Ban Private Schools
They perpetuate the gross inequalities in the UK; this can only be addressed if they are erased completely.
The two other alternatives which might be more palatable to our politicians are taxing the life out of those that can afford private education (almost impossible), or paying teachers in state education more than those employed privately to drain public schools of their best resource. We do this in many other public sectors to attract the best talent, so why not in education?
Abolish the Monarchy.
Antiquated, expensive and utterly pointless, as well as perpetuating the idea that status and prestige are a privilege of birth.
Abolish the honour system
Not only is this system open to abuse, but we are an international laughing stock, giving out orders for an Empire that has long ceased to exist.
Roll out London Living Wage nationally
The very idea that anybody should be forced to live on 5.73 an hour should be abhorrant to any UK citizen.
Ensure that no person, financial institution or business can borrow money more than they could possibly ever pay back.
The idea that some financial institutions were borrowing up to 50 times against their assets is ridiculous, in what is clearly a doomed strategy.
Equally, 125% mortgages?!
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35 Responses to “Ban private schools”
Adam
Isn’t it about time that these sorts of ideas were given the respect that they’re due? None of them are horrendously left-wing at all. There are merits to each of them, particularly the implementation of the London Living Wage on a national basis.
Terence
I left the Labour party in the 80s because of this kind of nonsense. We used to be a working class socialist party. That meant improving the condition of workers, fighting for higher wages (granted, one point is about that), and improving public services. This nonsense that you dare to call “progresive” makes me unsure whether to laugh or cry. The kind of people who rely on Labour, like me, who live in council houses, are repulsed by this bourgeois socialist nonsense about private schools, and about the monarchy and so on.
Why do most of you hate the aristocracy? Because it affects the working man? or because of jealousy? It sure ain’t because you care about the working man.
How about private schools. The Guardian readers are happy to send their kids to comps, so long as they are in the poshest areas of London. What about the rest of us? You can’t get good schools unless you’re in the elite. if you really wanted to improve state education, you ought to advocate bringing back grammar schools.
When I was growing up, we had it far better than kids now. People had to opportunity to advance themselves, because of grammar schools. You “progressives” ought to be ashamed. One rule for you elites, one for the rest of us.
And don’t think I joined Maggie Thatcher’s lot – I haven’t voted since 1979. I’m just waiting for Labour to find it’s home again.
Bearded Socialist
Terence, could you put some ideas forward then?
John77
To paraphrase Tony Blair “Ignorance, ignorance, ignorance”
The personal income of the royal family handed over to the government (from the Duchy of Lancaster) far exceeds the “Civil List” paid to cover the costs of the civic duties carried out by members of the royal family.
The original poster is simultaneously arguing that public schools are available only to the rich (not true, all of them were set up with scholarships for poor children – some eg Royal Masonic were set up only for orphans or children of poor parents). Also he/she does not know whether they are public (UK) or private (USA) schools
Furthermore his/her idea that living on £5.73 an hour should be abhorrent to any UK “citizen” is ludicrous to over one-third of the self-employed who live on less than that. Maybe he should read “Social Trends” published by his/her New Labour government.
Andrew Roche
Ban private schools http://ff.im/-eTUeL