The common comment made on British university students' comprehensive examinations is incorrect but persists. It is an indication of how (1) the exams themselves upstage the educational process; (2) educators overuse platitudes and are quick to criticize; and (3) the questions asked are inappropriate. (MSE)

A former student of French language and French literature recalls how the lack of required essay-writing at a British Redbrick university affected other aspects of learning, including the abilities to compose good answers to examination questions, study effectively for finals, and understand the discipline. (MSE)

Critics of student writing in British lecture courses as "mere rehash of lecture notes" are reminded that (1) by its nature, the lecture course focuses on and is limited to information conveyed in lectures, and (2) professors refuse to use materials such as U.S. textbooks that could supplement the information conveyed in class. (MSE)

Many British academics have trained in circumstances outside the mainstream of British higher education. They appear to have avoided the formal and informal restrictions applied to the mass of students. An associated issue is the lack of any clear purpose in graduate study in Britain as employers continue to recruit recent graduates with little…