ITS Educational News

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Danny Harrington — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:08:54 +0000

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ITS has now completed its first year as a fully accredited Edexcel centre, with the first enrollment of students to be taught and examined by us having now received their results.

Both in terms of individual units and subjects as well as more global results, a lot of our students are now relieved and very pleased with themselves. For some of our high- flyers, who are aiming at top-class universities, the sight of the required good grades was very gratifying. Students were able to meet university offers or put grades ‘in the bank’ to build on in the future. The IGCSE results were equally pleasing. Students who needed solutions which were not available elsewhere are now able to show their grades with pride.

For the IGCSE, our passing rate was over 95% and our A* /A rate was 38%. Our AS passing rate was 85% and our A2 passing rate was 90%. Our A/B rate at AS was 50% and at A2 39%.

This is a tremendous set of results considering how many students came to us at awkward times of the year, having completed piecemeal parts of other courses, with illnesses, family upheavals and other situations which had removed them from their mainstream educational settings. It really goes to show what excellent teachers can do on a one-to-one or low student:teacher ratio basis with students from all kinds of backgrounds who have the desire to achieve and prove the doubters wrong.

The results achieved this year provide us with a positive and solid foundation on which to build our future as a provider of quality qualifications to all students who wish to access them regardless of their origins, ages and life stories. We are very proud of all our students.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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IGCSE boost

Danny Harrington — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:50:13 +0000

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The UK government has announced that state schools will soon be allowed to offer IGCSEs as an alternative to GCSEs. This comes as the number of pupils enrolled in GCSEs in the independent sector continues to fall as many departments and schools switch over to the IGCSE. There is a feeling in the industry that IGCSEs are a more rigorous qualification with which to complete compulsory education, especially for pupils heading into post-16 education. The overturning of the ban imposed by the previous government seems to endorse this point of view.

The IGCSE is currently provided by two of the UK’s public examination bodies – Edexcel and CIE. Figures show that last year over 500 UK schools enrolled pupils in the Edexcel version and 350 or so in the CIE version. The qualification has been used by overseas students from all over the globe for a number of years, particularly those with an eye on returning to/moving to the UK for A-levels and university. Tens of thousands of IGCSE examinations were sat across the world.

Supporters of IGCSE say it examines pupils to a far higher standard than GCSE and also moves the emphasis back to actual examinations, with less coursework involved. Critics (rather cynically) say the lower amount of coursework is attractive to teachers wanting to ease their workloads. From my experience with the IGCSE over the years here in Hong Kong, I’d happily say it is harder than GCSE. This is not to say that it should be avoided, but in fact embraced as I believe IGCSE strikes the right level of academic demand at the right age. GCSE has become too easy.

The Edexcel IGCSE courses on offer in Hong Kong are excellent ones. A wide range of subjects can be undertaken and often with a great deal of flexibility, allowing maximum access to the widest range of people. They prepare students very well both for A-level courses and the IB, whichever they may choose to move on to.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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More on fees….

Danny Harrington — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:43:53 +0000

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The cost of education is so often at the forefront of discussions about education as it is the money available that sets many of the limits on what can be taught, to whom and at what level. New figures released in the last couple of days and reported by the BBC, have brought fees into the limelight yet again (although they’re never far from it, it must be said). Of particular concern are the latest figures for overseas students – the most lucrative and vulnerable group in equal measure.

Fees for British and EU students attending full-time undergraduate university courses in the UK are capped at GBP3,290 but there is no limit to what universities charge students from other countries, and with looming spending cuts, many of them are turning to the overseas market as a way of making up potential shortfalls. The BBC reports that the average fees for non-British/EU students will rise 5.6% to GBP10,463 in 2010/2011, with some subjects more than double that if they involve heavy usage of resources such as chemicals or lab time. The average within the Russell Group will be GBP12,162.

These changes will probably be borne fairly easily by the market but one has to wonder where the ceiling is, or where diminishing returns will begin to set in. Overseas students are bound to start asking what extra they can get from a British education that they can’t get from the US, Australia or Canada among others (not everyone can go to Oxbridge or the big Londons). They are bound to start asking why they should subsidize all those British and EU students, especially the mediocre ones at mediocre universities many of whom are just avoiding work or the dole.

