Public school types are they fit to govern.

[modeller]

Many would be MPs go from top public schools to University and then straight into politics without any experience of working in the real world or knowledge of how most people live. Are such people fit and able to govern this country successfully ?

[VHG]

>Many would be MPs go from top public schools to University and then straight into politics

Why pick out "top public schools". I am sure there are many MPs from ALL parties who go from "ordinairy" schools to University and then straight into politics.

How many jobs have Tony Blair or Gordon Brown had before going into politics?

[joggerjayne]

Why is there such an issue over schooling ?

[saxy_jag]

I've known plenty of ex-public school pupils - top schools and otherwise - who have a realistic outlook on life and whom I wouldn't object to seeing in charge of my country. Sadly they've not had any inclination to, which is a great pity.

What I really can't stand are those who, whatever their educational background, promote the 'one-size-fits-all' state school system when it clearly fails so many youngsters and when their own kids get to avoid it and get the education of their parents' choice.

A case of 'I'm alright, Jack, pull the ladder up'.

[joggerjayne]

A lot of "Socialist" politicians spend their lives advocating state education ...

... but send their children privately.

[karenmac60]

I don't think it's so much that they went to public school that's the problem - more that that sort of background denotes privilege and more than likely a failure to understand just how hard the poorer sections of society actually have it. I have friends who come from wealthier backgrounds who think deprivation is only being able to afford to go out a couple of times a month and maybe shopping once a month. They cannot understand the concept of having to choose between paying all the bills or eating because they have never been in that situation. The worry is that politicians from a well off background will take care of those in their own class, making sure they can afford to live in the style they are accustomed to, and ignore the struggling underclasses.

[joggerjayne]

Zeuhl ...

If your answer is supposed to be serious ... then I disagree with you.

If your answer is supposed to be humorous ... then I am smiling to myself.

Either way, it is a brilliant answer, and I applaud you.

I will click on more of your posts in future.

[joggerjayne]

LOL

Great answer from KMac too.

I feel like Bridget Jones, when she says that Kafka's Motorbike is the greatest book of our time ... and then catches Salman Rushdie's eye.

Your answer too, Ms KMac, was also very good.

LOL

[boxtops]

I went to school with a girl who was an MEP for a while and is now an MP again - we weren't at public school, I promise!

[modeller]

VHG . Because school does not teach you about life. How can it , most teachers also have little or no experience about the working enviroment but they don't make the laws , the politicians do. I wonder if it would be better if you couldn't stand for election before the age of say 30 . They would then bring some true life experience into parliament.
I said top public schools because their background is usually so privileged they don't understand normal family life, whereas many ordinary graduates do have working and middle class backgrounds. Have TB and GB been all that successful ?

jogger Its not the schooling that matters ,it's their the lack of experience afterwards.

[joggerjayne]

Zeuhl ...

I have one or two little "novelty" items from our local "ladies fun" shop (Tickled) which we could play with, LOL !

x

I must come to the News section more often ... it's fun here.

=0)

[BillyBB]

List of sixty Labour MPs who were privately schooled here http://www.workingcla.../12/labour-toffs.html then plenty more tory and dims too. Wish I had and hope to see the Swedish system here. Couple of friends went or got scholarships and their private school education is another planet to state.
I don't think teachers should go straight to teaching either but given the choice I'd rather see better educated running the country.

[New Judge]

Large numbers of MPs (of all persuasions) have never had a “proper” job. Many Labour MPs and ministers graduate from trade union activities and local politics to Westminster without having done a day’s “proper” work in their life.

As for their education, again it varies across the parties. However, there is no doubt that private education provides a better service than its state counterpart (if it did not people with the funds to have their children educated privately would not do so). So, along with BillyBB, I would rather my elected leaders be educated to the best standard possible.

It is interesting that Zeuhl notes that “... many of them are not very bright or gifted in any way yet still manage to leave school with good grades”. The same thing can be said (with considerably greater confidence) of many of those leaving State secondary schools. They are often awarded large numbers of GCSEs and ‘A’ Levels, peppered with high grades, only to be disappointed to learn that most of their contemporaries have done equally well and so they are not so outstanding after all.

There has been a growing contention among some people that they cannot be represented by anybody who is not the same as they are. This is an illogical notion as, since we are all different, nobody would be deemed fit to represent us.

Many people are perhaps not fit and able to govern this country. Unfortunately many of them, from all backgrounds and of all political persuasions find their way into politics. Much of the reason is due to the apathy of the electorate.

[modeller]

billyBB I agree with you that an MP should be well educated but the type of education is of equal importance . A highly privileged background where everything you need is available , where there is always someone else to carry out menial tasks, where you are told you are the elite. That background breeds confidence and arrogance but does it give you any understanding of how most people live and work .? Above all does it equip you to rule successfully ?

[McMouse]

Don't know whether //Public school types are they fit to govern// . But certainly during my 11 years in HM Forces many of the senior officers came from a Public School background. Without exception they were great leaders and had the respect of the men. They had gone straight from school (or in some cases university) to military training. They initially had little or no knowledge of working in the real world or how most people lived. They did however possess a good rounded education, understood team spirit and a sense of fair play.

[modeller]

You are right McMouse I also spent years in the army but the army is not real life and the attributes required there are different to dealing with the NHS , housing , industry etc. Look at the military governments in the world they are appalling.

[milliezoe]

I do feel that MPs should not be allowed into westminster before the age of 30 which will mean they have as we say been to the coalface and know what it means to work and pay taxes to fund NHS etc

[joggerjayne]

I don't agree about the "arrogance" thing.

I was privately educated, and I am paying for my god-daughter to attend a private school. I don't think I'm arrogant, and I don't believe that she will be, either.

Where I think private schools have an edge is in teaching "soft skills" ... courtesy, demeanour, elocution, etc.

Far from being arrogant, I think private schools iron out any notion of snobbery, and turn out pupils who mix comfortably in any social situation. Look at the Queen, or Prince William talking to "working class" people ... they are perfectly comfortable, and make everyone feel at ease.

I think the arrogance exists amongst people who believe that they have such a better understanding of the way the world works than anyone who was at a private school.