Primary schools accused of 'social segregation'

[JIM CURRAN]

Primary schools accused of 'social segregation' by rejecting poorer pupils in favour of children from richer homes

Primary schools in England have been accused of “social segregation” after a report showed more than 1,500 schools were turning away disadvantaged pupils in favour of children from higher-income families.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/educa ... 84741.html

[maizie]

I suppose the headline 'Some Primary schools accused of social segregation' would have been less exciting.

1,500 schools is probably fewer than 10% of all primary schools. Still not a good statistic but a more honest way of looking at the problem instead of tarring all primary schools with the same brush.

[chew8]

Good point, maizie.

Jenny C.

[JIM CURRAN]

I agree Maizie , not a great headline but there’s a significant problem, according to the OECD schools in the UK are among the most socially segregated in Western Europe and this is bad for all our children. Research by the Sutton Trust in 2013 showed that the top 500 Comprehensives had on average 7.2% of their pupils on the Free School Meals register against a national average of 16.5%. The problem in Northern Ireland is even more acute with almost 20% of our Secondary schools having 50% or more of their pupils on the Free School Meals register.

[maizie]

according to the OECD schools in the UK are among the most socially segregated in Western Europe

State schools? Or does this include private schools?

[kenm]

I agree Maizie , not a great headline but there’s a significant problem, according to the OECD schools in the UK are among the most socially segregated in Western Europe and this is bad for all our children. Research by the Sutton Trust in 2013 showed that the top 500 Comprehensives had on average 7.2% of their pupils on the Free School Meals register against a national average of 16.5%. The problem in Northern Ireland is even more acute with almost 20% of our Secondary schools having 50% or more of their pupils on the Free School Meals register.

This is partly because of segregation by locality: we have large areas, in Northern England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which still have above average numbers of unemployed because of the decline in manufacturing, and prosperous areas in the South East with high house prices so that only the well-off can afford to live there. An attempt to balance numbers by bussing children from each to the other would require some infeasibly long journeys, especially at primary level. Moreover, middle-class parents (who vote enthusiastically) would react adversely to their children being denied admission to a good local school; if making a fuss failed, some would home-educate, some would take out another mortgage and go private.

[JIM CURRAN]

Thanks Kenm for the comments and especially the very interesting quote from Machiavelli.

"... there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things." Niccolo Macchiavelli, "The Prince", Chapter 6

[kenm]

Thanks Kenm for the comments and especially the very interesting quote from Machiavelli.

I like the rest of it too (from memory, and other translations may differ): "for the innovator has as opponents all those who have done well under the old regime, and only lukewarm supporters among those who may do well under the new."

(OT) Macchiavelli has been much denigrated for his apparent approval of political dirty tricks and his admiration of Cesare Borgia, but some later commentators take a more favourable view. See his Wikipedia entry.