persistent niggle

quite a while ago now, whilst having a conversation with a friend (albeit a fairly new one), i was asked what one thing would make me happier. not in a personal sense, but in a wider social/political sense; its probably seemed a good question to stop me roaming all over the china shop of my political and moral grumbles. "what one thing, if you could apply from it tomorrow, would you have happen or change or whatever?"

i thought about this. mostly while admiring the girl's pleasing belief that one thing could make me happy. in a world of sometimes blithe innocent unthinking cheerfulness, i possess a list of things as long as my "to read" or "albums to buy" lists that i would like to see change. my anger and annoyance is multifarious and insatiable.

however, after several years of consideration (my productivity is definitely increasing, folks) i have managed to think of one thing that, while it wouldn't make me completely happy, would make me happier, and relieve me of periodic persistent rage.

i would like, no, love to see all private education abolished.

this probably isn't a surprise to anyone who's grasped the unsubtle tenor of my political views. it is, though, something which looms for me far above every other iniquity of the current state of the country.

i cannot fathom how it is allowed (i hope one day in the future it will be looked back on with the same "how could they allows this???" type disbelief that we associate with burning witches and children working up chimneys). It is one of the more disturbing sights and sounds of the media to see people appear from the woodwork to justify private education on television and radio. usually people who either work in the private schools, or people who send their children to them. red of face and vociferous they often are. the classic argument in defence is as follows:

"why should we prevent parents providing the best possible education for their child? we have a right to use our hard work and labour to gain better opportunities for them?"

the simple answer is "no. you don't" i can understand you want the best for your child. but your child is of no more importance than anyone else's. they do not deserve "better opportunities" than anyone else. we cannot claim to live in a fair society, a meritocracy if you like, where some children have better educational opportunities. And certainly not better opportunities based on their parent's earnings or property. any "right" that is based on money or power is spurious and unjustifiable.

i used to use a two question method on people that argued there was nothing wrong with private education; it seemed the quickest, and clearest, route to making the issue clear:

1) why would you purchase education for your child?

(answer: because i wish to provide them with the best possible education and

opportunities. let's face it, no-one would spend the money otherwise, would they?)

2) why should your child, important to you as they may be, talented as they may be, gain better opportunities by dint of your greater wealth than other parents?

(answer, usually more garbled and annoyed: because i have worked hard for my money and

i have right to do whats best for my child..... or words to that effect)

needless the say, the second answer is not in any way satisfactory. it is based on a falsely competitive notion of society (ironically, people who have a lot of money and are used to buying their privileges get astonishingly, and entertainingly, angry when other factors prevent them accessing the thing they want: for instance, not getting into school or a club or whatever because their religion or their child's ability is considered "wrong").

Furthermore, the nastier implication, never mentioned, is that they worked hard for their money and deserve the privileges it brings. well, firstly there should be no privileges in education, and secondly, it would be nice to have them openly tell other parents: "I'm afraid you don't work hard enough, my dears, or you too could have our opportunities". because that is what the argument amounts to, effectively: my child is more deserving than yours, and my wealth is proof of this. your poverty is proof you don't deserve the best

anyway, the view is pretty abhorrent to most people. my favourite retort is that the rest of us are merely "envious"; yes, too bloody right we are, in some sense, envious; only in another sense, a sense these people will never understand, we aren't.

Because we don't form our ethics and beliefs around what money we have, and what our position will allow us to do. "if you had the money you'd do it too" they often say.

but, simply, no. we would not send our children to private schools, no matter how much we'd like them to experience the highest quality of education and facilities (and that itself is often a moot point; not all private schools are remotely good anyway, many are there merely to take financial advantage of wealthier parents deluded hopes for better chances), we don't feel that something is right to do merely because we have the money or power to do it. if my having a lot of money (oh, the thought!) allowed me to get away with murder then that would not make me commit the act or feel it justifiable. wanting the best for your child is justifiable and understandable, but not a reason for acting to put them ahead of the pack.

in fact, quite honestly, it wouldn't matter whether you were a bad parent, lazy and feckless, who had no desire to improve your child's chances, they still deserve as much chance and as high a standard of education as the wealthiest, most doting parent's child. arguably they deserve it even more, because they have no parental support, no financial advantage, and almost certainly no emphasis on achievement in their lives.

every child, from richest to poorest, brightest to dimmest, whitest to blackest, deserves the same highest standard of education and opportunity. no-one should be exempt from either the best or the worst. if the local school is failing, then all the children in that area should be subject to that failure, just as if the school is excellent that excellence should benefit all children. we cannot have a system where children from wealthier backgrounds go state schools when they are good, and then get bought out when they are bad. it isn't a fair way of doing things. and it leads to my final point:

the continuance of the private sector only works to diminish the state sector. it drains money, it drains resources, and perhaps worst of all, by allowing the wealthier in society to escape the state system, it strips much of the impetus for increased funding and improved quality and standards. what is more, it maintains a state of social immobility whereby your background and your parents background works to determine your opportunities in life. and no-one surely would agree with that?

so, yes, i think your child deserves the best; but he/she also deserves the same as every other child. your having money or power (or for that matter, the right address or religion) should be no factor in their getting "better opportunities" than their peers. no child has more right to better opportunities than any other child. the sooner we get rid of the private system, and get everyone working under the same system (on a level playing field, as the principle has it), and working to make it the best it can be, the better for everyone. otherwise, the whole country will remain tied to a socially immobile class system it misguidedly thinks it has grown beyond.