This is worrying - take a look at this link to the BBC website for an insight into how bad ‘maths’ is in this country…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7457814.stm

This smacks of Marxist jealousy; since the Politically Correct invaded the state sector schools in the 1960s standards have fallen way behind the private sector. But rather than mend their ways they want to destroy the successful schools so no-one will see the contrast. Some countries (eg Switzerland) have such a rigorous state educational system than even billionaires wouldn’t dream of opting their children out of it. There’s no intrinsic reason why “state” has to mean “bad”. But all the faddy ideas would have to be jettisoned; we must return to discipline, some rote learning (times tables, spelling tests, dictation) and stop using grade inflation to kid everyone that everything is fine.

In the seventies I think that it was in Germany where students after say fourteen years of age (I cannot remember the exact age) were given options. Either to carry on towards academic qualifications or to enrol into schemes where they spent half the academic year learning qualifications towards a specific trade and the other half actually learning that trade on the shop floor.

Therefore every student came out of school as a benefit to society as a whole. Some would go on to further education to be the next generation of teachers, scientists etc. The others were ready to be employed in their chosen field. The above figures are probably not 100% accurate but you get the picture.

This sounds simple enough, but I suppose kids coming out of school, knowing what their future held would not fit the Common Purpose agenda where chaos and disorder are the key to control.

When these NUTs want to ban the forces coming into schools to give talks on possible careers in the forces, and the NUT twist it as pro-war propaganda.
The forces aren’t pro-war, they are to protect us when others would quite happily take our freedoms. Haven’t they heard of people like Hitler? If these NUTs need to be political in schools they shouldn’t be teaching.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-533428/Row-teachers-ban-army-pro-war-propaganda-recruitment-leaflets-schools.html

Fury over plan to let imams teach the Koran in state schools-The NUT says state schools must allow children to practise their faith.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-544349/Fury-plan-let-imams-teach-Koran-state-schools.html

The NUTs obviously don’t know Islam very well. Perhaps we can send them on a fact-finding mission to an Islamic state run under full sharia law–this might change their minds. After years of actively allowing Christianity to dwindle, then wanting to allow imams into all the schools, these NUT people shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near children.

This might explain it–Top psychiatrist concludes liberals clinically nuts

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=56494

Don’t listen to the liberals - Right-wingers really are nicer people, latest research shows.

Orwell was making an observation. But today a whole body of academic research shows he was correct: your politics influence the manner in which you live your life. And the news is not so good for those on the political Left

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1026442/Dont-listen-liberals–Right-wingers-really-nicer-people-latest-research-shows.html

When will these people realise that kids have all kinds of abilities and aren’t all the same, and they should be fully equipped with the skills for everyday living and responsibility of earning a wage. This means manners, cooking, budgeting, parenting, responsibility, discipline, the 3 “R”s and at the very least the 10 commandments.

May I just say in response to “The Cornish Jedi” that in that clip they didn’t seem to ask that question to one Briton.

Science lessons!

Only last week twelve and thirteen year old school children were given one small plastic cotton reel, one very weak floppy elastic band and one used lollypop stick to share between groups of 3 or 4 children as science equipment in a Northampton school for their one hour science lesson. And believe it or not the children and the so-called science teacher still could not make the reel run along after one hour of winding the rubber band up. The children had to take their impressive project home to finish off because they ran out of time.

For goodness sakes, this was something we used to play on the table at home on rainy days or out on the pavement, and were told off for wasting time if caught playing with this sort of home-made toy during lessons!

Who else remembers when we had real chemist shops selling all sorts of chemicals to the delight of inquisitive boys? No chance of that these days is there.

For once I cannot add any comment to this article except to say that it is all-encompassing and absolutely correct. Steve Johnson unequivocally demonstrates the BNP’s consummate capability to resurrect this country from its LibLabCon-ruined state.

