As Sir Anthony Blair's Grand Guignol Socialist Experiment draws to a tragic end, it's time to assess just what his achievements have been, especially in those three crucial areas of education, education and education.
The state of British Education has never really interested me. The recent developments of league tables and "choice" for parents just completely baffle my old bonce. Never having wanted/produced any kids, any opinions I have about education come from my own pre-New Romantic society experiences 30-odd years ago.
But it's good now and then to get actual real-life stories from the horses' mouths, i.e. from grandparents whose grandaughter is currently having private personal tuition to hopefully get her through the 11-Plus. Yes, we do still have the 11-Plus in Bexley, there will always be an England here.
So Tony, the problems with education (bless you), education (bless you), education (bless you), are:-
"Even if she does pass her 11-Plus, there are no Grammar schools for girls in the family's catchment area for her to go to. The only schools she can attend are rubbish schools with histories of achieving poor results and employing poor teachers. The standard of teaching is so poor nowadays unless you get your child into a good school. It stands to reason that all the good teachers go to the good schools (it's only human nature), leaving the not-so-good schools with all the bad teachers. Really, what sort of choice is it if hard-working parents cannot send their hard-working children to the best schools? Sorry Tony, it doesn't add up. We need more good schools!"
"Then there is the immigration problem. What once was a good Catholic school is being destroyed by a policy of admitting foreign pupils who do not speak English! Good teachers at this school are being made to compete with their hands tied behind their backs, as not only are they having to teach the kids the 3 Rs but they are having to teach our native language to non-natives of this country! The white kids are not able to fulfil their potential."
"And did you know immigrants can get free English lessons in this country, but if an English person in their own country wants to learn Spanish, they have to pay for it?"
Sometimes I want to be a
and not have to think about anything other than where my next bamboo shoot is coming from.
If you were a panda you'd have to worry about the eats, shoots and leaves situation.
ReplyDeleteAnd my piss running towards my chest as I took a slash upside down against a tree.
ReplyDeleteWhich I suppose is the shoots situation.
I'm really trying hard not to go into a speech here...
ReplyDeleteJust like to say, though, that there are some good teachers in the schools that are perceived to be 'not good' as it were. Some of the best teachers I've ever seen are in those schools. And some of the worst teachers in the 'best' schools.
Mmmm...that's an interesting comment about the immigration she mentioned. I don't think it really makes a huge amount of difference. It's all about expectations. If you have high expectations, they all tend to do well.
I won't go...I could go on all day...but I won't bore you.
Oh, little baby pandy.
ReplyDeleteOf course, it was all different in her day.
Molly/Richard - How did you guess these were the words of a woman? They are an amalgamation of one-way conversations I've had with three people in the past week, only two of whom read the Daily Mail. I love/like these people and wish that we could just have conversations about things on the telly. Maybe I could go on a course to learn how to hold court and change attitudes...
ReplyDeleteDo they still have the 11 plus in Kent?
ReplyDeleteCrikey.
Bloody pandas, coming over here, stealing our bamboo. On a serious panda note, I have no sympathy whatsoever for a stupid raccoon who only eats one type of bamboo that grows in one place, and refuses to breed. They deserve to die out if they're that fussy and prudish. Stupid animals.
ReplyDeleteAs for schools... well the exam pass rates keep going up so surely it *must* be improving. But our Tone's performance on education is purely academic (arf) since the only thing he'll be remembered for is Iraq, Iraq, Iraq.
Billy - It's not just Bexley, there are a few other London boroughs - Barnet being one. Also Bucks and Lincs.
ReplyDeleteDel - Is there a graveyard for Self-Righteous Killers?
I think I was just following Molly's lead there. In my experience too it's usually women who are prepared to pass unsubstantiated comment on these matters so apologies for any assumptions wrongly made.
ReplyDeleteI think they have the 11 plus in Manchester and Brum. I think Kent has the highest proliferation of grammar schools per head. Which is fine as there's no local industry for the kids to go into so they may as well churn out a load of academics to set about brightening our lives.
My old school was a technical high. Bexley-Erith Technical High School.
ReplyDeleteNow it is a Grammar. Bexley-Erith Technical High School Grammar School.
What a load of wank.
For Boys.
ReplyDeleteIs that Erith School in Northumberland Heath? I thought only the sixth form was grammar?
ReplyDeleteNo, because it's for boys and girls (in very slight micro-skirts, or used to be)