Posh and Posher: Why Public School Boys Run Britain

I do believe they wasted large amounts of my money on votes, actually.

There was no thought of maximum benefit for all. It was all about continuing and sustaining power through hypocrisy.

Twif: I think you have hit the nail on the head.

In a way, those responsible for the collapse of school standards were the curriculum and exam authorities and the "educationaologists" or whatever they are called, who insisted on establishing equality of outcome rather than equality of opportunity.

But this happened with the oversight and approval of successive Labour education ministers who saw off Chris Whitehead and encouraged an anti-elitist mindset.

I don't mind being called an elitist. I am one. I don't think I'm part of an elite but I think every country and society needs one. Labour downgraded Britain's knowledge economy and that's why we're in the poo.

According to Wikipedia - along with Harriet Harman - St Pauls Girls Schools' political alumni include:

Jane Bonham Carter ? Liberal Democrat peer
Susan Kramer ? former Liberal Democrat MP
Jo Valentine, Baroness Valentine ? member of the British House of Lords
Mavis Tate ? Conservative MP and women's rights campaigner
Shirley Williams ? former Labour Education Secretary and co-founder of the SDP

I think after the amount of time Labour had to resolve the issue that they could have brought the schools back to some kind of decent standard.

But they didn't.

In fact there were a lot of things Labour could have done but didn't. As a Scot I cannot defend Thatcher one iota but I do think your argument against her does lack reason. Quite funny that you mention her and Hitler, would be quite interesting to hear what kind of illegal war she began that caused the deaths of many. Whereas Blair...

My mother and her sister went to a grammar school and ended up with good careers before and after raising their families. Their brothers didn't and went to a school where they learned a trade and did very well at that.

Now they would all go to the same school and do mediocre. Labour's policy was to bring everyone to the same level and unfortunately that level was not very high.

Quattro - your SIL's comp isn't in Surrey is it? You could be talking about DS's school even down to the same Ebac score.

Only glimmer of hope was being told he is being considered for a gov initiative called Aim Higher, designed to give some kind of leg up to more able kids from failing schools. Have not yet heard if he has been included but irrelevant anyway as have been told on good authority that this gov are intending to cut all funding for it at the end of this academic year anyway. Think this tells you all you need to know about their commitment to helping kids from working class backgrounds.

and sleeping with delivery men....

Silly question re. public school girls...they are where they have always been married to your MPs, your farmers, your chartered surveyors, your solicitors etc. They are doing their bit for the country by supporting the MEN who are still running it and rearing their children! They are doing the catering for the dinner parties and drinks parties where business is really discussed.

PMSL- go on a visit to Tuol Sleng and then tell me you put Thatcher in the same category as Pol Pot

.....or alternatively, take the money you went have spent on the plane ticket, and buy yourself some perspective.

I would have opposed Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and Thathers mate Pinochet as well.

Evil must be opposed.

yes, I see, a rational, kind, caring, decent, warm-hearted, right thinking person like you

If I saw a cockroach in my home I would kill it, Thatcher comes under the same heading.

She may be your hero but I doubt the people who's lives and jobs she destroyed think so. I was an onlooker and i was appaled as would have any decent, right thinking person with an ounce of compassion or human feeling.

no, newwave

lol not me

that is the voice of the bitter, illiberal, intolerant, vindictive, persecutory left wing. I'm surprised you left out the gulag.

and tony blair was worse

Thatcher was a cold hearted unfeeling bitch who should have been burnt at the stake.

it doesn't matter what it tells them if the schools they go to are good enough

Maggie Thatcher was a grammar school girl, Harriet Harman went to St. Paul's

Yes the Socialist Workers' Party is stuffed full of them

In the Labour party? yeah but not as many as in the "nasty party"

In the Labour party?

And where are the public school girls I'd like to know?

Grammars are elitist, it's telling those who fail the 11 plus that they are worth less than those who pass. Plus it is unfair because Grammars have better facilities and smaller class sizes.

Two Sons, both went to State schools, (comps).

One passed 10 x GCSE, One passed 11

Both got 3 x A at A level (both got maths A)

Both went/are at good Universities.

Who needs, grammars or Public schools?.

Hoggsback, excellent post back there. Nobody is more obsessed with privilege than the citizens of the former Soviet Union and the present day People's Republic of China.

What is wrong with a country where the height of ambition and the measure of a school system is the number of politicians certain types of school produce?

Grammars are elitist, it's telling those who fail the 11 plus that they are worth less than those who pass. Plus it is unfair because Grammars have better facilities and smaller class sizes.

Two Sons, both went to State schools, (comps).

One passed 10 x GCSE, One passed 11

Both got 3 x A at A level (both got maths A)

Both went/are at good Universities.

Who needs, grammars or Public schools?.