completely,however,that the punishments in Britain are far too light,people are getting away scott-free for serious offences and given uneccesserily good treatment because otherwise it might infirnge their "human rights" and yadayada.

I think another problem with the eudcation in the U.K is that everyone is expected to do so well and get amazing degree and so on,some people are never going to be good at acedemic subjects and you need people like plumbers and so on...plus there needs to be far more sports time.

Yutori Education?

As an Chinese citizen I really feel sorry what happened; But on the other hand he had drugs with him/or traded drugs. He probably would got the death penalty in many of the Asian countries.

And please this has nothing to do with the power of China.

I am surprised nobody mentioned it but Singapore executed an australian man who tried to transport drugs. Is Singapore (with a population of 4 million) that powerfull?

Lol, just like the opium War...

@Lostplanet: But i doubt anyone suggested Australia to invade Singapore in public.