Comments on: How to run education through bribery and coercion http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/ Daily views on British politics and the Conservative Party from a centre-right thinker who writes letters on his blog to politicians, journalists and many others. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:46:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Top Posts « WordPress.com http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1376 Top Posts « WordPress.com Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:59:49 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1376 [...] How to run education through bribery and coercion Dear Jim Knight, Very clever indeed.  Most impartial observers might think nothing of it, but the fact that UCAS made […] [...]<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1376','Top Posts « WordPress.com'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1376','Top Posts « WordPress.com','[...] How to run education through bribery and coercion Dear Jim Knight, Very clever indeed.  Most impartial observers might think nothing of it, but the fact that UCAS made […] [...]'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> [...] How to run education through bribery and coercion Dear Jim Knight, Very clever indeed.  Most impartial observers might think nothing of it, but the fact that UCAS made […] [...]
Reply to this comment – Quote this comment
]]> By: Letters From A Tory http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1379 Letters From A Tory Thu, 20 Dec 2007 13:24:57 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1379 I don't think it's as simple as you portray it. Everyone knew that Clegg was going to be the big story the following day, despite this announcement potentially changing the face of education (for the worse) in this country forever. I'm sure it was emailed to all education correspondents, but on checking again the Independent website has no mention of it whatsoever, the Guardian gave it a minor article on the 19th and I remember that even the Torygraph had it a long way down their list of stories on that day. Although I didn't get a screenshot, the BBC put the story on their website at about 1:30pm, around an hour before the Clegg announcement, thereby ensuring it got bounced off the top stories within minutes. If this announcement had been made on a quieter day, there is no doubt that the public and many politicians would have been furious about the government proposals.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1379','Letters From A Tory'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1379','Letters From A Tory','I don\'t think it\'s as simple as you portray it. Everyone knew that Clegg was going to be the big story the following day, despite this announcement potentially changing the face of education (for the worse) in this country forever.\n\nI\'m sure it was emailed to all education correspondents, but on checking again the Independent website has no mention of it whatsoever, the Guardian gave it a minor article on the 19th and I remember that even the Torygraph had it a long way down their list of stories on that day. Although I didn\'t get a screenshot, the BBC put the story on their website at about 1:30pm, around an hour before the Clegg announcement, thereby ensuring it got bounced off the top stories within minutes.\n\nIf this announcement had been made on a quieter day, there is no doubt that the public and many politicians would have been furious about the government proposals.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> I don’t think it’s as simple as you portray it. Everyone knew that Clegg was going to be the big story the following day, despite this announcement potentially changing the face of education (for the worse) in this country forever.

I’m sure it was emailed to all education correspondents, but on checking again the Independent website has no mention of it whatsoever, the Guardian gave it a minor article on the 19th and I remember that even the Torygraph had it a long way down their list of stories on that day. Although I didn’t get a screenshot, the BBC put the story on their website at about 1:30pm, around an hour before the Clegg announcement, thereby ensuring it got bounced off the top stories within minutes.

If this announcement had been made on a quieter day, there is no doubt that the public and many politicians would have been furious about the government proposals.

