Narrowing the gap between private and state schools
Anthony Seldon suggests radical solutions for reducing the distance between private and state school provision.
No public service gap in Britain matters more than that between the performance of independent and state schools. While the latter have certainly improved considerably over the last decade, the success of independent schools has increased far more.
If one looks at class size, money spent, exam results, access to top universities and the best paid and most influential jobs, the state sector lags way behind, which has a life-long impact on pupils. Governments over the last century have regularly taken note of the differential performance, but have frankly been clueless about how to rectify it.
The First World War was the first wake-up call, when it became clear that public schools were dominating not only the officer classes, but also the poets, writers, artists and musicians who depicted the conflict. The products of the public schools were also far healthier, fitter and taller...
Read on at Ethos Journal here
Ethosis aimed at public sector leaders, politicians, academics and policy specialists debating the future of public services today.
