54% of the top 100 newspaper editors, columnists, broadcasters and executives were educated privately, despite fee-paying schools catering for 7% of the school population
Source: MediaGuardian
I don’t know about you, Nic, but I’d take that as a challenge 
There’s a whole raft of interesting education-related stories out at the moment, as a matter of fact. Demands to cut the National Curriculum, always a thorny issue, although I usually come down in favour of retaining it. It’s all very well to say you want a curriculum that is not ‘carved up into subjects’ – but they have the focus to actually deliver a planned programme of learning. It’s true that you don’t learn Macbeth because of any actual practical application from that specific text, it’s the skills and broad understanding which it gives, but that doesn’t mean you don’t teach Macbeth in an English lesson as part of a national curriculem.
Meanwhile, the Tories are asking for more history lessons. It’s interesting, because at Eton (summer school, I’m not part of that elite ) our history teacher told us to watch out for the almost-yearly demand for more British History from the Conservative Party – so it appears to be one of the few things left unscathed by Cameron’s regime. Of course, I’d like to have done ‘more history’ but that reflects my bias, since I’d also like to have done ‘less PE’, ‘less RE’ and ‘less pointless assemblies’ which would hardly be championed by any politican. To be fair, however, it does seem that at the moment there’s an over-reliance on teaching a few periods (WW2, American Civil Rights, ur, WW2…) in great detail but relative isolation, and that should change.
Finally! Do young children learn homophobia? Yes, yes they do. And schools should show absolutely no mercy in cracking down on it with compulsory sex-education (not the silly ones that parents can opt their children out of because it might hurt their poor ickle ears) which explicitly endorses homosexuality as a positive orientation, with gay role models and couples from an early age. It’s utterly unacceptable that “schools had asked homosexual pupils to leave as they were unable to cope with homophobic bullying” – clearly, the bullies should have been the ones to leave. Any complaints? Bring it on 
Agree fully with it allllllll Dom
And yes, a challenge indeed. No-one proves me wrong
Well I am a Comprehensive person here, so there just aint no hope for me…oh wait a minute..
I am delighted that the Tories are calling for the English to be taught more "British" history – it is about time the history of Scotland was taught in England.
Our Science teacher has said before that she’d like to do some things which aren’t in the National Curriculum, but which could be interesting and something different.
I’m not sure if there’s an option where additional things can be added into the curriculum depending on the school – unless this is an arguing point
Aaaah you see the joy of education in Scotland is there isn’t a National Curriculum.
Technically there’s nothing to stop teachers inserting extra material into their lessons that doesn’t full under the National Curriculum, but in reality there is rarely time for this.
You must have some kind of central education directive GG?
Okkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk then!!!! Why complicate matters? I mean it’s highy unneccesary…. so why talk about Tories when Labour is on… and politics….. FOOTBALL! [Some football related news] …. honestly Dominic Self!!!!! Joking…. just be your self! Get it… self…self!!! Ahh forget it… hope i brought a smile to you people’s face!!!! LOL get it face…. joking!!! Anyway cool website Dominic Self…. get it COOL SELF!!
Ok… i’ll drop the jokes!!!! Get it!!!! OK OK I get the point. !!!! Get it point and then a full stop!!! Ahhhhh….i’ll stop.
THE END OF JOKES
There shall be no discussion of any football related activites on this blog. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
Did that make anyone laugh?
Just wondering – didn’t seem terribly funny!
I think in the US it goes by state, but the NY state dep of ed is bad anyway, so it doesn’t help us
Thanks for that final article, very interesting, and I’ve got to agree with everything you’ve said, how lovely.
I’m particularly glad to hear that this will be a footie-free zone. Horrah!