Comments on To Miss with Love: The importance of language

Snuffy, I agree with your comments. British societ...

2009-08-23T09:19:00.625+01:00

Snuffy, I agree with your comments. British society does seem to be all 'rights' and no 'responsibility' which leads to a lot of nonsense outcomes like the Balls white paper. And John Moss your argument seems to hold water also at this time.

However, neither party has the answer. Over the last 30 years, we have extended case studies now in Conservatism and Socialism. The Conservative system seems to result in huge benefits for the rich and their offspring at the expense of the poor and theirs. Socialism seems to raise the lot of the poor relative to their richer cousins but by a rude redistribution of wealth instead of 'helping them to help themselves'. I don't see either system as solving the problem of creating a society where the heavy majority of people work hard and honestly in the pursuit of their full potential.

I see the incoming Conservative government as what the country needs right now, at this time. We need to realign the 'rights'/'responsibility' balance and the Conservatives are ones to do it. I, for one, hope they succeed because if they don't we can look forward to the rise of the BNP to mainstream politics. Anonymous will be having kittens...I'll be emigrating!

Snuffy: Nice to have you back. Thank for summing ...

2009-07-11T16:50:36.127+01:00

Snuffy:
Nice to have you back.

Thank for summing up the reasons why I and my wife as working class parents are scrimping and saving to send our little girl to shock horror a private school in september.

Call us old fashioned but school is supposed to be about children learning to read, and write, learn mathamatics, history science, and physical fitness. All this taking place in a safe and secure environment whilst the adult in the room i.e. the teacher maintains order by the use of his or her adult authority.

During the course of a child's education the subjects need to be worthwhile based on the gaining of empirical knowledge i.e. 'The Battle of Hastings was in 1066, and water freezes at 0 degrees.

Telling children about climate change (an unproven 'fact') and how to put a condom on a banana at the age of 10 are indoctrination, not education.

Our local schools have also banned skipping ropes, hula hoops and footballs in the playground; Health and Safety.

So Mr Balls and the rest of the elisit leaftie media class who are attempting to ruin our childrens futures by wrecking the education system can take his white paper and stick it where the sun don't shine!!!!!

Miss Snuffy, I would make you Minister for Educat...

2009-07-09T08:29:59.807+01:00

Miss Snuffy,

I would make you Minister for Education in my, or ANY government.

You have that very rare commodity - common sense.

As I understand it, this Labour mob's idea is that spreading bright pupils around will raise the overall level of results.

Hmmm - put one bright pupil into a rowdy class and just watch the rowdies shape up.

Or is it - put one rowdy into a bright class, and watch the disruption kill the whole class's ability to learn ?

Alan Douglas

Camilla Cavendish makes exactly the same point. (...

2009-07-07T21:49:49.952+01:00

Camilla Cavendish makes exactly the same point.

(It's good to see you writing again. I hope your usual readers will notice.)

"schools would be better off giving their rich kid...

2009-07-07T13:55:09.585+01:00

"schools would be better off giving their rich kids no support at all so that their performance drops"

I imagine that's the implicit plan.

Here an old communist joke that explain it.

One day Lenin, Stalin and Brezhnev were on the Moscow underground when the train stopped between stations.

Lenin said - "I know what to do. The drive needs to be re-educated."

And off he went the re-educate the driver. Yet still the train didn't move.

Stalin said - "I know the problem. The driver is traitor to communism."

And of he went to shot the driver. Yet still the train didn't move.

Brezhnev said - "Lets paint the windows black and just tell people the train is moving."

"Why didn't Balls say ‘Ensuring all children achie...

2009-07-07T12:57:09.765+01:00

"Why didn't Balls say ‘Ensuring all children achieve their potential’?"

Presumably because their potential, or lack of it, is the opinion of their teachers.

Welcome back, Snuffy. Though I take what you say,...

2009-07-07T00:04:29.028+01:00

Welcome back, Snuffy.

Though I take what you say, I have to say that ultimately the school and teachers are just the suppliers. The point of education is the child.

Hi Snuffy, good to see you back after what, I pres...

2009-07-05T21:29:27.988+01:00

Hi Snuffy, good to see you back after what, I presume, was a tough term?

I do like the way you contrast the language of Balls and Gove. I wonder if that is just a pointer to the fundamental difference between the left and the right?

The left is authoritarian, controlling, limiting. It sets targets and hurdles for providers, but it is the state and the governemnt that judges who meets those targets and hurdles, not the users of the service.

the right say it is not up to us, in Government, it is up to the users of the service to demand improvement and, if they don;t get it, then they can go elsewhere, empowered by the state.

I wonder which is the liberal/progressive party in this?

No, actually I don't.

The Conservatives are the new liberals. Labour are the new Fascists.