Reply to this comment – Quote this comment
]]> By: anonymous http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1378 anonymous Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:59:06 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1378 Your critique of the announcement itself is excellent but Lib Dem leadership announcement as a way to bury bad news? Think you're taking that a bit far - there are more newsworthy events than Clegg's victory almost every day. And you are also clearly wrong because it was e-mailed out to all educaton correspondents which is why they all picked up on it (inc a full page in the Times).<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1378','anonymous'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1378','anonymous','Your critique of the announcement itself is excellent but Lib Dem leadership announcement as a way to bury bad news? Think you\'re taking that a bit far - there are more newsworthy events than Clegg\'s victory almost every day. And you are also clearly wrong because it was e-mailed out to all educaton correspondents which is why they all picked up on it (inc a full page in the Times).'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> Your critique of the announcement itself is excellent but Lib Dem leadership announcement as a way to bury bad news? Think you’re taking that a bit far – there are more newsworthy events than Clegg’s victory almost every day. And you are also clearly wrong because it was e-mailed out to all educaton correspondents which is why they all picked up on it (inc a full page in the Times).
Reply to this comment – Quote this comment
]]> By: Jingle Horse http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1380 Jingle Horse Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:45:42 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1380 I think everybody here is missing the point To cite your example of a 'hairdressing diploma' From a personal point of view: I get my hair cut and styled at least once every three months. In comparison I have never had to use my University gained biologically skills with anywhere near as much frequency or with as much visual impactof failure Even doctors can hide their mistakes. We should never underestimate the stressful career of a stylist. My point being that there are enough ex-polyechnic, voctional style universities to provide Britain with a skilled labour force. Better Hair for a Better Britain<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1380','Jingle Horse'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1380','Jingle Horse','I think everybody here is missing the point\n\nTo cite your example of a \'hairdressing diploma\'\n\nFrom a personal point of view: I get my hair cut and styled at least once every three months. In comparison I have never had to use my University gained biologically skills with anywhere near as much frequency or with as much visual impactof failure Even doctors can hide their mistakes. We should never underestimate the stressful career of a stylist.\n\nMy point being that there are enough ex-polyechnic, voctional style universities to provide Britain with a skilled labour force.\n\nBetter Hair for a Better Britain'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> I think everybody here is missing the point

To cite your example of a ‘hairdressing diploma’

From a personal point of view: I get my hair cut and styled at least once every three months. In comparison I have never had to use my University gained biologically skills with anywhere near as much frequency or with as much visual impactof failure Even doctors can hide their mistakes. We should never underestimate the stressful career of a stylist.

My point being that there are enough ex-polyechnic, voctional style universities to provide Britain with a skilled labour force.

Better Hair for a Better Britain

Reply to this comment – Quote this comment
]]> By: Letters From A Tory http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1377 Letters From A Tory Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:00:47 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1377 Precisely. When you have the government in control of every educational institution in the country and in charge of who gets funding and what they receive funding for, coercion is rife - trust me. Universities in theory can completely ignore diplomas, but schools are being bribed and I have no doubt that the government will move the goalposts for universities if diplomas are ignored.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1377','Letters From A Tory'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1377','Letters From A Tory','Precisely. When you have the government in control of every educational institution in the country and in charge of who gets funding and what they receive funding for, coercion is rife - trust me. Universities in theory can completely ignore diplomas, but schools are being bribed and I have no doubt that the government will move the goalposts for universities if diplomas are ignored.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> Precisely. When you have the government in control of every educational institution in the country and in charge of who gets funding and what they receive funding for, coercion is rife – trust me. Universities in theory can completely ignore diplomas, but schools are being bribed and I have no doubt that the government will move the goalposts for universities if diplomas are ignored.
Reply to this comment – Quote this comment
]]> By: Trumpeter Lanfried http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1382 Trumpeter Lanfried Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:56:52 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1382 But Universities won't be able to ignore it. If they turn away people with hairdressing diplomas the Government will threaten them with cuts on the grounds that they are discriminating against applicants from working class backgrounds.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1382','Trumpeter Lanfried'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1382','Trumpeter Lanfried','But Universities won\'t be able to ignore it. If they turn away people with hairdressing diplomas the Government will threaten them with cuts on the grounds that they are discriminating against applicants from working class backgrounds.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> But Universities won’t be able to ignore it. If they turn away people with hairdressing diplomas the Government will threaten them with cuts on the grounds that they are discriminating against applicants from working class backgrounds.
Reply to this comment – Quote this comment
]]> By: Tim Leunig http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1381 Tim Leunig Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:35:39 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/how-to-run-education-through-bribery-and-coercion/#comment-1381 But so long as univs can ignore this, how does it matter?<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1381','Tim Leunig'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1381','Tim Leunig','But so long as univs can ignore this, how does it matter?'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> But so long as univs can ignore this, how does it matter?
Reply to this comment – Quote this comment
]]>