UK's debts 'biggest in the world?'

[rich.]

i had a contract with our local f e college.. they took out the engineering department & replaced it with a plumbing department "as plumbers could earn £70,000 a year".... i knew quite a few plumbers & did quite a bit myself & never earned that much.

[Maaarrghk]

Yup.

Back in 1980 I did afternoon release from skool to go to my local Tech' and do a computer O-Level. Computers were the size of wardrobes then and normal schools didn't have them.

I would wander round the building at break time and the engineering workshops were huge. I went back in 2000 to do another short course and there was no trace of those workshops.

Maybe plumbing is just cheaper to teach? Not knocking it as a trade mind you.

[rich.]

i got the impression there was an extra grant available to teach plumbing courses..