Hello. Scottish schools got their exam results last week.
I got quite a surprise when I opened the brown envelope which contained my Higher results.
It was not the big fat F next to Mathematics – I had been anticipating that because, at the time, I was an idiot 17-year-old* that hadn’t grasped yet how entitled and narrow-minded it is to assume there was only a value in learning the things I was interested in (namely music and literature).
The surprise I was greeted with was a D for Music Tech. 17-year-old Sean wasn’t best pleased about this for several reasons. Firstly, it was a thing he spent a number of hours on, both in school hours and as extra-curricular activity. Two, he had counted a few mistakes in exam papers past and present, supplied by the people that had judged him to be of a D grade. Thirdly, he had helped mix and give tips to projects that got As.
How could the idiots at the late SQA judge a project as such, with crystal clear reverb owing to effective panning and equalising of vocal tracks? Wherefore the decision to mark down a project with perfectly percussive bass track with dynamic compression?
The reason I was given was a failure to evidence effectively in my coursework log, and putting the project sufficiently in context.
You didn’t send the SQA the project you built up in your musical production software known as digital audio workstations (akin to a platform in our world). Instead, you sent the markers a rendered file of your final project along with a blog outlining how your project it was constructed. I composed this without much thought to the fact that some marker will be sitting on the other end with a checklist.
There was also one major difference in the basement of how the project was delivered and assessed from the Nat 5 (which I aced) and the Higher (which I very much didn’t). The Nat 5 asked that you record and mix a track. The Higher qualification demanded that you put music in context, which meant either creating a talking video with no sound and adding it in, or crafting it round a radio show.
All I can say is I probably neglected the marker’s perspective, focusing too much on the art of pure music mixing. Perhaps a more rounded 17-year-old would have appreciated what they were being asked. This is important, because it wasn’t about sacrificing the ‘pure’ stuff, as I saw it. I just had to wrap the pill in a set of clear sentences and screenshots that allowed a generic marker to tick a box.
There may be something here, believe it or not, about the philosophy of regulation.
The relationship between the regulated and the regulator is fraught for many reasons. What often comes up is the regulated person resenting what they see as a bureaucratic tick-box exercise that leaves them spending too much time on compliance than the useful stuff.
Unfortunately, the good financial services professionals reside in a world with the not-so-good financial professionals, so there is a requirement to continuously prove you are one of the good guys.
Although my mark was valid, I don’t think it’s a good thing that I could have submitted a pretty poor technical project and achieved a higher grade, which I know is possible.
I don’t think anyone reading this would necessarily identify as an anarchist. But even by the standards of political philosophy, anarchy is wide-ranging its ideas. One idea worth leaning into isn’t so much the “no one in charge” aspect, but the notion of having to continuously justify your position.
As a form of government, it’s Idealist with a capital I. But, and part of me cannot believe I’m about to say this, would it be so bad for it to underpin our thoughts on regulation? I mean, we can already see the idea of ongoing evidence of good consumer outcomes baked into Consumer Duty.
Have I just solved financial services? You can send my cheque in the post.**
*Now I am a less of an idiot 25-year-old.
**See first asterisk.
LANG CAT & CLIENT MENTIONS
Lessons UK can learn from US’s move to T+1
Dorsum’s Hannah Buckle on T+1 settlements.
Source: Portfolio Adviser
Clifton Wealth Partnership acquires two South Wales IFAs
Source: Professional Adviser
Raw Knowledge lands TFSL deal as ERI reporting demands grow
Raw Knowledge has signed a deal with Tutman Fund Solutions Limited to provide excess reportable income data across its £11bn fund range.
Source: Money Marketing
Tech key to Morningstar Wealth’s plans to grow in advice market
Mark Sanderson talks to FT Adviser.
Source: FT Adviser
ADVISERS
Advice MD’s identity stolen in investment scam
Not so good.
Source: Citywire NMA
Advisers urge families to record inheritance wishes
Source: Money Marketing
PLATFORMS
AJ Bell adds Lombard lending option for advised clients
Added for high-net-worth clients.
Source: Money Marketing
PROTECTION
Lack of business protection may be fuelling UK business decline
According to research by Scottish Widows.
Source: Professional Adviser
Beijing tax crackdown hits the City
Insurers with a presence in Hong Kong to be taxed similarly to the mainland.
Source: The Times
REGULATION & POLICY
Hargreaves Lansdown eyes targeted support launch
It’s designing it for multiple use cases.
Source: Professional Adviser
Why we need a mandatory timeframe for in-specie transfers
Complexities abound as people try to get their head round in-specie transfers.
Source: Citywire NMA
PENSIONS & RETIREMENT
PensionBee campaign urges savers to picture a brighter retirement
Source: Money Marketing
Three in five unaware pension providers cannot cold call
According to research by Standard Life.
Source: FT Adviser
CRAZY CAT STORIES
Six dinners Sid, that’s a blast from the past.
Source: FT
OUTSIDE THE TRADE
Mayoral scrutiny is a pressing issue
A great piece looking at why the lack of local news might not lead to an even roll out of Mancheritsm.
Source: FT
Council wants pubs in London’s Soho and West End to ban standing
[swears]
Source: The Times
Sean McKinven is PR account executive at the lang cat
