kuriousoranj
Well-known member
That may be the case but you're confusing intelligence with privilege and 'born to rule'
"brightest minds" pfft!
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Working class, middle class or other?
- Thread starter Bennys_was_a_mob
- Start date
"brightest minds" pfft!
BFC_BFC_BFC
Well-known member
I’m not confusing anything at all... You’re confusing a good idea with envy.
kuriousoranj
Well-known member
I have three close friends all Etonians and another close friend who went to Fettes College with Tony Blair (you'd be very, very impressed with them all) I went to Revoe, then Palatine High School. I have a bigger house than any of them.. they couldn't teach me anything useful unless of course I wanted to brush up on my latin!
In a very charming way..they wouldn't react well to your last sentence.
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BFC_BFC_BFC
Well-known member
Like I said - envy
dodgy_surname
Well-known member
What’s the size of your house got to do with it?
BFC_BFC_BFC
Well-known member
It’s his egos way of managing his personal insecurities in relation to his own education by the looks of it.
dodgy_surname
Well-known member
I live in a terrace 2 up 2 down, well comfy
Macseasider
Well-known member
I hope lockdown ends soon. Dear me.
ElBurroSinNombre
Well-known member
I don't think that there is any big secret about why private education generally produces better academic results than the state system.
They have smaller class sizes and fewer problem children to deal with, that's all, there is no magic involved.
Making it harder to send your child to a private school (by say removing charitable status from private schools) would have at least the following effects IMO;
They have smaller class sizes and fewer problem children to deal with, that's all, there is no magic involved.
Making it harder to send your child to a private school (by say removing charitable status from private schools) would have at least the following effects IMO;
- it would cost the government more because there would be more children in the state system
- Standards would improve because middle class parents who are interested (some fixated on) in their child's education would put pressure on the schools to improve results and would get involved
- It should improve social cohesion as more people in society were forced to mix with people outside of their normal groups
BFC_BFC_BFC
Well-known member
Major and Thatcher both became PM didn’t they?
BFC_BFC_BFC
Well-known member
And then there’s IDS and Hague (accept they didn’t make PM), neither of who fit into this imaginary background profile that we seem to be keen to pretend exists.
BFC_BFC_BFC
Well-known member
Oh hang on... Then there’s Theresa May...
ElBurroSinNombre
Well-known member
Yes, that is true, and arguably both were the two most successful PMs in modern history.
Thatcher made massive reforms in all policy areas and saw them through
Major, despite one or two bumps in the road, saw us through the ERM crisis (perhaps didn't handle it very well) but left office with a budget surplus
I don't think it's imaginary;
Since WW2 we have had 5 Eton educated PMs, why is that?
BFC_BFC_BFC
Well-known member
3 of them (in succession) were well over half a century ago (almost 60 years)....Since the last one we saw 46 years and 7 Prime Ministers (significantly more party leaders), before the next Etonian.Yes, that is true, and arguably both were the two most successful PMs in modern history.
Thatcher made massive reforms in all policy areas and saw them through
Major, despite one or two bumps in the road, saw us through the ERM crisis (perhaps didn't handle it very well) but left office with a budget surplus
I don't think it's imaginary;
Since WW2 we have had 5 Eton educated PMs, why is that?
So basically, we’ve had a couple of them in relative succession, recently. It’s hardly some great conspiracy or anything you could remotely consider to be a consistent theme... It simply isn’t
I don’t think it ought to come as any surprise (particularly not in the past) that our top people might be educated in our top schools, colleges & Universities in an case...
A classic case of people seeing what they are choosing to see and blatant ignorance of the facts.... total bias IMHO!
ElBurroSinNombre
Well-known member
For about 17 of the last 25 years (i.e. a generation), we have had PM's from two of the most elite private schools (Fettes and Eton), that is a fact. I would therefore argue that it is a consistent theme and to deny this you are actually guilty of 'seeing what they are choosing to see and blatant ignorance of the facts.' as you have put it.
It is not a conspiracy, I don't think that I have said it is anywhere, it's more a reflection of how British people think and how British society works. And in my opinion it is also a reflection of something that is wrong with the UK.
It is not a conspiracy, I don't think that I have said it is anywhere, it's more a reflection of how British people think and how British society works. And in my opinion it is also a reflection of something that is wrong with the UK.
BFC_BFC_BFC
Well-known member
So now we are talking about 2 Schools...
Though, of course, the addition of Fettes, simply adds one Prime Minister...That’s not a consistent theme at all....And we conveniently avoid both the choices of Tory Leader during the same period as well as the fact that the previous 30 years saw prime ministers with a range of different backgrounds and education.
I find it absolutely incredible that anyone would see fit to undermine or change some of the finest education establishments on the planet....
I have no issue with any plans to invest in state education and to bring up the general standard, but to me this all smacks of envy / jealousy....
We should be proud of these institutions and the consistency with which they manage to feature amongst the brightest and best talents the country has produced in a range of fields.. As I said earlier, the state should aim to emulate their success and provide opportunity for those who show an aptitude for learning....