Letters: September 19, 2016

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

Pupils will pay the price

SO, “CHOICE”, that word again, used by politicians to justify any passing fad.

In May 2015, we voted for David Cameron, George Osborne, Nicky Morgan, Bill Willetts (note from sub only MP/Lord Willetts is a David.), etc., who all stood unequivocally on a platform of no return to selective education.

A year and a bit later we get a White Paper signalling a return to selective education.

This about-turn is even too much for David Cameron who, by sheer coincidence, announced he will quit Parliament on the same day the consultation on grammar schools is announced.

It really does make you think about breweries and alcohol.

We have free schools, UTC’s, LEA schools, faith schools, colleges, academies and now grammar schools. Only weeks ago George Osborne was saying all schools would in future become academies, before he was forced to abandon the idea.

We understand some red meat is required for those right wing Tories who backed Theresa, and perhaps also a little “credit in the bank” if she is only able to deliver “Brexit Light” in the end.

Sadly, the price will be paid by the majority of our children.

Instead of levelling the playing field, new grammars will expand the market for expensive tuition and private prep schools, accelerating social segregation in the process.

The Sutton Trust said this week the market for private tutoring for the tiny number of existing selective schools is already £80m and growing strongly.

Those who are not fortunate enough to have wealthy parents will be educated in sink schools whose best teachers leave, attracted by grammar schools’ “easy to teach” pupils.

Any appearance of advantage for those attending selective schools is entirely outweighed by the disadvantage for those who do not.

By definition that is selection, more children lose out than gain.

Yes, Justin Greening will of course introduce a few platitudes, some weasel words to placate those Tory modernisers who see this as nothing more than a colleague’s dogma and “back to the future” nostalgia.

But, however you dress it up the sentiment is clear: “There are bright kids and the rest, we need to segregate those kids.”

I thought inflicting on our young the crippling and life-long stigma of failing at 11 years old had been consigned to the dustbin of educational history.

There is plenty of evidence that it embeds deep in the mind a feeling of abject failure no matter what comes after.

Even discounting this inhumanity, why not take a positive lead from Finland, Europe’s best performer, which prospers with no selection but relies on high investment in effective teaching.

Lord Willetts, ex-universities’ minister and no pinko patsy, said this week that the evidence showed selective schooling was the wrong way to help disadvantaged children.

Even Justine Greening said in the Commons that 50 per cent of children don’t go to good or outstanding schools… then went on to say nothing about her plans to improve these schools beyond stripping out the more able pupils with their parental support to be followed quickly by the better teachers.

Perhaps he can persuade his fellow Lords to weigh up the evidence carefully. A bit boring, yes, but far more likely to lead to fair and effective outcomes.

Sadly our education system is degenerating into a laboratory of competing structures, a rambling, experimental, muddled plethora of different ideas, of which grammar schools is just the latest but, arguably, in the end the most damaging.

JOHN STOOKE

Haydon End

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Politically correct game

I SELDOM agree with the opinions of Steve Thompson but must concede he usually puts forward a good argument based on his own democratic views.

This is not so with his letter of September 12 when he attempts to reprimand David Collins for using the expression “lefty loonies” (SA September 9).

There is hate crime legislation which protects people from discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, gender, disability, age and sexual orientation.

Unfortunately, there are various interest groups and politicians who have attempted to hijack this important legislation to stifle democratic debate.

Some people said an example of this occurred on September 11, when Labour shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry accused Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan of sexism after she failed to name French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, or give the name or gender of the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye. This interview can be seen online.

Ms Thornberry is probably best known for posting, on Twitter, what was assumed to be a sneering picture of England flags and a white van in front of a Rochester house.

Mr Thompson claims the word loony is used to insult people with mental health problems.

Has he ever heard of the Warner Bros cartoons called “Looney Tunes” or of the Monster Raving Loony Party?

Has he ever condemned or complained to these organisations about their misuse of the word loony?

My Collins dictionary gives the words loony, looney or luny with the definitions of 1. lunatic or insane. 2. foolish or ridiculous.

There are numerous people who would say the Labour Party have shown themselves to be foolish and ridiculous during their leadership election campaign.

On this basis my dictionary implies they could also be described as loonies.

Mr Thompson has chosen a definition to change the context of a debate to suit his own argument.

By doing so he is playing the “politically correct game” used by many of our manipulative politicians.

He says political debate is cheapened by insults. I believe it is also cheapened by inappropriate and selective “misunderstandings”.

Mr Collins did not refer to or insult people with mental illnesses.

Certain left-wing activists may have been offended at being referred to as foolish or ridiculous but as the saying goes, “if the hat fits...”

In my opinion, Mr Collins’ letter was not discriminatory and I don’t believe he has anything to apologise for.

Alternatively, perhaps Mr Thompson would like to apologise to Mr Collins for misrepresentation.

MR K KANE

Wharf Road, Wroughton

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No apology for ‘loonies’

IN ANSWER to Steve Thompson’s letter regarding my alleged insult wherein I referred to the “lefty loonies”.

I make no apologies for using this expression when referring to just about anyone who leans towards the Labour Party. In fact I believe it is totally honest. My reasoning is a simple fact. I believe anyone who either votes for or is part of the Labour Party is obviously short of a marble or two.

When I quoted the fact that Labour/Socialism cannot get their collective heads around finance and business I was speaking the truth.

People from all walks of life often do not understand business either. Look at it from a simple point of view: Business generates taxes, without taxes there would be no public services and no functioning welfare state.

In addition, as a business expands it then generally employs more people, Thus reducing unemployment which in turn leads to more taxes being collected by the Inland Revenue.

But if we follow Labour’s lead we end up taxing businesses out of the market or see them going abroad where taxes are lower. Where is the logic in this?

There are many ways to go about business. Create the best in the world but also you can make that business the best FOR the world.

Show me a Labour politician who understands these things. You can’t, because they are stuck in the past with their heads deeply embedded in the sand.

That is where the expression “lefty loonies” comes from.

And no amount of detailing and wriggling by Steve Thompson to try and denigrate what I have stated will allow me to apologise for using this expression in this context.

DAVID COLLINS

Blake Crescent, Swindon

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SBC gave up already

YOUR correspondent Mark Webb is quite correct to question the statement made by Swindon Liberal Democrats which suggests Swindon Borough Council is going to withdraw street cleaning services and “hive” them off to existing and newly designated parish councils.

The sad fact is that SBC has long given up on street cleaning, litter picking and graffiti removal.

Indeed, I would suggest councillors and officers have allowed the streets of the town to become progressively dirtier over the years.

I have pointed out the detritus which plagues the Iffley Road cycle track, particularly the land adjacent to the Oasis.

The Western Flyer signs have been defaced with graffiti with no obvious attempt having been made to clean them, to demonstrate the council’s “couldn’t care less” attitude and approach to graffiti, consider the control boxes at Bruce Street junction, defaced prior to handover and still covered in graffiti.

The reality is that SBC gave up on street cleaning many years ago, the evidence is plain for all to see.

Gulleys full of debris, compacted leaf matter and even small plants, some are probably classed as natural wilderness by a department in the Civic Offices.

DES MORGAN

Caraway Drive, Swindon