Wednesday 20 April 2005

"Marginal drop in number of pupils in private sector"

Well, yes, that's the headline, but the real story is a bit different:
THE number of pupils in Scotland’s independent schools has fallen in the past year - but by a much smaller proportion than the state sector.
and:
Class sizes in the private sector have also stayed the same at a time when they are increasing in state schools
So the private schools are doing proportionately better than the state ones. Why am I not surprised?

Note that Mr Schofield refers to the state behemoths as "publicly funded schools". All schools are funded by the public, although purchasers of private education get to "fund" two types of school. Needless to say no candidates in the election are calling for the privatisation of education system.

1 comment:

David Farrer said...

Comments made on previous template:

David Farrer
"...the private sector - while undoubtedly producing some excellent schools - has at no point in history been resposible for furnishing the entire population with a mass, compulsory education system." 
 
Of course not - it's the state that does coercion, not the private sector. 
 
From the IEA's "Government Failure: EG West on Education": "When national compulsion was enacted, over 95% of fifteen-year-olds were literate. This should be compared to the fact that over a century later 40% of 21-year-olds in the UK admit to difficulties with writing and spelling."

22 April 2005, 16:29:18 GMT+01:00
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Shuggy
A lot of the schools were church or charity funded  
 
As I understand it, most of them were church-funded. However, Scotland was one of a very few (perhaps the only?) countries to have mass education prior to state involvement and the church today is not in a position to provide education on that scale (thank goodness).

22 April 2005, 10:42:03 GMT+01:00
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steve shackleton
Shuggy 
 
Mass education began in this country as a private venture with most people paying at least a little bit. A lot of the schools were church or charity funded as well (by those unscupulous capitalists) and did a very good job at it. 
 
It was only towards the end of the 19th century that pushes towards state control began.

21 April 2005, 13:40:29 GMT+01:00
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Shuggy
The reason, dear boy, is that the private sector - while undoubtedly producing some excellent schools - has at no point in history been resposible for furnishing the entire population with a mass, compulsory education system.  
 
I don't know if you went to a private school but if you did, can I suggest that your history department was a bit weak?

20 April 2005, 15:37:52 GMT+01:00
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dearieme
"If you can afford it, it is your duty to send your children to private school." Discuss.

20 April 2005, 14:36:17 GMT+01:00
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Graeme
And pray tell, what reason is that? Every year the state system churns out more illiterates and innumerates and yet every year more and more students get top grades. Furthermore, private schools are intentionally hobbled so that we can have 'equality'!

20 April 2005, 12:56:51 GMT+01:00
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Shuggy
Needless to say no candidates in the election are calling for the privatisation of education system. 
 
There's a good reason for that...

20 April 2005, 10:56:43 GMT+01:00