Sort the mediocrity farms first

The former head of a low grade ex-polytechnic who is now in charge of OffToff  or whatever the Office of 'fair' access is called wants "top" universities to admit students based on arbitrary classifications, rather than merit.

I have suggested elsewhere that perhaps all these high grade state school pupils that are being failed might be given an extra chance with a pre-Uni year where they retake their A levels - so that admissions can be on merit. universities might like to use some of their expertise in teaching ( lol ) to help.

But the real scandal is that many schools specialise in farming mediocracy.

How do we know this ? Well look at the out cry over people getting a grade D instead of a grade C at GCSE. The impact of this on individuals is high - and I'm not diminish the issue, but no one was complaining about missing A's or B's. Why - because the school farm is in the business of producing grade C's as their rankings are measured on these.

On this basis its hardly surprising that mediocrity caries on into A levels and a failure of high potential candidates to gain the places they could have otherwise held down at top Universities. They instead have to go to sink institutions like the one the head of OffToff used to run.

The solution that dare not speak its name

Its time for the Radio 4 Today program panic about social mobility again.

Guess what ? All the fixes, fiddles and plain bodges to get children who's education has failed at state schools into top Universities isn't fitting the targets which have been dreamed up.

They'll try anything - scholarships ( free money for some people taken from others ), summer schools, putting out information that a half consious monkey could figure out for themselves on A levels required. But it not working.

The system has failed since - the Grammar school ruled.

But we must not have selective education !

But of course we already do. Almost every secondary school will stream, and yet the monster comprehensives aren't achieving the same results with their top streams. Why ?

The answer has to to do with wider issues that you get when your in a school with people of similar capability, but not just in a class of them.

Because of the stranglehold the BBC and Guardian have on the windpipe of English education this question will never get asked.

And ugly of class warfare will be called upon instead.

"Pupil Voice" is really aimed at political indoctrination

Like the workers and soldier political committee's that undermined the Soviet Union in war and peace Labour are insisting that schools become more politicised. ( They are of course already, as a discussion with some of the young people in our local Conservative association proves, thankfully we can rely on teenagers instinct to rebel to avoid extensive brain washing - though the fact they are often denied the ideas and arguments of the right of centre is a great worry. )

But the idea of authorities in school requiring to consult elected student bodies by law is worrying of itself. It is also the case that you are handing out authority without responsibility.

These groups are almost always going to think in a collectivist way, which is just what the left wants. They want everyone to have their view of the world before they learn anything about it from experience ( which tends to push people to the right ).

I'm not saying that no good can come of things like school councils - indeed it can and any organisation that doesn't have feedback mechanisms from its customers built in is asking for trouble - just there's another agenda at play.

The Conservative response should be to take away the legal compulsion - let schools and head teachers decide. And just to avoid the wedge tactics the left use how about making the National Union of Students only take membership fees for each individual renewable each year - with no impact on facilities available on campus for educational bodies.

Just think of our current generation of left of centre politicians who are little more that eternal student politicians. Time to kick the ladder away I think.

Diploma in government social engineer launched by government

Using the rather obvious ploy of saying their new diploma will be worth more than 3 'A' levels for University entrance "because we say so" the government is moving to fix its social engineering ideas on Universities. ( As of course no one will want to switch before the course are established - poorer candidates will start the diploma and get grade inflation built in. Allowing Gordon Browns/Balls wish to crush the life chances of middle class kids so that socialism can be achieved .)

Surely Universities should be allowed to matriculate as they wish ? Not in the land of Balls.

The only outcome from this will be more interview testing and more Universities setting their own exams as they can trust the government of Balls and Brown.

If they weren't trying to pull as fast one they would have introduced new 'A' levels for different subjects. If pupils can't handle 'A' levels they have no business going to University, as its going to be academically harder.

This change is all about government determining who goes to University and which University and stopping talent and hard work being the determining factors. 'A' Levels are unpopular with the educational establishment as they make the social engineering and punishing of children because of who their parents are harder to achieve - not that Labour haven't tried that already with their how were your parents educated part of the UCAS form.

Remember - Labour hate your children, at the same time they are getting private/selective education for their own. Lets see where Balls & Cooper send their kids ....