96 replies to this topic

[Ethel]

It's gone the other way if anything. What was domestic science is now a design subject, lots is still relevent though - except designing pizza boxes 

[mini13]

LOL I'm quite partial to a spreadsheet, but its getting a bit much when you have to do one to acertain if you can afford netfix or the odd pint, or a twix bar once a week!

[kit352]

As an American now living in the UK it always surprises me how much our schooling differs. When I was in school in the 90's we had to take courses for life skills. I learned to build a shed and wire a house byt I also learned to sew and bake. My school also had a full bank inside of it and only students could use it. We had to set up our own accounts and use the bank as you would in the real world. I dont know if every school is like that in the states but i believe most follow that general guideline. I didnt have a choice in anything I learned and it certainly has helped me in the real world so the school knew what it was doing.

[Broomer]

The prove it adage doesn't work for this sadly.  The whole license is based on you being able to watch the BBC at home.  How many people here have a tv and pay the license fee yet have never watched the BBC?  lots i am guessing.  The law is for your "ability" to watch the BBC.  The courts didnt care that i never watched it or was never going to, they only cared about my ability to watch it if wanted to.  Having internet was enough to convince them that i could watch the BBC anytime i wanted and technically they weren't wrong.  They know what they are doing when they bring you in.  Pay a lawyer or take your chances with a fine thats most certainly cheaper than the lawyer.
 
Reading the law is one thing, its entirely different in court.  
 
If they could find a way to fine you for future speeding they would.  Your car insurance is based on predictions you will go faster if you have in the past so thats a sort of tax.

Without being crude that same internet connection could be used to carry out illegal activities far worse than evading a TV license but that doesn't automatically make you guilty? I.e.is everyone with internet access a pedophile?

[kit352]

I know, it's ridiculous. The problem is the BBC want the money and are willing to persue it and the law is written as such to make it easier for them and harder for us. Really when you think about it it's crazy you even have a law in the first place who's sole job is to tax the population to fund a television studio. Pretty sure its unique in the world.

[Icey]

 Pretty sure its unique in the world.

 

Most countries have a state broadcaster, the cost of which is just part of general taxation. In some regards at least with the license fee you know what it's being spent on (wiki tells me this is a form of hypothecated taxation, not heard that one before).

 

It's also worth bearing in mind that the government sets the license fee not the BBC so if you feel that strongly about it you can take it up with your MP.

[Ethel]

 

 Pretty sure its unique in the world.

 

Most countries have a state broadcaster, the cost of which is just part of general taxation. In some regards at least with the license fee you know what it's being spent on (wiki tells me this is a form of hypothecated taxation, not heard that one before).

 

It's also worth bearing in mind that the government sets the license fee not the BBC so if you feel that strongly about it you can take it up with your MP.

 

Including the UK, we had the BBC before we had TV's or licences. It was fair when Tellies were a luxury few could afford, but now they're as common as the wireless

 

As an American now living in the UK it always surprises me how much our schooling differs. When I was in school in the 90's we had to take courses for life skills. I learned to build a shed and wire a house byt I also learned to sew and bake. My school also had a full bank inside of it and only students could use it. We had to set up our own accounts and use the bank as you would in the real world. I dont know if every school is like that in the states but i believe most follow that general guideline. I didnt have a choice in anything I learned and it certainly has helped me in the real world so the school knew what it was doing.

 

We used to have similar schools, they were called Secondary Moderns.

[kit352]

What happened to those schools?

 

The school i was referring to was just a normal public school that 90% of the kids went to.  We also have tech or vocational schools that are similiar but add in heavy technical training in addition to a normal school load.  It is usually 50% classroom then 50% shop work in whatever field you signed up.   They tend to have a bad rep but everyone i know who went to one is in the trades now and doing very well.

[Icey]

The school i was referring to was just a normal public school that 90% of the kids went to. 

