Cooking the exam results
THE shortcomings of Britain's education system were lamented this week by a frustrated Tesco boss.
Lucy Neville-Rolfe, a main board member at the supermarket giant, said school leavers often don’t turn up on time and have ‘what you might call an attitude problem’.
Some of the young ruffians she employs think ‘the world owes them a living’, said Neville-Rolfe, who blamed falling standards for the lack of Mensa geniuses stacking shredded wheat.
She said exams were getting easier and failing to challenge students in her speech, made at the London conference. The result was job applicants who have basic problems with literacy and numeracy.
Neville-Rolfe, who earned 1.6m last year, is clearly under the illusion that the Tesco workers she was insulting represented a perfect cross-section of society. Tempting as a job in the frozen foods section might be, many school-leavers will have other aspirations.
As Neville-Rolfe vented her frustration, up stepped wholesome employer McDonald’s with a heart-warming initiative to better educate our teenagers.
Young people who turn up to a 10-day placement flipping burgers will earn a qualification equivalent to a GCSE under the scheme (how easy can exams get?).
And they will be trusted with the life-changing tasks of operating the drive-through window and cutting up lettuce.
According to David Fairhurst, chief people officer for McDonald’s in UK and Northern Europe, this will help young people fulfil their potential.
But the scheme was met with a backlash from critics who said the ‘McGCSEs’ will devalue education and drag down the reputation of GCSEs themselves.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wakefield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
