Re: [Fsfe-uk] [Fwd: [Fsuk-manchester] Richard Stallman talk - Manchester (1st May)]

[Dave Crossland]

On 18/04/2008, Ian Lynch <address@hidden> wrote:
>
>  > But what I mean is, when I visit www.theINGOTs.org I can't learn what
>  > certificates the directors of the company have, or what grades they
>  > got in school.
>
> Can you do this with AQA, Edexcel or the BCS sites?
> ...
> I think that the fact I have a Masters in Education management is rather
> taken for granted when national governments give their approval.

I feel these facts reinforce my point: The certificates and the grades
we vie for in school and universiry are not important in life. No
adult evaluates another adult on what grades or certificates they
have, unless it is some unnatural HR systems process.

>  > This suggests that certicates and grades are not very important.
>
> The target market is schools and colleges.

To be clear: I'm not criticising you or your work per se, I think it
is excellent and important and I'm very glad to hear you are doing it,
but goes with the grain of the school/college establishment and I'm
not sure about the whole thing.

I'm talking more generally about the value of things that go against
the grain of the school system, which are underestimated because they
are not quantifiable by experts, but are what really matter in the
economy.

>  > It would be better for people to learn what the directors of companies
>  > know which do make people visit their companies' websites and turn
>  > into paying customers.
>
> Do you mean directors of our company or companies in general?

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest directors would take INGOTs. I mean,
no one buys from a company because of what grades the directors have,
and it is generally impossible to find out that information.

>  > But the school system as it is, means that yes, there is a need to
>  > sell a certification scheme to teachers in order to get the
>  > information across to students.
>
>  Fact is that in the UK if it is not certificated with government
>  accreditation you have zero chance of getting it into the curriculum.

I agree.

I'm just skeptical of the National Curriculum and things like it; I
don't think it teaches the way people learn, nor is it designed to.

What would I replace it with?

"it's no big secret how children become educated, it happens by
exposing them intensely to history, philosophy, literature, art,
theology, science, and politics; it happens by exposing them to
association with competent people, by vesting real responsibility in
them, and by a wide variety of primary experiences."
- http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com/homeschool/columnists/gatto/Gatto_v5i4.shtml

> once we have UK
> government accreditation and some traction here it is far easier to get
> into other countries.

Great :-) I hope you can get free software in to the curriculum of all
schools! :-)

-- 
Regards,
Dave