I for one, sincerely hope that the government will keep a wary eye and make sure that the UK does not begin to lose out on attracting an invaluable pool of very high quality young minds to its shores, especially to its best institutions. Britain was and is built on an incredible cosmopolitanism, perhaps unrivalled anywhere else in space or time. The country gains from the students who study there, as they gain from those studies as individuals and as other societies gain when they go out into the world. As Hong Kongers we are acutely aware of the great disservice that was done when Britain denied its Hong Kong citizens full citizenship (pre-handover) as was expected by precedent, coming up with the ludicrous British National Overseas (BNO) classification as a fop. Then, half the talented and wealthy middle-class of the territory quite rightly went to a welcoming Canada, and look how Vancouver has thrived. Let’s hope Britain has learned its lesson.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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Tailored Education

Danny Harrington — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:44:16 +0000

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Even people who have never stepped foot in a bespoke tailor’s establishment appreciate the fact that tailored clothes will fit better. It is very basic common sense that if you are measured and the cloth cut exactly to those measurements; if you choose the colours and patterns that best suit your skin, hair, eye colour; that the cut hides the bits you’d rather hide and accentuates those you are proud of, then you are going to end up with exactly the clothing you want and need for the tasks you expect it to perform, be they social, work or personal. Unfortunately, we can’t all afford to have our clothes individually tailored, and so the apparel industry provides a wide price and quality range of off-the-peg clothing for the majority of us which works just fine because few of us are particularly conscious of the effect that peoples’ clothing has on our dealings with them.

But when it comes to education, the impact of the tailoring is far more deeply and overtly felt; by the individual in the first instance and by society as a whole in the second. It has always baffled me the extent to which so many people put absolute faith if the one-size-fits all approach that society provides. It’s perfectly understandable why we have most of our children processed through the school system production line fashion – costs, time factors, standardization of curricula, regulation, security. It is easy to trot out plenty of reasons, or perhaps we should call them excuses. Because it is a fact that education is massively undervalued at the societal level across all nations. Private education is always much better funded, because the returns for the investor’s money accrue back to the investor in a tangible manner (as well as to society as a whole). But when we are asked to contribute to state provision of education we are reluctant because “what’s in it for me?” So big state education funding doesn’t win votes and so it gets paid lip service.

The result is a body of professionals terribly underpaid in relation to the role they perform in society creating a spiral of falling teaching standards as the field consistently fails to attract all but the most altruistic talent. And underfunded institutions resulting in ridiculously large class sizes and ridiculously low resource availability. And then we moan that schools aren’t producing the kinds of employees/members of society that we desire and need.

Schooling began for the rich and privileged with the private tutor. It continues for the wealthy with small class sizes and private tutor combinations. It is the only proven form of education that works. Tailored learning, both in content and rate of acquisition. Governments everywhere should be taking note of the blindingly obvious and putting proper resources into getting these kinds of ratios into place. If we want a future for ourselves and our kids we have to invest in it. It isn’t free.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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Growing Universities

Danny Harrington — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:07:56 +0000

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Both in the UK and here in Hong Kong, there is a severe shortage of undergraduate places. Schools are churning out ever growing numbers of students with the qualifications, the ability and the desire to attain a university education. And despite being perfectly aware of the demographic and the fact that schools have been driving standards up, successive governments have failed to adequately make provision for their continuing education. However, as both societies operate with a free-ish market economy, the private sector has generally tried to provide that which the government cannot or will not. The problem with university education is that it is very heavily regulated and not just anyone can set themselves up and start awarding degrees. There are some very good reasons for this not least the mantra of standards, standards, standards. As the UK awards university status to a private institution for the first time in thirty odd years this week, an old argument has been dug up.

The crux of it is, can we trust privately operated, for-profit organizations, to provide high-quality degree courses and thus individuals schooled to the standards that employers and society in general demand? For me the answer is a resounding yes, and here’s why.

