what if children profit from education instead?

-I can't say it better than this Guardian story.

Exam system 'diseased', claims former education adviserMick Waters says exam boards 'almost corrupt' and make profits through textbooks that hint at exam questions

The Guardian, Friday 17 September 2010
No conferring, now ... A-level exam in progress.

England's exam system is "diseased" and rife with "insider trading", a former government adviser has said in a book which lifts the lid on the ideological divisions over schools policy at the heart of New Labour.
The book, Reinventing Schools, Reforming Teaching, is the first to look back at education policy under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and interviews several key players of the period, including some of Blair's closest advisers and officials.
In it Mick Waters, formerly a director at the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency, accuses exam boards of being "almost corrupt" and claims they make profits by publishing textbooks that practically tell teachers what questions will appear in the exams the boards set.
He says exam boards boast that their tests are the easiest to convince teachers to pick their syllabus, and they tell schools that their students will pass as long as they buy and follow the textbooks.
"We've got a set of exam bodies who are in a market place ... I've seen people talk to headteachers implying that their examinations are easier," Waters is quoted as saying. "Not only that, they provide the textbook to help you through it. Before I went for this job, I used to think that all this criticism of exams – that they were being dumbed-down – was unfair ... since I've been there, I think the system is diseased, almost corrupt."
The book, written by John Bangs, a visiting professor at the Institute of Education, and two Cambridge University professors, John MacBeath and Maurice Galton, is published today.
The authors argue that while the Blair and Brown governments rebuilt many of England's secondary schools and improved standards, they ignored teachers' views and failed to convince them of their reforms.
The book reveals cabinet tensions over the use of the phrase "bog-standard comprehensive" by Alastair Campbell, Blair's official spokesman, in 2001. The then education secretary, David Blunkett, was said to be furious at its implication of low standards. Peter Hyman, a former government adviser reveals that Blair called Blunkett's office to apologise for the use of the phrase, but privately told colleagues that the comments "had given [the party] some definition".
Fiona Millar, a former No 10 adviser, tells the authors: "There was a real divide within No 10 between people they would see as Old Labour like me and Alastair [Campbell] … and the sort of thrusting young Middle England people who allegedly knew what parents wanted. Some of them had just made their minds up that comprehensive schools were a disaster."
The book also includes interviews with former Tory education secretaries, Gillian Shepherd and Kenneth Baker, and the current education secretary, Michael Gove.
The authors warn the coalition government that the education system would only be improved with teachers' approval. "Many of the Labour government's achievements have been obscured by its poor relationship with teachers," Bangs said.
The exam boards are unlikely to accept Waters's criticisms. Edexcel said it has never said its exams were easier. "We are confident that all our qualifications are rigorous, fair to learners and represent the highest possible standards."
Waters also accuses the exams regulator, Ofqual, of lacking the courage to challenge the exam boards.
"I fully support having a regulator who can ask awkward questions. So, what I'd now want to see is a regulator asking the questions ... I don't think they've got the nerve. They should immediately look up whether the chief examiner should be allowed to write the textbook with regards to pupils' questions. That's insider dealing. You shouldn't be allowed to do that."
The authors argue that Ofqual is unable to ask difficult questions because its chair and chief executive are appointed by government .
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Business is good for the economy, stoopid. How else can we teach children how to scam the government?

-Cosmik67