Apologies CMx, i initially took your comment as sarcastic, i realize now it wasnt so apologies for coming across rude to you!! 25hrs isnt nice on top of study!!

Posted by student/worker/volunteer | 21.08.08, 14:32 GMT

Its called evenings and weekends, i know working these times becomes allien when you get into "full time work", but unfortunatly for us lazy students thats a reality. Especially if your parents cant afford to pay your way. Thats why i leave class and go straight to work and work my days off. And why im determinned to make it worth while by getting high marks. Although based on the expert opinions below thats easy...i must be thick.

Posted by student/worker/volunteer | 20.08.08, 12:16 GMT

You tell em, student/worker/volunteer. How do you keep up with 25hrs a week job???

Posted by CMx | 19.08.08, 20:02 GMT

Well if my grammer is so bad then why have I got five of my poems published? You're supposed to be the adult here, yet you pass rude and abbrasive comments.

Your attitude is one that stunts our nation of anything that even illustrates a shimmer of positivity. I shall no more bicker over such pettiness. I will still continue to believe in myself and succeed in all that i do. For i push myself to be the best. I will also sell my own praises, for if I dont who will, you? I don't think so.

You must have a very monotonous life (for noone on this planet could be so negitive unless they has a pointless, meaningless exsistence)

But i realise that this petty argument that you have instigated drives you. As you obviously have nothing better to do with your time. But its ok no matter how hard we try or what we do, in life there will allways be people who will be resentful of others. But go ahead put me down even further. For i shall just laugh at your pessimitic views.

Posted by student | 19.08.08, 19:27 GMT

Self praise is no recommendation.

Your attitude and sloppiness merely illustrate my point further. We only have your word that you are capable of producing grammatically correct, properly constructed sentences with good spelling.

Put up or shut up!

Posted by Windy | 19.08.08, 12:48 GMT

I passed my alevels with straight A's and i am terrible at spelling. perhaps thats why i choose maths, physics, business studies and geography, atleast 2 of the hardest a levels you can do. I no exactly what i want to do with my life, iv work hard and im well on my way to achieving that. what have these people done to make them in a position to judge students? i have went to classes everyday for three years, and still held down 25hrs a week in a job, making my week 60 hours...how long is theirs. i dont get saturdays off and i help in my church weekend nights. So maybe thats why i dont have enough time to come on here and vent my middle/old age bitterness to often.

Posted by student/worker/volunteer | 19.08.08, 10:16 GMT

so beacause i type wrong because i get angry at narrow negative people like you means i cant spell.
I sorry if i dont conform to perfect structured sentences when im sitting in work, and dont have such a boring life that im going to sit and proof read all my work, well i do for uni but not when i posting a remark in the belfast telegraph, come on your supposed to be the adult here.
Oh sorry did i not put in enough full stops.
I perfect on my writting when i need to, not when it comes down to simply trying to provide my opinion.
Oh sorry i havent put in full stops, but maybe that was because i was 1)angry 2) busy and writting that on my lunch break and 3) as i said i dont see the point in putting in silly little full stops onto this just to prove to some nobody that i can spell, i can spell perfectly fine im sure as im studying enligh if there was anything wrong with my grammer my lectures would let me know.

Posted by student | 16.08.08, 20:50 GMT

The comment from "student" (15.08.08) makes my point perfectly.

Whilst I agree that some simple spelling mistakes may be a typing errors, the use of long, meandering sentences without proper construction and the lack of appropriate punctuation can not be attributed to "typing errors".

How can such people pass "A" level exams if the exams are to mean anything?

Posted by Windy | 15.08.08, 17:04 GMT

Everything MBelfast has said is stereotypical and insulting. I'm 17 and just got my AS results. I got 2 A's and 2 C's and though it was less than I wanted and I'm not "jumping for joy", I feel I have achieved something. It took a year of hard work, and yes, I do know the meaning of work. I have a part time job in a supermarket, and I work as much as I can around school. Yes, I still get a lot of help from my parents, but I will point out that most of what I earn is saved for uni. Furthermore, I possess plenty of skills which I have developed through the countless school activities, voluntary work and summer courses that I am involved with. I still have plenty of work to do before i can enter the "real world" but i have set goals for myself and I will meet every one.

