OK – this entry comes with a disclaimer:
*** MANY PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO BE PISSED OFF BY THIS BLOG ***
Right, let’s get on with it. Schools.
I would like to see the complete abolishment of all private, independent, selective, single-sex and religious schools.
I think everybody is entitled to the same level of education, and I’m not just talking about exam results. By going to a mixed comprehensive school you are receiving a unique experience, meeting others of different abilities and backgrounds should help people understand the values of multiculturalism.
But wait, I hear you cry. “I went to a comprehensive and it was a dump!” Well, that’s quite possible. But if everyone had to go to a comprehensive school things would change pretty quickly. Lord and Lady Snooty ain’t gonna let their darling Jimmy go to a dump. And if it has to be a comprehensive, then they’re going to do every damn thing they can to make it as good as they can get it.
Now, exam results. [Cough] These must be the biggest deception ever put forward in the history of the universe. Every year, we see that private schools get better exam results than state schools.
WELL DUH! If you SELECT the people coming to the school in the first place, and you FUNNEL MONEY at them for better teaching resources, what the hell do you think is going to happen? I’m much more impressed by ‘Value Added’ tables, where they show how much the school was actually improved the pupil from start to end. THAT shows good teaching. High exam results just show cheating of the system.
Probably the biggest outrage I will cause is the abolishment of ‘religious’ schools. Well, surprise (!) I’m not against people practicing their religion. I have no objection, for example, for a state school’s canteen providing different sorts of foods, or prayer rooms being made available at lunch, or whatever. But it is simply unacceptable to have different religious groups segregated up like this. Besides, if you are so sure of your faith, why do you need it drilled into your child’s brain every day like some Orwellian congregation.
The day of the true comprehensive school is here. Splitting up children based on their ability to answer a few maths questions at 11, or what god they pray to, or how much money their parents have, is wrong. No government will ever have the guts to do what I suggest, but if they did, I’d pay any amount of money to see the looks on the faces of the parents whose precious babies will have to mix with the rough crowd.
Most likely you’ll disagree with what I’ve said here. If so, feel free to let your rage out using this contact form. I’ll reply to every email ASAP.
