State education already outperforms the private sector, if you adjust of other factors such as home finances, parental education, etc. The advantage of private schooling is in who you meet while you’re there, rather than what you learn.

I disagree to a degree (no pun intended). I went to a good comp, an ex-girlfriend went to a top performing grammar (Girls High in Colchester – usually top 10 in the country) and my Dad taught at a private international English curriculum school in Bahrain (teaching relatives of the crown prince and that sort of thing).

Whereas in my comp they were essentially trying to educate all and sundry to a good level, in both the grammar and the private school there was a lot more pressure to do well, and a lot more grooming for university (very much Oxbridge/Ivy League). There is obviously an entry requirement for the grammar and I believe there is one at a lot of private schools – I’m not sure whether St. Christopher’s in Bahrain had one. The private school also benefited massively from greater resources and smaller class sizes, as may be the case with the grammar – I can’t say for sure.

Are private schools better? Unfortunately probably yes, but that’s why they’re private. Is the teaching better? That’s far more contentious. As it happens my German teacher went on to teach at Girls High, and she was genuinely very good.

But anyway, as you say:

…that’s probably a discussion for a more specific thread.

I always love this mindset that if a public sector worker lost their job they’d never get another, the underlying message is a they are utter useless

Not at all. I know quite a few public sector workers, I’m thinking of a couple in particular. They are very worried indeed about their jobs. In fairness to them they (the people I know) do fairly low skilled jobs, and this is their worry. At the moment they live close to their office, they get flexible work to allow for childcare and life is good. If they lost their jobs they’d probably have to do a lot more travelling, at high cost, and they’d be less likely to get the flexibility they’ve based their life around. It would be very traumatic and result in two far less happy people.

This is what the markets do to people, I’m afraid. If we’re treated as simple economic resources subject to market constraints then we’ll be paid the minimum and stretched to the maximum that we can endure. This doesn’t make for a happy life.

Markets aren’t inherently bad or good but they are important and most on the Left don’t understand them hence their failure to deliver improvements

You really think every Labour, Green, Plaid and SNP politician is this stupid? More stupid than you?

How about this for an alternative interpretation – they DO understand them – just differently to you. Maybe they have different values and wish to constrain the markets in a way that improves quality of life, not just GDP?

I went to a good comp

And they didn’t teach you the difference between anecdote and data? Even the shit comp that I went to did that.

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/29/its-not-the-school-you-go-to-that-determines-how-well-you-do-its-the-class-system-stupid/

Can’t resist posting this….more lefty musings 😉
“More than almost any [other] developed nation, ours is a country in which your parentage dictates your progress. In England, more than in any comparable country, those who are born poor are more likely to stay poor and those who inherit privilege are more likely to pass on privilege. For those of us who believe in social justice this stratification and segregation are morally indefensible.”

Very naughty nick1962

more lefty musings

Well, he does have a history of taking strike action. If only he’d been in a position to do something about education.

Interesting, given the comments above about lefties being authoritarian: “For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens ‘as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone’“.

Money is a man made concept get your head arround that google it, then you will realise the only thing in the way of a better world are the people that currently have most of the money and would no longer be special priveiged people if we changed the system they are the enemy.

Sounds like a great idea to abolish things we are world class in!!

Sounds like a great idea to abolish things we are world class in!!

We are world class at entrenching privilege, you’re right. I’m not sure that’s something to be proud of or to keep?

😉

Quite right, quite right.