This is all more of the same “one size fits all” recipe. We don’t want to be homogenized. We want our precious individuality to be emphasised, or at least taken into account, so that people are able to fit themselves for all the niches, nooks and crannies of social life. Unfortunately, we’ve gotten used to the idea that everything the state is involved with nowadays is cursed. Reading earlier articles and posts, it is obvious to readers here that things have descended into dire straits. Our resident teacher Mr. Average has opened our eyes to the terrible state of things in state-run schools; then we have the scandal of sex education and in-school abortion and contraception advice for 11-year olds and the threat of sterilized schoolgirls, followed by the insidious Islamic creep. Violence is all too common, but normal toughness is frowned upon by the ‘elf ‘n’ safety nannie-goats. School meals have been a butt of public scorn for some time now. Poor food supplemented by drink and drugs, no exercise–how can they expect model pupils? Children run the risk of autism from dozens of injections, if they haven’t already been traumatised by poor parenting and neglected by the social services. The list goes on and on.

But…this does not necessarily have to be, not if the BNP runs things. The difference is that the BNP is willing to listen to grassroots opinion instead of imposing the views of a distant, uninvolved bureaucracy subservient to a weirdly Marxist ideology with overtones from many other totalitarian systems, and which has seemingly managed to buy and coerce everyone who falls beneath its Doomsday shadow. First and foremost, religious faith should be taken off our schooling–faith is a private matter and can be inculcated in a person’s spare time. Then, how about devoting the first stage of schooling to basic skills like the 3Rs and ensuring they’re learnt? The second stage could emphasise survival skills for living in modern society, as outlined by bertie bert, using those basics as tools. Then the older scholars should be made to look at how they will be earning a living and make some serious choices as to what it’s gonna be: a trade, a profession, a vocation or what. And then get down to the business of preparing for that commitment. And all the way along they should be subjected to the horror of culture for its own sake–literature, history, art appreciation, cosmology, etc.–because that’s what puts meat on the bones. That’s why we go to work–to enable us to provide the wherewithal to enjoy our lives, not as workaholics, slaves or drones, but as well-balanced, well-rounded members of 21st century society with all its many advantages, material, intellectual and moral–if we were only left to apply them according to our own natural, unperverted lights.

With regard to the BBC clip placed on by Cornish Jedi, and subsequent comment by Freddage91…..that’s the glory of London today, shame on you for not liking it! ;-)

Typical BBC propaganda and sleight-of-hand (though subtle, not). Surprised the BBC still do these things where they only go to ethnic areas? I might suspect there is a secret BNP operative within the BBC, to present to the people the extent to what this country is now and will become. Regarding the article, agreeing with all of it as it is plain commonsense. Also, I’d like to add it is far better to start things like apprenticeships at around 14 years of age. Unrelated point: the government initiative of trying to put the school-leaving age up to 19 is a horror! Teachers struggle enough with unmotivated and surly 16 and 17 year olds.

“PRIVATE schools should be nationalised. That’s according to the incoming President of the biggest teaching union, the National Union of Teachers, speaking to the NUT’s National Conference in Manchester.” Bill Greenshields said, “Let’s consider bringing all schools into the state sector, then we would soon see some urgent improvements in our state system.” Bringing private schools into the state sector under the present Lib/Lab/Con governing system would soon see these schools also failing, as was the case with grammar schools, when the Left start demanding minority quotas, more left-leaning curricula, etc. Wasn’t it these very same type of Marxist NUTS in the 60s who forced through their left-wing “everyone is equal” agenda, ruining education & being responsible for the present dumbing-down of generations of British schoolchildren?

The BNP vision articulated by Martin Wingfield, using the 1944 Butler Education Act as its basis, is the root and branch reform needed to solve the educational & disciplinary needs of the nation’s children, thus putting the whole country back on the right track. Like nearly all the country’s ailments, the present educational malaise can only be solved through discarding the Lib/Lab/Con political gang & their decades of failing policies & replacing them with the BNP.