The main argument revolves around standards. Critics of private universities fear that the profit motive gets in the way of true academic freedoms. At undergraduate level, this is poppycock. Of course we have to be careful about privately commissioned studies at research level, but why on earth would undergraduate standards be compromised? The bottom line of any profit-making organization is just that – profit. Profit requires revenue, revenue requires customers, customers demand quality. It is no use throwing years’ worth of future earnings at a degree which means nothing and which employers won’t recognize. Of course there will always be silly individuals who think that any piece of paper with the word degree on it will suffice. That’s why the fake degree industry thrives. Private universities are not part of the equation. Instead they have every interest, perhaps more than those vying for government funding, in recruiting good teachers/lecturers/professors to deliver quality courses. Without this, they are out of business.

Further to this, who ever said that private universities would not be regulated? In the UK the Quality Assurance Agency oversees all universities without exception and ensures standards are maintained. There are procedures in place for censuring any slip in standards including the ultimate threat of removing the degree-awarding status of an institution. As long as the governance is there, the providers will do the job required (most would do it anyway – it is highly cynical to assume private = privateer).

There are some legitimate concerns surrounding the rules applying to private universities in the UK. They are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act for example. And the rules on changes of ownership are considered to be too lax. But these are minor details, open to change. The fundamental truth remains that private universities have just as much interest in producing good graduates as any other. And the proof may be in the pudding. The University of Buckingham was the last private institution to be given university status in Britain, 34 years ago, when it became Buckingham University College. The latest Guardian University Guide ranks it 2nd in the country for Business and 6th for English behind Oxford, UCL, Cambridge, St Andrews and Warwick.

It seems that many critics are simply pinning their displeasure on the word private. It is a deep-seated political position. But they are naïve if they think the public sector is somehow disengaged from private financing. Universities for years have turned to the private sector for funding, donations and sponsorship. They regularly badger their alumni for contributions. Overseas students who pay inflated fees in full and on time are courted and the summer school business is shamelessly promoted. Money is probably the most talked about topic in higher education and where it comes from is probably the least point of concern.

So what for Hong Kong? Well, we have at least one private institution ripe for university status. If the government can see past the lobbying of the groups with a vested interest in blocking the move, then, done properly, it can only be a step in the right direction for our city.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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Making the Grade

Danny Harrington — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:07:22 +0000

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A recent SCMP article highlighted the case of a Hong Kong parent who had happily spent nearly a million dollars putting her daughter through two years of school in the UK because she felt British A-levels were easier than Hong Kong ones and thus her daughter had a better chance of getting high grades and entry to HKU which treats both qualifications equally for entry purposes. In the past week two more instances have emerged querying the level of difficulty of UK public examinations.

The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), the government body responsible for overseeing qualifications, examinations and assessments in England for a variety of levels, including GCSE and A-level, has been widely reported in the press as being unhappy with the demands of the recent raft of GCSE Science papers from all the main examination boards. Too many questions on Science papers taken in 2009 and 2010 asked for general knowledge with a scientific bent, or led candidates too far towards the answer. Ofqual has said it wants Science questions to be harder and to require students to properly demonstrate their scientific knowledge.

In a separate instance, Education secretary Michael Gove has said that he wants to return A-levels to the two year linear structure of yesteryear in response to widespread complaints that modular A-levels are “too easy”. Critics of modular A-levels say that there is too much emphasis on examination, the modules break the course up, removing any feeling of coherence, and that there is an overall lack of depth to the qualification which leaves modern students ill-prepared for university learning.

There has, however, been an immediate response against this proposal. Geoff Parks, admissions manager for the University of Cambridge, has been reported by the BBC as having written to the secretary of state pointing out the immense benefits that universities derive from the modular style, most particularly having AS results available to admissions tutors during the selection process. He says that these provide far greater insight than other available results such as GCSEs (especially pertinent given fears about those standards). Not only are they a great help in indicating bottom-line academic ability, they seem to help make the application process fairer, encouraging applications from non-traditional backgrounds and thus allowing institutions to tap into the true talent pool rather than a portion of it.

