Would you be prepared to pay more tax to get better state education for all?

[happygardening]

Any other suggestions welcome to ensure that all where ever they live and whatever their background have access to education of the highest quality.

Oh blimey Emma - I hope you are wearing your tin hat......

Honestly - if we are talking honestly about education, we should at least appreciate the need for grammar and punctuation!

I rather liked the use of the word honestly twice in the same sentence - that was, to my shame, a little dig....

What's a "top level education"?

Emma as you may or may not be aware I never "rail against public schools" neither am I a "leftist utopian seeker" but I do very much believe that everyone should have access to high quality and preferably broad education and I?m interested in how this could be achieved and what people would be prepared to do to achieve this which is why I posted the thread.
By the way you haven't answered my question what sort of people wouldn?t benefit from a "top level education?

Assuming this isn't all wind-up, a top level education can exist for all. It may not always include Latin, Proust and Theology. It will fit the child in question and equip them for adult life, happiness and employment.

@Emma

This is what people will come up with when you suggest that state schools should copy public schools: the Eton On The Cheap thread

I personally find Eton's efforts commendable, but you will NEVER be able to please people...

I do agree that not everyone can benefit from a rigorous academic education.

In our current system, though, there are many children who are being failed because they have SN or disabilities and the ones who get the resources and education they need are the ones with the parents with the knowledge and confidence to overturn whatever barriers are put in their way. I would pay more tax to see some of these barriers taken down so that these children are more likely to become independent adults (and cost less in the long run)

There are children who will never be university material and children who will leave school with few academic qualifications of any sort. I would pay more tax to give these children a chance to leave school with more skills (and a chance to cost less in the long run.)

I am certainly not suggesting that I am a role model. What I am saying is that lets look honestly at the reality. Public schools are the most successful for academic children. They get more children into Oxbridge etc. If we want a successful state system, which I am all for, then they need to be copied. I am not saying that anyone here rails against public schools, rather I am referring to comments made by DT readers whenever the head of Wellington, Eton or Rugby publishes an article. I believe that a top level education should be available to everyone, regardless of class or background. The state system should emulate the public schools. I only know that they are good because I attended one and it was fantastic. That is all I meant..... can I take the tin hat off now???

The thing is that Happy has chosen Winchester for her DS (motto : Manners makyth man).

Emma prefers Harrow and Roedean - two schools where money matters rather more than manners.

Emma, ellipsis at the end of a sentence is only 4 dots.

And I am aware that I left a full stop out of at least one sentence of my last post.

Using punctuation and grammar to try to sound superior to people doesn't go down well here.

happy

Everyone knows you're not a leftist utopian seeker... I didn't mean you. All for a high quality and broad education, but that is very, very difficult to achieve... having state schools be equivalent to a public school such as your DS enjoys would cripple the economy. No modern country has that...

Would you give that up for your son, if you could get a "good-ish" sort of state school instead, with less choice of sports and with extracurricular activities less likely built into the school day? Because that's the best you could ever hope for with funding in the state school system.

If I have offended anyone, I apologise. I was just trying to be honest. Winchester is a marvellous school, as are Eton, Harrow and Rugby. Honestly though, the children who leave those venerable institutions are markedly like-minded.

"if we are talking honestly about education, we should at least appreciate the need for grammar and punctuation!"
I appreciate education very much and although think punctuation and grammar are very important. But as I have moderate dyslexia and have to work exceedingly hard to ensure words are round the right way which I find exceedingly tedious and I don?t believe they are desperately when posting on an internet site.
"I am saying that not everyone can access it, and therefore cannot benefit from it"
I'm interested in trying to find a way all can access it.

Oh for heaven's sake, I was simply trying to make a joke... (note the three dots, in conformance with the Oxford English Dictionary).

I just think they should bring the Assisted Places Scheme back. Friends got into private school that way (from pretty rough parts of London) and hated the fact that Labour abolished it. The schools opened a world to them no state school in their area ever would - no matter how much money you throw at them.

Needless to say, they are now successful people, and vote Tory.

Yes - we can all access it. Lets cut benefits, cut the ridiculous public sector quangos and structures, and invest in education. Regardless of a child's academic ability, there should be excellence. Woodwork and metalwork should be equal in investment to Latin and Proust.

Tasmania responding to your earlier post - I thought you were associating a WC state of mind with benefits dependency and a lack of interest in education - you know the 'circle of despair you mentioned'. I would argue these are not WC values - traditionally these have always been hard work, thrift and pride in your home and community.

I come from a WC family which values education even if it has had to be fitted in around earning a living. There is a long tradition of night-school further ed amongst the working-classes - being working class is not synonymous with being disruptive and uninterested. I hope you were not implying that.

Leftist utopia?... hmm how about just a fair deal for all kids. Like I said it will take more than extra funding to state education to secure this if the rest of society is left to become more and more unequal.

This has all gone a bit mad now.

I would say the ghost of Thatch moves amongst us but she's still hanging on somewhere I think.

Ellipsis jokes - just pissing myself here.

I'm sorry - I certainly did not mean to hijack this thread - apologies if I have offended anyone. I am a mother, like you, with a small child. I am a university undergraduate with a husband serving in Afghanistan. I just wanted to contribute to the debate. If it is wrong for someone from a privileged background to do so, forgive me. Ruby - I hope one day to contribute to society - I was thinking WI... baking cakes is so zeitgeist...

Why would DD1's state school want to copy Eton, Harrow, Roedean or Winchester when it gets better results than those schools?

"Woodwork and metalwork should be equal in investment to Latin and Proust.

Just wondering where you left your time machine..................

Emma, nah yer all right.