It’s true that private sector schools, on balance, produce children that are educated to pass exams–nothing more, nothing less. The discipline in these schools is no better than average. In some, loutish behaviour is encouraged.The greatest damage these postwar Trotskyite teachers inflicted was that their pupils’ hopes were encouraged to reach for the sky, knowing that 99.9% of them would never achieve anywhere near their dreams. The reality of this was thousands of kids wanting a job that they were incapable of doing (or that didn’t exist), leaving them embittered. If they eventually found work, it wasn’t what they really wanted, making for an unhappy existence.

These are the 40%-50% who don’t vote. Like you say, all sorts of jobs are out there–some not pretty. Why is a toilet cleaner not only looked down upon, but also draws the lowest wage? Something I have never understood. Educating kids to find their niche in their world must also include education in the worth of everyone, no matter how lowly they consider that job might seem. Even the CEO of ACME Multi world likes to crap in a clean environment. So to the NUTTERS that belong to the NUT, go back to school yourselves and try to find out if you are really suited to the job you do.

Lots of commonsense talked in this news item. Just imagine how great society would be with a BNP government in place. Let us hope it will be sooner rather than later. My own comprehensive education wasn’t much good to me, but it taught me how to read and write and how to confront bullies–”look them in the eyes” and show them you are not afraid. They don’t like that, it spooks them. “Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army,” and may this BNP army grow bigger everyday.

“Technical and craft education needs to be massively resourced. It was the neglect of this vital component by successive Labour and Tory Governments that wrecked the original 1944 educational vision.” Martin is 100% correct here. The Butler “tripartite” model of grammar, technical and secondary modern schools is inherently far superior to the disastrous, lumpen comprehensive disaster that Lib-Lab-Con politicos and educationalists inflicted on the nation. Having some experience myself here, I would say that one thing one should never do is listen to an “educationalist”; a pernicious crew whose interest lies in making things excessively complex, ideological, and unworkable.

A few days ago an article from the Daily Mail revealed that children are receiving advice on contraception and abortion at school, without their parents’ knowledge. I wonder if the NUT approve? I suspect they would. Education is above all the “transmission of values.” Any school that has to resort to these strategies has failed, and should be shut down. But more on topic: let’s aim to make good schools better, and not destroy what’s working. This country needs a Super Skip, to carry away the ideological debris of the last 50 years. Who knows–when the site is cleared we might find England is still there. We’re told that absolute power corrupts. What about Absolute Freedom?

Interesting, the population sample taken in the video. Looked rather ethnicist to me! Institutionally ethnicist?

I don’t have the links with me, but Blair’s academies have links to military establishments like the Carlyle group. I’ve just talked to someone who is showing the public Academies in and around Luton. I asked this women if she knew that some Academy schools ( I think they are called ARK schools ) were funded in part by the Military. You may be shocked to learn that she said yes–some of our Academies being set up are funded at least in part by the military, by which I mean the Military Industrial Complex.

google or youtube ark schools, I will try to find the links.

The education I received at school (1983-94) was an abomination. With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that the plan was to provide the absolute bare minimum, whilst creating a uniform mass of sheep-people (I was taught in graphic terms about the slave trade when eight years old, but no mention of the Barbary pirate expeditions!). Luckily my parents were well educated and I had all the books I needed (e.g the Flashman books were recommended by my Father when I was 11!) Other kids weren’t so fortunate and most have become the unthinking consumer-citizens for the Marxist meat-grinder.

My own 25-year career in teaching is about to come to an end with early retirement. I can’t afford it financially, but no more can I afford the spiritual misery of falling standards and massaged figures just to meet government targets. If we teachers fail candidates, or “learners” as they are now coyly termed, we have to justify our “poor achievement” rating in front of some resource-guzzling management creature, and even face the possibility of disciplinary measures. Once, such a scenario would have seemed pure silliness, but like so many other areas of our declining national life, the joke of a decade or two ago has now morphed into hideous reality.