Education reform is perhaps one of the greatest areas of contention in society. It always will be as long as society needs to try and standardize the “non-standardizeable” (people). For now it seems a middle way is going to be desirable. Reducing the number of examinations to make school time more efficiently and advantageously used while still giving universities and students the best academic and intellectual indicators possible is a challenge which needs to be risen to.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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UK Student Visa rule change

Danny Harrington — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:02:24 +0000

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The UK Border Agency (UKBA), the equivalent of Hong Kong’s Immigration Department, has confirmed rule changes for the English proficiency of applicants for student visas to the UK. From 12th August 2010, all applicants for a Tier 4 (General) student visa to undertake full-time study at sub-degree level (excluding English language courses) will be required to take or offer a score in one from an approved list of six English tests – TOEFL, PTE Academic, IELTS, ILEC, ICFE, or CPE. The first is run by Educational Testing Service, the second by Pearson and the other four by the University of Cambridge ESOL. The latter is perhaps the best known provider and the IELTS has probably become the most well known and most widely used over recent years, especially here in Hong Kong.

The UKBA requirement will be for students to attain level B1 under the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) whichever test they choose. For IELTS students this translates as minimum grade of 4.0 in each of the four sections. The level cannot be attained if any one section is lower than a 4.0, regardless of the overall grade. Grades are only valid for two years after the test date. The grade must be acquired before a confirmed acceptance to study is issued by the school. Without the CAS, a visa application may not be submitted. This puts the onus on students and schools to administer the requirements.

At present, with the HKDSE English not counting towards university applications, and a grey area about whether it will count towards visa applications for schools, an IELTS score would seem to be even more important. While the exact rules are being decided/clarified (for example two years of competent schooling in English may be enough), Hong Kongers considering study in the UK should really be having a very serious look at studying and sitting the IELTS examinations.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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SEN – keeping the focus on those who need it

Danny Harrington — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:21:07 +0000

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A couple of interesting articles appear in The Telegraph regarding the sharp increase in recent years of children being diagnosed with SEN in the UK. The reports respond to the fact that the government is sufficiently worried to have ordered a Green Paper (an official preliminary report of government proposals to tackle an issue) on the overall state of SEN diagnosis in British schools and how SEN children are then passed through the education system.

While there are almost certainly more children which genuine SEN needs today – there are some ten million more people around than fifty years ago – added to the fact that we are better at identifying children with genuine learning difficulties such as dyslexia and autism, there is also a great worry that SEN is being used as an excuse for dealing with children who are simply badly behaved or who don’t work hard enough. There are a couple of good reasons why this might happen.

On the parental side there is the fact that we don’t like the perceived failure of producing offspring with, at best, poor social skills and, at worst, over-active, loud and even violent behaviour. All parents have a deep seated realization that their children’s behaviour reflects to a certain extent the way they have been parented, and social disapproval of a child thus stings the parents’ conscience. This is true even of those who won’t admit it, often producing a knee-jerk reaction which is symptomatic of the behavioural traits of the child. Where this becomes a real problem is when truly medical causes are passed off as the result of experiential development. Either way, our natural selfishness can get in the way of doing what is best for our children.

Then there are the more cynical possibilities for the increased numbers of SEN children. Children with SEN often get many concessions such as extra time in exams, personal tuition and even free laptops. It is possible that parents and teachers collude, both consciously and sub-consciously, to have children labeled as SEN in the belief that they may somehow be helping the child. It also gets teachers off the hook in a world driven by rigid performance targets in school curricula which can’t possibly be a good fit for one and all.

For us here in Hong Kong where there is an extreme shortage of places for children with SEN, perhaps we too should take a look at making sure that the demands put on our limited resources are from genuine cases. Then, if we still find a shortfall, we can at least speak from a position of strength when demanding extra funding for those less fortunate who need extra, or simply different, help in navigating their formative years.

Those Telegraph articles are at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7904999/Sharp-rise-in-number-of-special-needs-pupils.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/7905258/Special-needs-is-a-fad-that-harms-children.html

Read the comments as well.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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To What Degree? cont.