 

Just a quick note - public school means something different in the UK than it does in the US. We have state schools, which are free (as in speech, gratis) to attend and public schools which are free (as in beer, libre) to attend. It's a good example of the ambiguities of the English luggage, which I'm dead good at (no, not really).

 

To comment on our lack of 'trade' schools, you have to put it in the wider context. During the 80s and 90s we were all (and that's the era I was at school) pushed towards the service sector. That meant being told continuously that the only way to get ahead was to go to university. Everything else was 2nd rate. I only saw a careers advisor once and I can't even remember what they said to me so the advice must have been really...really valuable (yeah, right). I don't remember anyone discussing options other than GCSE > A-Level > Uni.

 

It is improving again now with a drive for a wider adoption of apprenticeship programmes but there's a large chunk of the 'Millennial' generation that were fed an unrealistic (and for some, unobtainable) dream.

[mab01uk]

Gary Lineker has remained the top paid at the BBC for the second year in a row, earning a salary of £1,750,000 a staggering amount for introducing a programme that most football fans would probably watch if it had no presenter at all........also enough to pay the licence fee of 11,359 pensioners over the age of 75 who are now receiving letters demanding they pay up for a BBC tv licence from next year.

BBC pay: The 2018-19 list of 'star' salaries:-

https://www.bbc.co.u...t-arts-48839428

Edited by mab01uk, 03 July 2019 - 06:50 AM.

[pusb]

As an American now living in the UK it always surprises me how much our schooling differs. When I was in school in the 90's we had to take courses for life skills. I learned to build a shed and wire a house byt I also learned to sew and bake. My school also had a full bank inside of it and only students could use it. We had to set up our own accounts and use the bank as you would in the real world. I dont know if every school is like that in the states but i believe most follow that general guideline. I didnt have a choice in anything I learned and it certainly has helped me in the real world so the school knew what it was doing.

 

That sounds very sensible, and far better than the standard Secondary Comprehensive Schools that most of us on here were subjected to.

 

My School spent more time teaching me how to order an Ice Cream in French than it did teaching me how to use a saw.

 

Our schools are completely detached from what you actually need in life. If you have kids here, and you can afford it, send them private 

[Icey]

To bring this back to the original topic.

I was reading an article a few days ago that pointed out an unintended consequence of the change to TV licensing.

So Gov.uk sets the amount of money given to the BBC. They reduced it leading to the Beeb coming up with the idea of dropping free OAP licenses except for those who are eligible for pension credits.

Many pensioners either didn’t know they could get pension credits or chose not to take it. The Beeb making this change has caused an increase in the number of people now claiming pension credits. What was supposed to save money has actual caused an increase in pensions payments of something like £1.5b.

Well done, good move. Solid economic planning there from the party supposed to be good at this kinda thing.

[DeadSquare]

Many senior citizens fall asleep while watching TV, and miss 1/2 the program.

 

Should they pay the full license fee?

[Cooperman]

That sounds like me. I watch very little TV, but that's because most of it is such dross that I nod-off.

[OhhEnnEmm]

It's such a scam.

Pay the BBC so that you can watch other free channels because all the BBC programmes are effing shitey.

I can't even explain my hatred for the leaches! When I was 17 on £3 something an hour and trying to run my own flat, they stole over £160 from me in 5 months... HOW TF in 5 months can you justify not only taking the full yearly fee, but another £160 something on top?!?!

From a struggling 17 year old... I hate the scummy scumbags.

Not only that, but I called them time and time again trying to get MY money back.

They fobbed me off and lied and lied, the last phone call I made ended with them ensuring me that the "refund paperwork" I had to fill out and send off would be sent before I moved city 3 weeks after the phone call...


3 weeks go by and SOMEHOW it doesn't arrive, the day after I left, a former neighbour tells me it arrived after I'd already left... Tell me that was an accident, they're literal flaming scum!!!!

Edited by yeti21586, 23 July 2019 - 07:11 PM.
DO NOT TRY AND AVOID THE SWEAR FILTER!!!