I have to concur with SheriffofNottingham with regard to separating Church and State in the schools, as is the case in the States. Don’t get me wrong–the system isn’t perfect. But if churches want their own schools, they and not the State should pay for them, fully. And the curriculum should still have to meet State standards. Why should tax-exempt organisations have State support that relies on taxes?

–The Token Yank

Out of interest (or simulated interest) I looked up the NUT website:-
http://www.teachers.org.uk
The first five items are:-
[1] Fair pay for teachers - [you might think this would mean an ever decreasing amount]
[2] Campaign to reduce teachers’ workload
[3] NUT 6th form on fair pay for teachers
[4] Comment on primary maths…
[5] “The NUT fully supports Unite Against Fascism’s major march and rally in London”.
There’s an A4 poster in striking yellow and pink
http://www.teachers.org.uk/resources/pdf/london-demo-june.pdf
It includes various statements (read and see).

Private schools (or public schools) have enjoyed a curious immunity - anyone reading for example blue Penguins on education reform dating 1940s and later will see that public schools were simply elided out of the discussion. It’s amusing to see Greenshields 60 years later gunning for them. However I haven’t read his speech and imagine it’s rubbish since he clearly has no interest in supporting an honest organisation.

Incidentally on the subject of being out of date ‘Academies’ have been set up to be controlled by ‘businessmen’ putting in a tiny proportion of the costs for years. Well done Mr Greenshields for speaking up a decade too late.

By the way Cornish Jedi/ ExLondoner35/ Woodway — wouldn’t it be fun to see BBC frontmen and backroomers asked straight questions?

This is why I am a member of the BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY because of good old fasion common sense,integrity and honesty.

Here are the Links regarding Blair’s Academy schools.

Ark Schools. Arpad Busson, chairman of ARK, was associated with Giovanni Agnelli (head of Fiat, one of the ‘inner circle’ of Bilderberg), and Kissinger. Ark Schools has modified its website, in 4/9/07 ‘no religious affiliation’, January 2008 Burlington Danes Academy, an Ark school, ‘A Church of England School’. Interesting to note that ‘human re-engineering’, ‘behavioural change’ and ownership of ‘perception’ as mentioned on the EIM Consult website, is exactly what is going on in academy schools. Interesting to also note that the company 3es (www.3es.com) is earmarked to control 9 schools. This is a subsidiary of Faber Maunsell, which is a subsidiary of Aecom, military and subcontracts to the pentagon.
Into whose hands are we placing our children? We have no idea

Sadly these Videos have been removed I wonder why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiJEQwzB760

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-dPhymHlcwU

Here’s my two pence worth:

The Curriculum should aim for breadth before depth - to get the full picture before you focus in.
Obviously the foundations should be Maths (including Logic) and English Language (including Linguistics)

Also every child should know the basics of:

SCIENCES: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Astronomy (useless but mind-stretching)

TECHNOLOGIES: Civil Engineering and Construction (with basic introduction to all building trades); Mechanical Engineering; Electrical/Electronic Engineering; Agriculture; Computer literacy

ARTS: Music; ‘Western Canon’ literature; Drama (good for self-confidence and self-expression and Muslims hate it); Visual arts; Philosophy; one or more ‘useful’ modern languages and maybe a smattering of Latin.

As for history, I believe it should be taught to show how the modern world has developed. I passed history ‘O’-level in the 1960s without having to learn anything about American or Russian history - the nations that were the two biggest players in the post-war world.

I agree that religion should be completely removed from the curriculum;

Not sure what to do about Geography.

I do not aggree, pulling private schools down to state level will help no one, state schools should be made so good that every parent is guaranteed a first class education for their children, at least as good as the private sector. Teachers are now so busy form filling for the Government they have limited time left for teaching the children.

