United Kingdom V: Son of a beach

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/may/15/transport-for-london-faces-3bn-funding-gap-despite-16bn-bailout-income-journeys-coronavirus

Congestion Charge in London to get a 30% price hike, peak charges for 60yr+'s and no more free travel for children - the price the Tories wanted to bail London Transport out

[Dogg Thang]

When I see the UK news, it's like when I was a kid and we were out at a party and, yeah, I drank all that vodka and okay I pissed in the plant pot and ate what may have been cat poo but now I'm watching my mate start a fight with a copper he just vomited all over while he recites NWA lyrics at the top of his voice and I'm just shaking my head and wondering how he got himself into such a bad state. I'm not really in a position to judge but still I know this isn't going to end well.

[Zaki]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ys-coronavirus

Congestion Charge in London to get a 30% price hike, peak charges for 60yr+'s and no more free travel for children - the price the Tories wanted to bail London Transport out

The government has admitted that physical distancing may not be possible on public transport and urged people to use their cars to get to work instead. The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said on Tuesday: “If people have access to a car, we urge them to use the car, before they consider public transport.”

You just have to pay the extra congestion charge and ridiculous parking fees.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/may/15/uk-coronavirus-live-union-leaders-to-meet-government-about-reopening-english-schools

R-rate revealed to be between 0.7 and 1. That's pre-lockdown easing effects as well.

[Cassius_Smoke]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ys-coronavirus

Congestion Charge in London to get a 30% price hike, peak charges for 60yr+'s and no more free travel for children - the price the Tories wanted to bail London Transport out

We all knew this would happen. Just wait until next year when everyone ghost-hikes the prices and pretends it was always that way.
Council tax will be the biggest one.

[fishbowlhead]

We all knew this would happen. Just wait until next year when everyone ghost-hikes the prices and pretends it was always that way.
Council tax will be the biggest one.

Well my business rates have already been put up, 2 weeks ago this happened. The smug little p***k from the council actually looked extremely pleased with himself as he left the letter outside and mansplained it all too me.

Just for the sheer arrogance and pettiness of it, i may just split the company into separate entities for each building and they can shove their rates altogether, see how they like that all being mansplained to them when they get NOTHING next year.

[cutmymilk]

Thanks, they are getting some work but not enough. They take their RE this year so a predicted grade for that which makes more time for other subjects next year.
The school/Education Authority are apparently mulling what you say in that they will cut down the topics, or even give a predicted grade for some subjects which frees up time for other subjects where you simply have to do all the coursework.
Examples being the sciences, you can't really miss anything out because once you go into 6th form you'll be expected to have touched on those categories you've missed.
Daughter is doing all three (not combined) and she'll probably be taking chemistry/physics at university so that's where she has to concentrate. History she can drop and get a predicted, it's a subject about remembering events not process so if you miss learning about Anne Boleyn that doesn't matter if you are doing about WWII in 6th form. Same with her art, though for those students who want to go further say into clothes design or history as I just mentioned it's probably better you stick with those if you are going further in them as a carrer.

Basically as I've said she really wants to get back to school and start learning.

Went our for a bike ride into the park an hour ago and there were plenty of youngsters in there wandering around in packs that sadly don't share our daughter's work ethic.

By the sounds of it, this will end up being advantageous for her. Grades are not based on a predetermined number of marks. They are worked out once exams have been marked. Boundaries will shift down next year. If she wants to do well, don't just wait for teachers to set work. We arent setting the same amount as we would expect in school. Get the exam board pupil guides or use bitesize. See if you can download then teachers specification for each subject as that includes a list of every topic that can be examined. Her teachers may have put that on Teams/classroom already.

[Anpanman]

Thanks again, yes she's doing extra work off her own bat, they've been told that if they are not happy with their predicted's yr10/11 there is an appeal system or they can take the exams this year or next year.
This was sent out a few weeks ago but may of course change depending on when they actually go back.

[monel]

When I see the UK news, it's like when I was a kid and we were out at a party and, yeah, I drank all that vodka and okay I pissed in the plant pot and ate what may have been cat poo but now I'm watching my mate start a fight with a copper he just vomited all over while he recites NWA lyrics at the top of his voice and I'm just shaking my head and wondering how he got himself into such a bad state. I'm not really in a position to judge but still I know this isn't going to end well.

Depends on the NWA song, ### Swallowed It might cause less trouble. However the UK (and big bro the states) is a bit of a confidence trickster, becoming a paper tiger, more likely to rap some Fresh Prince with some outdated gold teeth and drunk off european spirits while celebrating brexit.

[cutmymilk]

Thanks again, yes she's doing extra work off her own bat, they've been told that if they are not happy with their predicted's yr10/11 there is an appeal system or they can take the exams this year or next year.
This was sent out a few weeks ago but may of course change depending on when they actually go back.

It'll be interesting to see how the appeals work as there will be a LOT. They can't increase many as the grades will be based on the predictions for each school. I have set mine based on the last 3 years' results in my department. We haven't been able to just give everyone C and above. That means that some of the D grades could have been Cs, had the pupils put in some last gasp effort, though I would say this has been fair as it has been based on effort over 2 years, rather than being able to boss an exam after being relatively lazy and disorganised for the duration of the course.

The resits will have to be taken by those pupils in England. I don't think that's an option in Wales, unless changes are being made. No appeals here, basically.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/may/17/uk-coronavirus-live-boris-johnson-acknowledges-frustration-over-lockdown-rules

Gove says schools will be safe places to reopen and Johnson says we'll be close to normality in July. Why is it concerning that the closest sounding example I can recall for that comment is the Mayor from Amytiville in Jaws?

[Cassius_Smoke]

Second spike incoming. It's like watching that massive wave in Pertect Storm coming and knowing you just have to brace yourself.

[prinnysquad]

Pob is the epitome of a slimy, useless bell-end. What he has done to education and the curriculum is deplorable. He probably thinks that his King James bibles will create a protective hex around primary schools.

[cutmymilk]

Yeah, don't listen to Gove.

[Asura]

and businesses like restaurants and cinemas will never return to viability.

"Never" is a bit strong. I think many of the existing ones will suffer/close but I'm sure we'll have restaurants and cinemas at the end of this.

It's interesting hearing about other countries approach to this like Sweden and Japan. Japan doesn't seem to have had it anywhere near as bad as most others yet have the oldest population and one of the most densely populated. They never went into a full lock down and now appear to be about to ease the measures they have used. How have they avoided the worst of this?

Japan's an unusual one. Some western sources have suggested it's because their culture is "socially distant" by default, which is relying on a stereotype and is false (though as often is the case with stereotypes, is based on some core truths).

I still get their domestic news and social media; the suggestion from some sources is that they've had an increase in deaths, but many of them have been at home, or if in the hospital, aren't being labeled as Covid-19. It's a bit like how no-one dies of dementia or HIV, you die of other diseases as a result of these things. So maybe if there were more figures, there'd be a spike in "pneumonia" or something?