The trials of Tom Daley explain what’s wrong with state education
Tom Daley about to get towel whipped to within an inch of his life...
Do you remember Tom Daley? The little chap who was very good at falling with style from a very high platform into a deep pool of water at the Olympics? Apparently, as soon as he returned to his state secondary school he had the crap bullied out of him. Thus, after someone threatened (quite seriously, one must suppose) to ‘break his legs’, Daley’s father thought it was time for his son to go. Where to? The private sector.
This might not seem a particularly big or important issue, but it is. Yes, kids are bullied all the time, in both state and private schools. After all, children are horrible. They’re shits. I can say this with authority as, from the age approximately 11-15, I was a horrid, little twerp. It’s inevitable that some kids will get picked on. But why pick on Daley? The answer is simple: Daley was/is extremely successful. And why will he better off in a private school? Because private schools, unlike state schools, do not have a culture where success is abnormal, and thus something to be attacked over.*
In state schools, if you stick your head above the parapet – by being too clever, too funny, too good at something – there will be a crowd of people ready and willing to pelt rotten fruit at you. Now why is this?
This is not because state schooled kids hate success; it’s because there is a culture of mediocrity that surrounds most state schools. Teachers do not care about turning A’s into A*, they care about turning D’s into C’s. Mixed ability classes mean that clever kids have to slow down, dumb kids still struggle and mediocre kids do, well, mediocre. A lot of state schools simply don’t bother pushing kids to apply for the best universities.
It’s a dull argument, and one often repeated by boorish fools with whom I have no wish to be associated, but I think it rings true. Daley having to move to a private school simply because he was successful is a sad indictment of the state education system in Britain as a whole, where mediocrity is cherished and children – rather than being viewed as individuals – are simply a clump of 5 A*-C results waiting to happen.
Tom Daley is just one very talented fifteen year old, but the state sector can’t afford to lose talented kids. The whole point of comprehensive education is that people of all abilities and all backgrounds go to school and mix together. If state schools don’t stop being so anti-talent then the gap between the private and state sectors will not close.
*N.B I went to a state school. It was alright. Not good, but alright. Please note that many state schools are wonderful, and really push pupils. Likewise, some private schools are dreadful shitholes that would be closed if they were in the public sector.
Related posts:
Hi would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using? I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a hard time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique. P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!
tives to get you to try their kits. They will offer free http://my.hip-hop.sk/account/submit/add-blog/adde... ,trials, 30-day money back guarantees, free shipping and discounts. You can shop around and see what the online stores offer. When you have deci
hello there and thank you for your info – I have certainly picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise a few technical points using this web site, as I experienced to reload the website many times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I’m adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for much more of your respective intriguing content. Make sure you update this again soon..
I must carry the flexibility out of to thank everyone for any skilled professional referrals I?ve mostly valued considering your webblog. We?re ready for often the beginning most typically associated with personal or perhaps scientific studies because the wide placement of feet would not tend to be flawless obtaining popping up to the site your website. Essentially tend to be of one?s assist with a few, I?ll be happy that can assist with what I possess discovered how at this point.
Regards for helping out, superb information. “Whoever obeys the gods, to him they particularly listen.” by Homer.
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all people you actually recognise what you’re talking approximately! Bookmarked. Please additionally visit my website =). We can have a link exchange arrangement between us!
things i have seen in terms of computer memory iss the facted these are specs such as ram, DDR and many others, that must go with the technical specs of the mother board. If the pc?s motherboard is reasonably current while there are no operating-system issues, upgrading the memory space literally normally takes under 1 hour. It?s among the list of easiest personal computer upgrade methods one can imagine. Thanks for spreading your ideas in Poduszki
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem together with your site in internet explorer, could check this… IE still is the marketplace leader and a big part of other folks will leave out your great writing due to this problem.
Almost all of what you claim is astonishingly appropriate and that makes me ponder the reason why I had not looked at this with this light before. This particular piece really did turn the light on for me personally as far as this topic goes. However there is actually one particular point I am not too comfy with so while I try to reconcile that with the core theme of your position, let me observe what all the rest of the subscribers have to say.Nicely done.
tin tuc Great beat ! I wish to apprentice whilst you amend your site, how could i subscribe for a weblog site? The account helped me a appropriate deal. I were tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast offered brilliant clear idea