Free school meals
- 27 October 2015 21:09287475Rather a worrying disparity in these figures.
http://www.dover-express.co.uk/REVEALED-children-entitled-Free-School-Meals/story-28056484-detail/story.html - 27 October 2015 21:14287476Clever parents earn more money, are better at parenting and tend therefore to have clever kids. Boiling this down to class warfare is missing the point totally.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 27 October 2015 21:35287478Disagree entirely Peter, I think that the offspring of successful parents have more help with their homework and outside tuition whilst children from the opposite end of the social scale are disadvantaged. A solution has to be found to redress the balance.
- 27 October 2015 21:51287479Wrong, Howard - there were plenty of kids from the poor end of the social scale in my class at grammar school and we did ok without outside tuition.
- Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,883
27 October 2015 22:15287481`I also disagree with Peter, income has little to do with being a better parent. My single parent daughter raised her children on benefits and they both went to uni, one is now a solicitor while the other is like many ex uni students job hunting but taking temporary jobs as they come along. Both went to Astor so not even grammar school.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
------------------------------------------------------------------- - 28 October 2015 06:52287482Jan
Clever parents are better parents? Rubbish. - 28 October 2015 09:23287486Howard you are incorrect in your thinking. Children from families on low incomes do go to Grammar Schools .My son confirmed this .My late husband attended a Grammar School in Cornwall ,his family were not well off. My three children passed the Kent Test two went to the Grammar Schools here in Dover and the youngest who I brought up on my own went to Dover College on a scholar ship.
Its guidance and encouragement from parents that helps ,not money .I did not a have large income ,but holidays were rare
.I was governor at St Radigunds and I could see the children who had support would succeed.
You only have to travel on a bus and see the parental skills. .Some just shout and swear at their children whilst others sit and talk to their children.
By the time my youngest was three he was able to name roads and recognise buildings as we travelled on the bus or walked as was often the case into town.
Education has and always will be a political football.
The talk of free school meals does not help the cause as a child who has them does not need to be different.
All children need love ,support and to understand how to live in society. - Bob Whysman
- Registered: 23 Aug 2013
- Posts: 1,938
28 October 2015 09:44287487Ray Newsam1 wrote:Wrong, Howard - there were plenty of kids from the poor end of the social scale in my class at grammar school and we did ok without outside tuition.
I also found this to be the case too Ray. Ability and sheer determination to improve your lot in life was the main motivation, probably fuelled as well by the conditions that we lived in during and after WW2.,
Parents who have better paid jobs as a result of a better education and higher aspirations are able to pay their way and therefore do not claim free school meals but it doesn't necessarily mean that their offspring are more intelligent.
Entry to higher/better education should still be based on ability to learn and not the ability to pay.
Primary schoolchildren of a certain age are all eligible for free school meals now..................I'm just waiting for someone to suggest that the clever one's will refuse them!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-28981684
p.s. I still think that you are a clever parent Jan!Do nothing and nothing happens. - 28 October 2015 09:53287490I didn't say that children from low income families couldn't go to Grammar schools Sue.
- Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,258
28 October 2015 10:14287491This does seem a mute discussion when you consider the idiots we have in power
Remember the arguments Peter and Howard raise are generalisations, of course not everyone fits any 1 category.Arte et Marte - 2 November 2015 14:29287681Unsurprisingly a controversial view from Captain Bob.
http://www.dover-express.co.uk/Free-meals-gap-shows-grammars-elite/story-28069656-detail/story.html