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Why must we accept things without question in the name of tradition? Something that reminds me of why 'Progressive Conservative' is such an oxymoron.
A lovely informative post Andy, and thank you for acknowledging my reasoning. This isn't about jealousy for me. I received a rounded education from the state, which has always allowed me to do what makes me happy (not rich) and I'm really thankful for this. I remember some of the ex-public school students that I encountered at university and at times felt more a sense of pity than jealousy. Unfortunately, their experience would seem not have been as rounded as yours Andy. I'm not saying 'get rid of' but 'let it not be a reason for' and this works both ways, at the bottom and top. All I ever question is the incongruence of banging on about 'working hard equals success' when this clearly isn't always true.
Some people are lucky, some privileged, some gifted. Some people get no opportunities and it's far too easy for us, that do, to misunderstand their situation...even if we are self made. As I say, I good friends that are from public school and by no means are they all the same. But to accept a self-perpetuating system that public school statistically is (high paid jobs occupied by public school students actually up last year, thanks New Labour) just proves the insincerity of parties claiming commitment to social mobility. The stupid model they present is one that requires everyone to move up...typical Capitalist mentality, forgetting that we live within finite parameters (half the reason such types try to deny the likes of global warming, because it doesn't fit their magical infinite model)
Roger, I appreciate your cheeky little comment about scraping Comprehensives but will reiterate: We don't actually have any in Dover. We could of course get rid of the state school system and return to the route of our class based society (I'll wait for someone to deny that class exists, along with global warming and poverty probably). However to regress to this state would ensure that people like you or I couldn't be Professionals or Councillors.
I find the whole concept of achievement and success funny when in conversations like this. It reminds me of reading something where Tony Blair defended sending his children to public school, unlike Harold Wilson's choice of State education, saying that he wanted his children to be successful. Wilson son's, I believe, one became a headmaster, the other a university lecturer. What Blair actually meant was: 'I'd like them to be rich.' Maybe we should start rating wars like this or our health...oh maybe we already have.
"Aren't grammar schools based on educational ability - the 11 plus ? So what's wrong with that then ? because they tend to have smaller classes ?"
No Roger, they are not in Dover (and some other towns too). As Barry highlighted when talking about taking too high a slice, they are actually the culprits of 'dumbing down'. As for the private sector, they don't even care about dumbing anything down, as long as you have the cash or status.
Bern (and I'm sorry to sound like a broken record on this) ...but statistically, based on academic results, Comprehensives produce the same spectrum of results as the two tiered system we have in Kent (Grammar School and Secondary Modern). Comprehensives don't expect everyone to be the same (having a streamed system), but acknowledge the world/space we occupy is the same!