Posted by CMx | 15.08.08, 15:49 GMT

so students dont know anything of work, and have poor speeling, well if there are any mistakes on this i should like to point out that people are typing their remarks not writting so who are you to judge who can spell when it could simply be a typing error?! And people are able to repeat modules so that their education doesnt go to a waste, why is there such negativity over so many people trying to better themselves?
And as for the work ethic a am in university and i have been working since i was 14, i am now currently working a 40 hour week over summer and have a very large understanding what its like to live in the "real" world with "adults" like you, and on my own inicitive i have a work placement set up for this year so that i can get some experience in the area in which i would like to work, and as for not knowing what i want to do i have since 3rd year, if people come on here and dont take a balanced view and realise every individual is different they are simpletons.

Posted by student | 15.08.08, 12:51 GMT

Is it just me or does the guy below sound like someone who failled their a-levels?? Bitter doesnt quite cover it.

Posted by Andy | 15.08.08, 11:45 GMT

I'm generally with those who are of the view that standards are slipping , but for those (Mrs C) who complain about the modular system and "endless repeats" bare something in mind.

Computing was always my subject. In one module, and one of my stronger ones, I somehow got the equivalent a D. On repeating it, I got 100%. (Wow, that was nearly a decade ago now!) I didn't study that much harder, if at all harder, and am to this day convinced there was a mess made of the initial result.

So yes, in principle I agree with the one exam at the end of 2 years (or at least one at the end of each year) but I can't help imagine what difference it would have made to my life if I hadn't been able to get that sorted.

Aside: I wish I could be surprised when it's clear that Ruane will carry on with her hatchet-job on local schools in spite of these results.

Posted by Steve | 15.08.08, 10:45 GMT

Hey Ho Ladies and Gentlemen,
If these kids are so intelligent and full of academic skills, why do the Universities teach them in year 1 on how to write essays?
I was a University lecturer and I have experience of these gilded youth not been able to write and strture a real essay?
Tally Ho!
Darcy Dancer

Posted by DARCY DANCER | 14.08.08, 22:29 GMT

I find it sad reading and seeing the photos of young people jumping for joy! What have they actually achieved? Nothing! They possess no actual work ethic or skills; have no knowledge of what they want to do and most of them sadly! Still think money grows on trees. But Hey! 2 A’s and a C and they think the world is theirs.
Once again at this time of year I’ll look forward to my weekend trips to B&Q, KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, to be served by people who thing they are above such menial tasks, God help them when they step into the real world when the cocoon of free beer vouchers has dried up and mummy and daddy cannot fund their lifestyles anymore because all their assets have dried up! I wonder why?
The problem doesn’t lie with the kids of today. It’s the parents. They put them on big pedestals to let they fall further.

If I apply for some A’s and B’s. As I think that’s how you get them? Someone correct me if I’m wrong:

M Belfast

Posted by M belfast | 14.08.08, 21:12 GMT

Will somebody please sit down & explain a few things to Ms Ruane,
the point is Northern Ireland is actually good at something, dont destroy it......
Instead look at what is not good - and try to fix that...

Posted by Tim | 14.08.08, 20:43 GMT

The 'problem' seems to lie with the modular system and the fact that students can repeat modules as many times as they like in order to improve their grade. Obviously this leads to higher results.
Perhaps if it went back to one exam at the end of 2 years there would be fewer top grades.

Posted by Mrs C | 14.08.08, 18:07 GMT

It is a great pity that so many students have such a poor understanding of spelling and grammar and yet still manage to achieve high grades. How can this be?

Posted by Joe | 14.08.08, 17:53 GMT

It is a great pity that so many students have such a poor understanding of spelling and grammar and yet still manage to achieve high grades. How can this be?

Posted by Joe | 14.08.08, 17:52 GMT

has anyone stopped to think that maybe its just that people place alot more on exams these days and its in our community to get an education, in previous years it wasnt a big thing if you went to university or not so therefore why would alot of people therefore gain higher grades, maybe some of the older people of our county can pull their heads out of the clouds and actually just go well done, for all the work youve put in, i know some people that have lost chunks of hair over the stress of exams and others that have ended up at the doctors for being ill and not eating properly due to the fact that they have been so stressed and studying so hard, maybe if you want to judge the education system and its so "easy" to gain these grades why dont you go take them, sure it would be water off a ducks back you wouldnt even need to study if they are that easy.

If you must know its cos we have the opportunity to repeat exams in summer after january exams so we can better our grades.

Posted by wendy | 14.08.08, 17:50 GMT

ok the results are daft, everyone who is able to write seems to get an A these days, but we are still well ahead of the rest of the UK! that won't last very long though if Ruane starts to "improve" everything.

Posted by Michael | 14.08.08, 16:55 GMT