Tuesday 3 February 2009

Guest blog

well, it's lifted from an email someone's just sent me, entitled "If you want to feel nauseous"...

"Watch David Cameron and Carol “this is a non-political role” Vordeman in their completely unstaged snowball fight outside the Palace yesterday. The latest focus groups have shown that leaders who are “in touch” with snow are 24% more electable. http://www.conservatives.com/

Carole took time away from flogging margarine and sub-prime loans to poor people to put her mundane powers of long division to good use. She expertly regurgitated the lines fed to her by Tory central office in one of the most unconvincing media events of the century, and with prompting from DC revealed that it had always been her ambition for children that we can be the best of the best, in Maths.

This is especially true of the 1000s of children who belong to families who took on risky debt consolidation loans and then spent late nights up with their parents trying to work if an APR of 12% means they can afford any Christmas presents.

In other news, the Conservatives have announced that experienced TV judge Simon Cowell will head up a new review of the criminal justice system and Thomas the Tank Engine is beginning work on a document to be presented at Conservative party conference on how high speed rail can form the basis of a new regional transport strategy."

8 comments:

Old Holborn said...

You posted quite a lot on snow yesterday as well, didn't you?

Can't stand Vorderman. Remember her selling Benecol?

She actually had to physically show the great unwashed what the word "reduces" meant with a stupid hand gesture. Patronising cow.

Maybe now is the time for the great unwashed to return the favour, eh?

Suggestions on a postcard

The Last Of The Few said...

I listened to the sickening CV and her Tory broadcast yesterday but it made me go off and do some investigating.

Kerry, Please help here

I quote
Schools Minister Jim Knight said the gap between the poorest and the rest in GCSE achievement was "narrowing year on year". The Government was also introducing specialist maths teachers in every school.

"The latest major international study last year showed that we are leading Europe in maths and have risen 11 places in world league tables since 2003 to 7th place," Mr Knight said.

However that study did not include, German, France Italy Switzerland, Austria or Portugal.
Therefore are we really soaring high with the eagles????

So Kerry is that study result maybe about as accurate as the somewhat questionable Knife crime stats the government produced.

Or am I way off track here????

Kerry said...

You mean this, the TIMSS study 2007? I don't know which countries were involved, and don't have time to check it out, but isn't the important thing the extent to which we've improved? Seeing as the accusation is that we haven't?

http://tinyurl.com/brtzhu

Also see this from today's Guardian: if Vorderman is the answer, Cameron is asking the wrong question. Exactly.

Kerry said...

PS Judging from the video clip, Cameron throws snowballs like a girl.

Anonymous said...

"Cameron throws snowballs like a girl."

Sexist!!!!

The Last Of The Few said...

Kerry,

I have a copy of the report.
Shall I forward it to you since you are so busy so you can comment further.

Personally Mr Camerons snowball throwing does not interest me.

I am interested in a statement saying we are performing better, when again I feel the information given in false, massaged for the purpose and misleading.

Anyway thanks for the reply, its contents noted>

Kerry said...

Read the link, which makes clear that the comparison is being drawn between 2007 and 2003 when the same countries were being compared. The assessment is an exercise carried out by the US, to benchmark its performance against other countries - so not our decision as to who to choose as comparators, and I don't see we can in any way be accused of massaging the figures - they're not Govt stats. The fact is - we've got better. Haven't we?

Kerry said...

Recess Monkey has more on this theme:

http://www.recessmonkey.com/