tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post1054535653168732705..comments2023-11-03T11:32:01.540+00:00Comments on Thought Experiments : The Blog: One Brain?Bryan Appleyardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276787058430388582noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-68594576662225078322007-05-23T15:20:00.000+00:002007-05-23T15:20:00.000+00:00the problem was, as I saw it, competition - you ha...the problem was, as I saw it, competition - you had to fight for everything. now I see education as a fundamental right for everyone to enjoy. <BR/><BR/>but first you had to compete for a grammar school place, then you had to compete for a place in the top two streams, then a place for oxbridge... in some cases you had to compete to study a particular subject you liked. I mean, enthusiasm was no Ian russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11106519805045337505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-65339558803667023722007-05-23T14:51:00.000+00:002007-05-23T14:51:00.000+00:00no, I would have preferred not to have gone at all...no, I would have preferred not to have gone at all. it was run with the same idiocy that suggested single sex education was better for children - so it was double disaster for me.<BR/><BR/>it's easy to sneer at children's achievements but I actually think standards dropped just prior to their abolishment - last ditch hope of reprieve? I think what's changed today is the method of teaching, choiceIan russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11106519805045337505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-36692084014062632612007-05-23T10:44:00.000+00:002007-05-23T10:44:00.000+00:00Simon - after the Blair years, a rerun of the Majo...Simon - after the Blair years, a rerun of the Major years sounds almost alluring to me. For all the kerfuffle, it was those years that laid the groundwork from which Blair and (especially) Brown have been benefiting ever since - and they now seem remarkably 'clean', compared to the corruption of public life under Blair/Campbell.<BR/><BR/>And Macavity - I don't know how it is in other areas, butNigehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13314891387515045404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-52497921347078344942007-05-22T20:27:00.000+00:002007-05-22T20:27:00.000+00:00Strange times. I'm going to stuff envelopes for J...Strange times. <BR/><BR/>I'm going to stuff envelopes for Jon Cruddas tomorrow, but I liked a Tory speech. Best expression of Labour values I've seen in years! Crosland would have been delighted!<BR/><BR/>The argument, as I understoof it, was that there are about 15% of kids eligible for free school meals nationally. The grammars are in leafy areas - there are something like 10% free mealers Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-4080816298891427702007-05-22T18:18:00.000+00:002007-05-22T18:18:00.000+00:00In all the debate about grammar schools one point ...In all the debate about grammar schools one point seems to have been forgotten - Margaret Thatcher shut down more of them than any other education secretary. Why then, does everyone keep talking as if support for grammar schools is a basic conservative value? This kerfuffle has convinced me that if the Conservative win the next election we will get a re-run of the Major years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-51959216592407803782007-05-22T17:10:00.000+00:002007-05-22T17:10:00.000+00:00I agree entirely with Brian - the only fault with ...I agree entirely with Brian - the only fault with grammar schools (when I attended a 2 or 3 or...God.. decades ago ) was that children with relatively high IQs were not given the chance to opt out of academic work, and ,there were some, such as Ian, who would have preferred that. Otherwise it gave many more children a chance to escape their class and to aim for and achieve higher standards. Janejillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11364478597973105943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-60856367719716100822007-05-22T15:22:00.000+00:002007-05-22T15:22:00.000+00:00aren't the gay ones pink then? isn't nature confus...aren't the gay ones pink then? isn't nature confusing?Ian russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11106519805045337505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-77254158359335603942007-05-22T15:20:00.000+00:002007-05-22T15:20:00.000+00:00is it just me or wouldn't anybody rather put up wi...is it just me or wouldn't anybody rather put up with the jet-lag?<BR/><BR/>or<BR/><BR/>have you come over on long haul or are you just pleased to see me?<BR/><BR/>penile disfunction?! no, no, frequent flyer!Ian russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11106519805045337505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-92158766509491818972007-05-22T15:15:00.000+00:002007-05-22T15:15:00.000+00:00Haven't more students passed and achieved better g...Haven't more students passed and achieved better grades at both GCSE and A level since the abolition of the two-tier system? that's what I heard.<BR/><BR/>Well, I went to grammar school myself and it was very over-rated. I recited amo, amas, amat when I could have been stripping down an IC engine. I know which one would have been more useful, nevermind of greater interest. State education could Ian russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11106519805045337505noreply@blogger.com