Nanny is very concerned that all aspects of society "accurately" reflect her views as to what, and who, makes up that society.As ever, In Nanny's view the best way for her to influence how society functions is to "get 'em while they're young". Therefore schools are to be required to balance the social and racial mix of all their pupils under Nanny's new rules, designed to end backdoor selection.
Schools will have to carry out detailed research into applicants, to ensure that they "attract all sections of local communities".
In other words, schools will not be given a choice in who they select. This may be fine for "social engineering", but it is not fine for those pupils who do not conform to the intellectual "norm" or "average".
Regrettably, despite political dogma claiming otherwise, those who are the brightest or slowest are often failed by schools that do not practice streaming or selection. The most apt analogy being that the convoy can only travel as fast as the slowest ship.
Those who are the brightest become bored and frustrated as the class meanders along at a snail's pace, whilst those who are in need of extra tuition to help them reach the "norm" are not given the attention that they need.
It is a lose lose situation.
Anyhoo, Nanny doesn't give a stuff about reality; she is only concerned with dogma. Schools will be banned from asking about the financial, employment or marital status of parents before a child is admitted, to ensure fairness. Questions about a child's "behaviour or attitude" at primary school, when deciding on admissions, will also be banned.
John Dunford, of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
"These proposals are inconsistent and I think they will place impossible demands on head teachers."
Nick Gibb, a Tory schools spokesman, said that teachers would be:
"bogged down conducting analysis for social engineering reasons."
The new rules also state that faith schools should "encourage local people of the faith, or of other or no faith, to apply for their school."
Er doesn't that kind of undermine the concept of a faith school?
Unworkable and unreasonable!
Another Nanny initiative that will end up in the dustbin of history.
"Schools will be banned from asking about the financial, employment or marital status of parents before a child is admitted, to ensure fairness."
ReplyDeletePresumably this concept will also be applied to higher education as well then? Having 2 kids at University I get somewhat annoyed at the amount of paperwork and personal financial checking that I am subjected to each year, especially as it seems they can't work out that the answers are the same for both of them.
What I really look forward to is the time when Nanny specifies the precise size, sex and colour of each child to be born. At that point will we be allowed to raise a glass (of something judged nutritious I assume) to Aldous Huxley in recognition of his vision.
It does seem that Nanny has the midas touch in the sense that everything she tries to change delivers an expensive but unusable result. Perhaps not quite the way the parable is usually interpreted but it seems close to the mark to me.