Comments on: Video: Ed Balls ‘dumbs down’ Tory opposite number http://www.labourmatters.com/Editor/video-ed-balls-dumbs-down-tory-opposite-number/ Labour news direct from the newsmakers Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:06:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Allen Esterson http://www.labourmatters.com/Editor/video-ed-balls-dumbs-down-tory-opposite-number/#comment-153 Allen Esterson Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:21:49 +0000 http://www.labourmatters.com/?p=1596#comment-153 Correction: I had trouble with the fractions. The subtraction should have read: (3 and 3/4) - (1 and 2/5) Correction: I had trouble with the fractions. The subtraction should have read:

(3 and 3/4) – (1 and 2/5)

]]> By: Allen Esterson http://www.labourmatters.com/Editor/video-ed-balls-dumbs-down-tory-opposite-number/#comment-152 Allen Esterson Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:18:28 +0000 http://www.labourmatters.com/?p=1596#comment-152 You must be joking! The first question requested the name given to a biological process about which presumably the students must have been told during their two year GCSE course. The second was dead easy, and was answered by Gove when he replied to Balls' speech: “We all know that atoms, whether fluoride or otherwise, are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. And the way you transform an atom into an ion is either by adding or taking away an electron.” And the third was a simple mixed fraction subtraction of the sort school students used to be able to do when they were twelve years old: (3 and 3/4) – (12 and 2/5) That the Secretary of State in charge of education actually thinks that's a "hard question" is absolutely astonishing – and a disgrace. You must be joking! The first question requested the name given to a biological process about which presumably the students must have been told during their two year GCSE course. The second was dead easy, and was answered by Gove when he replied to Balls’ speech:

“We all know that atoms, whether fluoride or otherwise, are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. And the way you transform an atom into an ion is either by adding or taking away an electron.”

And the third was a simple mixed fraction subtraction of the sort school students used to be able to do when they were twelve years old: (3 and 3/4) – (12 and 2/5)

That the Secretary of State in charge of education actually thinks that’s a “hard question” is absolutely astonishing – and a disgrace.

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