Vinda-GNVQ
I don't really get a chance to get too bored in my current job.

That has not always been the case.

My first job after Uni, back in the haylcon days of 1996-2001 was for a well known and not very well respected educational awarding body.

I have never suffered such tedium in my life.



After moving 'up' through the 'ranks' one of my tasks was reading course proposals submitted by all the desperate ex-polys that were trying to attract students by offering weirder and weirder courses and then making recommendations as to whether we should put our name to them.


It didn't take me long before I realised that both the senior verifier (who I made my recommendations to) and his and my boss, who had final sign off, weren't actually doing anything other than taking my word and approving or rejecting courses on sole basis of what I said.

So I started to test the limits, to see what would get through, just to give myself some amusement.

I started saying yes to things that I didn't think would have a hope in hell of being passed if anyone was really paying attention.


And that is how, in 1999, Thames Valley University found itself condemned in The Daily Mail for making a mockery of our educational system when it offered students a HND in 'making curry'


Follow up:

Before posting this, I just googled it to see if I could find the news story.

I couldn't.

Instead, to my surprise, I found a BBC news article from 2005 saying this:



"The shortage of curry chefs is being exacerbated by a lack of training courses in Britain.

Customers are also becoming more sophisticated, demanding higher levels of skills in the kitchen


Being a curry chef is a highly skilled profession and the training can take several years.

But there simply aren't the training courses available to bring on a new generation of curry chefs.

The only large scale training academy is based in London.

The Academy of Asian Culinary Arts at Thames Valley University launched the UK's first curry course in 1999.

The university offers an National Vocational Qualification in Asian Culinary Arts.

Over the last five years the academy has been producing chefs skilled in the art of preparing a tantalising tikka or the perfect pasanda."



OK, so apart from misremembering the type of qualification I approved, it looks like I inadvertently did our nation of curry eaters a favour.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 12:40, 12 replies)

hahaha
good skills! that gets a click from me.

You should dig out this article (it will be microfiched somewhere) and the BBC one and send it to the Daily Sieg Heil with a long list of swearwords
(Halfy By light alone, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 12:45, closed)

I agree
It's a shamee you couldn't find it. You really should sheek it out.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 9 Jan 2009, 10:53, closed)

haha
God those puns were dhal.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Sat 10 Jan 2009, 16:11, closed)

click
from me too.
( browser still relating boring anecdotes into a void on, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 13:25, closed)

And also from me.
.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 14:00, closed)

Would the Daily Mail have cared?
If you passed a course in the making of all culinary things from these great isles? :D

Nice story and earns a click.
(rich.cicatriz should be doing something more constructive on, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 14:28, closed)

Hooray for curry!
*click* Well done that man.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 14:31, closed)

This gets a click
I may also be drunk, but a click is a click.
(buzzmong procrastinating since 1987, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 15:59, closed)

I remember
seeing the 2005 article, and thinking on how I wouldn't mind a bit of day release action, curry style.

Good man.


Or should that be, Good Naan
(Cancer Joy was short lived, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 17:00, closed)

Have a click.
I'm half asian, I felt obliged ;).
(Angry Beaver, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 17:56, closed)

I love a good Biryani myself!
A click for one of my favourite foods!
(Woofie, Thu 8 Jan 2009, 21:31, closed)

YumboBumbo Tastyfoods
Having just eaten a lovely curry, I think this deserves a click!
(Freeman999, Fri 9 Jan 2009, 21:14, closed)