I am a proponent of “Streaming”. I was educated abroad. From the time we entered High School (secondary school), we were streamed, according to our academic abilities, into A, B, and C streams.
A-stream were groomed for university. B-stream were trained for the intelligent crafts and trades, and would go on to technical colleges. C-stream were taught only to read, write and reckon their numbers, because they were destined to work in local government!
Only 10% of school-leavers went on to study at university. Instead of the Regime’s unrealistic aim of 50%. There’s no sin in not being of an academic cast of mind.

Thanks all - it was a little test to see who would spot the fact that NOT ONE indigenous Briton was asked the question! More shameful rubbish from the BBC.

I think most people here have got it right; in particular I side with Artorius in going for an overview; there was a spontaneous demand for books by people like Wells and Russell, and for freethinking information). I only worry that it may not be possible to fit it all in. Incidentally Artorius, re geography, Hendrik van Loon from the same era wrote on geography in a popular way which is helpful - compare for example Japan off China with Britain off Europe, or the USSR resembling a huge mansion with only a few doors in and out. This sounds a bit old - I’m just producing evidence that people can be interested in these things.

Nobody’s mentioned the important point about Grammar Schools; the attack on them was usually by public school politicians [for US readers, these are private sector schools which in the remote past were public charities]. It was purely hypocritical - Crossman’s diaries for example state that his own kids and others would be OK as the system would be changed after they were through. To the present day Blair and others were careful to avoid Comprehensives schools.

However one must be realistic; at the risk of being sexist, I’d say not many girls are interested in the long haul of academic education; depending on social status they want to have kids or marry money, and, like our wonderful royal family, haven’t the slightest interest in knowledge; for example they go to great lengths to avoid maths [I quote]. And as female educationalists will rush to point out, there are plenty of feral boys. Askari perhaps is right, therefore.

Articles like this make me laugh. What happened to personal choice???? Will we have a five-year plan as well, comrades? I went to a state school, but send both my children to a private school. Let’s cut through the *****: the reason that private school children do better is firstly DISCIPLINE–that’s where the teachers tell your kids off and you DON’T go up the school and threaten to kill the teacher for infringing little Johnny’s human rights. The vast majority of the children I meet are well-mannered, and not only the children, but also the parents are motivated. There is zero truancy at my children’s school because the parents are paying *TWICE* to educate their children. We don’t get a rebate for not using the state system, so the state sector should be better off by at least 7% as that’s the percentage that are privately educated. They make a big thing about the charitable status of these schools, but never about the 7% of the total education spend we save the state!!!! It is just good old British envy that’s driven this country to the state it’s in now!!!! Maybe these people should go without holidays, smoking, gambling, new cars, etc., etc. that myself and the parents I know give up to send their children to these schools. Dragging everyone down to the lowest level doesn’t improve the breed–look at the state of the NHS under Labour. It’s a joke, as are our state schools. That’s why a report a couple of weeks back stated 3/4 of parents wanted to go private. For once, don’t take the easy option and punish those that make an effort, get off your **** and deal with the real problem–all the pinko commies that are in our teacher training colleges. Or better still, get ex-military men in to teach in schools like they did in the dark old days, and return some discipline to our classrooms.

“Academic standards are in decline in many British universities. Students who would once have been failed their degrees pass, and students who would once have been awarded respectable lower seconds are now awarded upper seconds and even firsts.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4158426.ece

Interesting article here about the way HE has been completely corrupted: “I have become alarmed and depressed at the number of inquiries I receive from usually young scholars just embarking on their careers and coming under intolerable managerial pressure to pass students who should fail and to “massage” students into higher qualifications.”

Thanks to the wanton destruction of our manufacturing base the country currently depends upon a host of dubious activities to get foreign exchange; one of these is the issuing of worthless degrees to foreign students for money. The forthcoming Nationalist government is really going to have its work cut out. It will have to start from square one, and ruthlessly cut all these cancers out of the body politic - and make a start getting some real production going. It will be an immense task so far have we been driven down by knaves and fools in recent decades.