Re: Selection in Education

abelard wrote:

> On 15 Dec 2005 01:34:11 -0800, "joeh" <j.hutcheon@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> typed:
>
> >Harry the Horse wrote:
> >
> >> "allan tracy" <thunderbird57303@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> >> news:1134588565.548143.248990@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> >
> >> > Why is the left so hung up about this?
> >> >
> >> If you'd been to a secondary modern you'd know the answer to that question.
> >> I did so I do.
> >
> >Possibly so, but the point being made is that selection effectively
> >continues, with Bash Street Sec Mod becoming Bash Street Comprehensive.
> >
> >It's one of those problems with effectively no solution. If you're
> >rich enough you can buy yourself out of a poor education system, if
> >not, you're stuck with it. Most of the possible solutions (eg bussing
> >in pupils from 'poorer' areas) would be expensive and disruptive to
> >implement.
> >
> >'Parental choice' in education is essentially a myth.
>
> typical black/white socialist fundy 'logic'.....
> with vouchers it is not 'a myth'...it is only 'a myth' while the interests
> of government and union cartel goes before the interests of the
> customers...

So therefore it is currently a myth., which is what I said above. That
doesn't mean to say that parental choice can *never* be attained, but
there are serious barriers to be overcome.

For example, the best school in an area (let's call it St Cake's) has a
largely middle-class intake because it is in a leafy suburb. Parents
whose children attend the poorer quality school a few miles away (let's
call it 'Bash Street Comprehensive') which is in a grotty area
surrounded by council estates, want to 'exercise choice' by sending
their children to St Cake's.

Problem: St Cake's can accommodate only a finite number of children, so
if the parents of the Bash Street Comp get their children into St
Cake's this will be at the expense of local parents whose children
would otherwise secure places there. Whose freedom of choice takes
priority? An analogy would be shopping vouchers which are usable in
either a local grotty supermarket or a small branch Waitrose. Everyone
will want to shop at Waitrose, but there wouldn't be enough room in the
shop for all the prospective customers.

> you might as well argue that choice of car ownership is 'a myth'
> because not everyone can afford a roller....
> being unable to afford a roller does not condemn you to crawl on
> your hands and knees...

But below a certain level of income you cannot afford to own/run a car
of any sort. Or are you arguing for car vouchers as well as
educational vouchers?

.

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