What have you achieved today?

[Macky]

Just because I'm doing a degree in Politics that doesn't mean I'm going to be the next David ****ing Miliband. In this post-grammar school era, I doubt I'd become a government minister even I wanted to. I went to an average comprehensive school and come from a middle income family, people like me don't get top jobs in government anymore.

Anymore???

 

[East Anglia Fox]

Anymore???

Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major.

 

[Macky]

Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major.

None of those come from, what I would class, humble backgrounds.

 

[Leesoh]

I have just made some gingerbread men. They aren't Ronaldo coloured, but that could be due to improvising with demerara sugar, and not the muscavado stuff the recipe called for.

Hopefully they will taste alright - just waiting for them to cool down....

 

[The Major]

None of those come from, what I would class, humble backgrounds.

Not exactly privileged either.

 

[Macky]

Not exactly privileged either.

Blair, Brown or Milliband aren't from privileged backgrounds either, so I'm still confused by EAF's view that there has been some kind of shift for the type of person that can achieve executive positions.

 

[Melton Fox]

Blair, Brown or Milliband aren't from privileged backgrounds either, so I'm still confused by EAF's view that there has been some kind of shift for the type of person that can achieve executive positions.

As with every good politician, EAF has his excuse in place ready for when failure arrives.

 

[East Anglia Fox]

All I was saying was, now that grammar schools have basically been wiped out, the level of social mobility in this country has declined. It's essentially back to how it was in the 1930s.

Nowadays we're less likely to see a Prime Minister who comes from a normal background than we were in the 1970s. That's the point I was trying to make. Grammar schools used to offer people a route out of poverty, and allowed people to have a good education based on intellect, rather than the size of their parents' wallets.

 

[Macky]

All I was saying was, now that grammar schools have basically been wiped out, the level of social mobility in this country has declined. It's essentially back to how it was in the 1930s.

Nowadays we're less likely to see a Prime Minister who comes from a normal background than we were in the 1970s. That's the point I was trying to make. Grammar schools used to offer people a route out of poverty, and allowed people to have a good education based on intellect, rather than the size of their parents' wallets.

But political success isn't based on education or wealth.
Anybody can join any political party and lie & scheme their way to the top. It's dependant on how duplicitous you are, not on where you were educated.

 

[Real Sharapova]

But political success isn't based on education or wealth.
Anybody can join any political party and lie & scheme their way to the top. It's dependant on how duplicitous you are, not on where you were educated.

In the UK a university education is almost a prerequisite to becoming an MP, whichever party you stand for.

 

[Chuck T Masala]

But political success isn't based on education or wealth.
Anybody can join any political party and lie & scheme their way to the top. It's dependant on how duplicitous you are, not on where you were educated.

You may have to pleasure a couple of 'public school' types along the way too, buggery is mandatory with the tories. You can get away with just being a lying cheat in the others.

 

[H T B]

You may have to pleasure a couple of 'public school' types along the way too, buggery is mandatory with the tories. You can get away with just being a lying cheat in the others.

Voice of experience?

 

[homer]

Couple of years old now, but probably still accurate

Overall, almost one third (32%) of current MPs attended independent schools, which educate just 7% of the population. Seventy-two percent went to university, including 43% who attended one of 13 leading universities and over a quarter (27%) who went to Oxbridge.

 

[Chuck T Masala]

Voice of experience?

Certainly not, politics is a dirty, filthy, dishonourable excuse for doing a proper job. I'll stick to burglary and benefit scams thank you. At least its an honest living.

 

[Steven]

All I was saying was, now that grammar schools have basically been wiped out, the level of social mobility in this country has declined. It's essentially back to how it was in the 1930s.
Nowadays we're less likely to see a Prime Minister who comes from a normal background than we were in the 1970s. That's the point I was trying to make. Grammar schools used to offer people a route out of poverty, and allowed people to have a good education based on intellect, rather than the size of their parents' wallets.

I many ways this is true and now the hurdle for social mobility has been raised to University entrance. :icon_conf

 

[Biffa Bacon]

I many ways this is true and now the hurdle for social mobility has been raised to University entrance. :icon_conf

Yes but almost anyone can go to university now so is the hurdle higher or lower than in the past?

 

[Steven]

Yes but almost anyone can go to university now so is the hurdle higher or lower than in the past?

Higher. I do not agree that almost anyone can go to Uni even in these days, plus the fact the drop out rate is so high.

In the old days everyone took the 11 Plus or similar (until Shirl the Pearl stepped in) and this determined your school etc. Now you have to wait until you are 18 to get this chance and not everyone can wait that long. That plus the cost means that some pupils are being excluded. As the standard of exams goes down more Unis are starting their own entrance requirements and this is bound to make getting into a good Uni even more difficult.

Furthermore quite needlessly nowadays employers demand a degree for a job without using any of the skills the graduate may have learned.

 

[Matt_B]

Higher. I do not agree that almost anyone can go to Uni even in these days, plus the fact the drop out rate is so high.

In the old days everyone took the 11 Plus or similar (until Shirl the Pearl stepped in) and this determined your school etc. Now you have to wait until you are 18 to get this chance and not everyone can wait that long. That plus the cost means that some pupils are being excluded. As the standard of exams goes down more Unis are starting their own entrance requirements and this is bound to make getting into a good Uni even more difficult.

Furthermore quite needlessly nowadays employers demand a degree for a job without using any of the skills the graduate may have learned.

That's bollocks and complete no win situation. If the pass rate drops teachers are blamed, if the pass rate rises the exams are too easy. One of the questions on the year 9 SAT English paper this year was a slightly reworded question from last years English GCSE paper, and as a result a lot of students found it too hard, as you would expect. The constant claims that exams are getting easier not only devalues what the students have spent the last 2 years working their arse off for (in most cases) but it also gives a false sense of security to those who don't want to try as hard.

 

[Hazzman]

Agreed and to coin a phrase from football 'you can only beat what's put in front of you'.

 

[Brauny Blue]

1st day back at work after 2wks hols.

Pay dispute as been sorted. Ah well, i was quite enjoying my extra days off:icon_roll