Danny Harrington — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:26:48 +0000

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In my last post I commented on the potential hurdles facing graduate job-seekers in a market which seems unable to provide full employment. Of course the best graduates will always find a position, providing they are willing to be flexible enough to bend to what’s on offer – you can’t always get what you want, as an earlier generation well knows. But this rule applies to one and all. By being flexible in what you apply for and what you are willing to accept, you can get into employment much faster. What fresh graduates often fail to realize as they hold out for that dream position is that it is much easier to jump jobs than to get into one in the first place. Employers are suspicious of the unemployed. Believe me, I am one. That Guardian article goes on to report how more and more UK graduates are looking overseas as part of a more flexible approach to job-seeking.

The two biggest markets for job-seekers, especially new graduates are the EU and China, although other parts of the Far East are attractive as well. Hong Kong and Singapore have a long history of recruiting from the UK and as they are less culturally removed, make an easier stepping stone for those who may be reticent about leaving behind the familiar comforts of home. Many people have the misconception that the jobs abroad are only open to people with language degrees. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m not proud of it, but after 15 years in Hong Kong I hardly speak a word of Cantonese and I can’t read a single character, but it has not been of any hindrance. Other places are more difficult without the language but it is never a pre-requisite. UK graduates are immensely lucky in that English is the language of international business, so they really can fit in just about anywhere.

For Hong Kong students at UK universities, regardless of ethnic background, the same rules and factors apply. The UK is a world leader in secondary and university education and you mustn’t be put off by the negativity surrounding employability. Go to the UK, get the benefit of that education and then broaden the horizon of your job search across the globe. You may find that you are in great demand.

Other than language, the barriers to entry are minimal. Yes you need work visas and you have to travel a long way, perhaps with a certain amount of baggage, but these are trivialities. The main barriers are still exactly the same as in the UK job market. Is your degree good enough? Are you applying in the right field? Do you perform well at interview? For most people, the barrier to mobility is all in their own mind. With a bit of an adventurous spirit there is no reason why a UK graduate cannot apply for a job successfully anywhere in the world and go off and thoroughly enjoy their time there. You never know, you just might stay. Like I did.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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To What Degree?

Danny Harrington — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:00:55 +0000

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The Guardian newspaper in the UK reports this week that graduate prospects in the UK are looking grim. The figures certainly make pretty scary reading. Statistics suggest that there are currently 70 applicants for every graduate entry job in the UK and that vacancies are expected to contract by nearly 7% this year. In 2009, it is reported that approximately 10% of all graduates failed to find work.

But general statistics like this fail to show the true picture. For a start there is the supply side. Some sectors are more vibrant than others and with the banking and finance industry picking up it is thought that up to 30% of vacancies in that sector have yet to be filled in 2010. On top of that, there is great variety in the nature of graduate level work, with some more attractive than others and all requiring different types of qualification. In an open society like the UK, there will simply never be a match between what courses students take and what courses employers need them to do. Besides which course choices are made 4 to 5 years ahead of an individual getting to the job market by which time it is a very different place. But clearly not every job gets 70 applicants. Then there is what employers look for. Most now focus on the degree level awarded – get a 2:1 minimum or else you’ll struggle even to be interviewed – and the subject in which the degree was taken. Then, if they have the luxury they will look at which institution awarded it.

On the demand side, we must first ask who is in that 10%. Not all graduates are looking for work so at least some of them need not be worried about. But why do so many get degrees, look for work, but fail? Well not every degree is equal. There are a wealth of surveys which measure and compare courses and institutions. Many of those graduates failing to find work simply don’t have a very good degree. In many ways, their degree may have been a waste of time and money. It has become a modern mantra of the middle-classes (i.e. most people in Britain these days) that you must get a degree but some are frankly not worth the paper they’re written on and employers know it. And then of course, we must remember that having a degree is not some kind of passport to a job. You still have to choose which jobs to apply for, write a decent cover letter and CV, turn up to the interview dressed smartly and on time, and then impress the interviewer over and above the other applicants. It is a long, complex and arduous process and the degree only really gets you the interview. Nowhere near enough time is spent by graduates preparing for the actual job-getting part.

The solution? Choose your course carefully. Work hard at getting a good result. Apply for the right jobs and prepare for the interviews properly. There are plenty of career coaching services out there. Use them.

By Danny Harrington

Co-founder of ITS Tutorial School

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