Figure 1.--

A senior master at an English school has provided us this assessment of comtemprary educationl trends.

Being totally honest I think it's something right across the board but it is certainly far more evident in state schools. The bottom line for independents is that if they don't provide what the parents want they go under except in a few cases where the senior management manage to pull the wool over peoples (parents) eyes or where the snobbery of a name comes into play. Parents will often go without a great deal to ensure their child gets a solid education, good exam results, no worries about teachers strikes or unruly pupils disrupting lessons and so on. Within boarding they also pay for standards to be set regarding work ethic, manners, leadership and team skills etc What are perceived as real values and skills for life over and above the purely academic. In that sort of environment and that sort of parental backing standards are going to be higher.

There is a class thing which comes into play but no matter who they are or what they have parents nearly always want what is best for their children. The sad thing is that there is this minority who don't care and the rest of us in society have to put up with them if we can't buy our way out and distance ourselves. We need a concerted effort by the politicians and the media to expose these no hopers and rally the majority to not accept the dumbed down attitudes. There would be no need for independent schools then. Unfortunately such ideals are hardly likely to happen without a major U turn and I don't expect I'll ever see that happen.

I refuse point blank to work within the state system. At least within the private sector you know that the parents are more likely going to support you and their kids based on a sound education rather than just support their kids on nothing other than defect genes. I'd hate to label everyone because of their ability to pay or not, where they happen to live or how life's cards have been dealt to them but there far more people about now who would rather point the blame at someone else, take easier routes or succumb to the lowest denominator. It is a sizeable minority which lowers the mass. I believe that the media have a large part to play in this and will be the only way that the vast majority of decent folk can reclaim society from dropping into the gutter.

Society, and in Europe we like to point the blame at American 'culture', has become very self-centered to the extent that people are quick to criticise but are quite unwilling to accept their own faults or need to change or do anything to correct matters. Back to your question... LOL

Yes, standards have dropped more in state schools than in good independents. Very much to the detriment of the great kids and teachers within the state system who are effectively powerless to do much about it. Within fee paying schools there is the option to be selective as to entry plus the fact that parents who are able to pay the fees (even if they have to give up everything else) tend to be better motivated re support of higher standards. We must not forget however that parents on low incomes want the best for their children as well but they are under far more pressures in life which need to be balanced.

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Created: 10:14 PM 4/8/2007
Last updated: 10:15 PM 4/8/2007