To be 'disgusted' having read page 7 of the Times 'Old Boys and Girls still take top jobs'

[smokepole]

I knew your school was important to your future 'life chances', but this article demonstrates how decisive it is.

The article show that grammar schools do statistically quite well, but they educate only 3% of pupils. The Comprehensive/ Modern system which educates 90% of pupils statistically produces very little in terms of social mobility for the 'masses' and accession to the top of society. The comprehensive schools that do provide any 'social mobility' tend to be 'grammar' schools with a few low ability students for 'political reasons'.

71% of Judges being educated privately Oxbridge was expected, the figures continue to show the prominence of privately educated pupils across the higher echelons of society. The greatest shock though was that 'football' is now becoming 'elite' as shown by the fact 13% of the England team were educated privately against the national average of 7 %.

Jenni Russell on page 24 'Its a cosy myth that anyone can reach the top'
Describes the in-flexibility of Queen Mary and other Universities, in entrance requirements and the inability to take a 'bright' underprivileged student on face value.

It seems the moment I walked in to my Secondary modern in Kent in 1985, that my chance of joining the 'elite' was gone , my entire future decided at 11.

But state schools need other solutions to the problem of disruptive pupils, there is no point in blaming the private sector, it would be better to find a solution that is workable in the state sector.
I am fed up of people arguing that private schools give children an advantage in university choices or an advantage in applying for the top jobs or that they have the advantage of not putting up with the disruptive pupils. Surely the only way we can change this by more than a tokenistic amount is by improving state education and finding solutions to prevent disruption by a minority of pupils. We should be campaigning for a better education in state schools instead of focusing on what current advantages (or perceived advantages) are provided by a private school education.