Posh and Posher: Public schoolboys and politics

[Prestwich_Blue]

Many politicians of the 60's and 70's, (includng Heath, Wilson & Thatcher) went to good old Grammar Schools, which allowed ordinary boys and girls from not well-off families to achieve their educational potential.

Manchester Grammar School educated politicians including Frank Allaun, John Leech, Den Dover, Tom Normanton, & Michael Winstanley Harold & Leslie Lever and Harold Laski as well as a number of people who made the top ranks of the Civil Service including Howard Davies & Martin Sixsmith.

In one of the ironies of all political ironies, the public-school educated Tony Crosland (Highgate School & Trinity College, Oxford) closed off this route thanks to his forcing through of the comprehensive system.

 

[toby]

Many politicians of the 60's and 70's, (includng Heath, Wilson & Thatcher) went to good old Grammar Schools, which allowed ordinary boys and girls from not well-off families to achieve their educational potential.

Manchester Grammar School educated politicians including Frank Allaun, John Leech, Den Dover, Tom Normanton, & Michael Winstanley Harold & Leslie Lever and Harold Laski as well as a number of people who made the top ranks of the Civil Service including Howard Davies & Martin Sixsmith.

In one of the ironies of all political ironies, the public-school educated Tony Crosland (Highgate School & Trinity College, Oxford) closed off this route thanks to his forcing through of the comprehensive system.

You are so knowledgable prestwich blue

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Many politicians of the 60's and 70's, (includng Heath, Wilson & Thatcher) went to good old Grammar Schools, which allowed ordinary boys and girls from not well-off families to achieve their educational potential.

Manchester Grammar School educated politicians including Frank Allaun, John Leech, Den Dover, Tom Normanton, & Michael Winstanley Harold & Leslie Lever and Harold Laski as well as a number of people who made the top ranks of the Civil Service including Howard Davies & Martin Sixsmith.

In one of the ironies of all political ironies, the public-school educated Tony Crosland (Highgate School & Trinity College, Oxford) closed off this route thanks to his forcing through of the comprehensive system.

Whilst I would not advocate bringing grammar schools back per se, some form of selection, possibly at 14, may offer bright kids from working-class backgrounds a better chance that no amount of increase in public spending on education in the last 14 years has managed to address.

My mum went to a secondary modern and went on to have a great career in the NHS ending up on several trust boards after starting out as a staff nurse after leaving school so I don't fully subscribe to the 'scraheap' argument that people put forward in terms of people who don't make the cut.

Is selection fair? No it is certainly not and I post this with a heavy heart, but we have to look at finding a way to give kids from poorer backgrounds a better chance of fulfilling their potential. The needs of those who fall below the line need to be much more fully considered than was previously the case, but we've got to try and do something different for the sake of society as a whole.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Many politicians of the 60's and 70's, (includng Heath, Wilson & Thatcher) went to good old Grammar Schools, which allowed ordinary boys and girls from not well-off families to achieve their educational potential.

Manchester Grammar School educated politicians including Frank Allaun, John Leech, Den Dover, Tom Normanton, & Michael Winstanley Harold & Leslie Lever and Harold Laski as well as a number of people who made the top ranks of the Civil Service including Howard Davies & Martin Sixsmith.

In one of the ironies of all political ironies, the public-school educated Tony Crosland (Highgate School & Trinity College, Oxford) closed off this route thanks to his forcing through of the comprehensive system.

You are so knowledgable prestwich blue

It's a subject I'm very passionate about as I saw what happened to my friends who had gone to what were good local grammar schools like North Manchester in the mid-60's. They wanted to learn and get on but a couple of years in, NMGH went comprehensive and I listened to them complain about how their class was suddenly full of kids who weren't interested in an education and just wanted to mess about.

I was lucky enough to go to Manchester Grammar School and me and the three friends who went with me from our primary school have all done pretty well for ourselves. None of us came from well-off families.

Yes - selection isn't 100% fair but it's not worse than denying motivated kids a decent education.

 

[urmston]

The basic fact is that state education, apart from a very few elite schools in rich areas, has dumbed down in the last 35 years while private education hasn't.

It no surprise to me that more politicians now come from public schools than a few years ago. The same is happening with doctors, lawyers and other good jobs. State schools are now mainly cr*p schools, and people from cr*p schools have never stood much of a chance of getting good jobs.

 

[kippax_blueboy]

Grammer Schools and selection is the key

Get the bright kids from all backgrounds into schools like MGS and kids from poorer backgrounds will rise to the top.

Comprehensives have dumbed education down not raised standards.

 

[Lucky13]

Grammer Schools and selection is the key

Get the bright kids from all backgrounds into schools like MGS and kids from poorer backgrounds will rise to the top.

Comprehensives have dumbed education down not raised standards.

Good point , add to that Labours obsession with everyone going to University to get a degree .

 

[Damocles]

All powerful politicians are toffs.

 

[stonerblue]

the weak get crushed as the strong grow stronger.....

 

[nijinsky's fetlocks]

Tony Benn was from a well-to-do family. So was George Orwell.

and your point being...?