Cleggucation

"ooohhh" i think as i listen to the news. "oooohhh" i think as i hear that nick clegg is sending his eldest (Antonio.. dahhhlinngg..) to a state school. "oh" i think as i hear it is london oratory.

i have nothing against oratory per se, but one does think that if Clegg wanted to highlight the fairness of the state system and his confidence in it he could have done a little better. What i mean is that oratory is part of a minority of state schools. it is one of the best schools around- about 92% of it's students get 5 A*-C grades at GCSE. It also happens to have a catchment area that contains houses that sell for around £2 million and over. This year oratory is organising a black tie event to celebrate 150 years since it started and guess how much the tickets cost? not £5 like most state schools... not even £50.... no, no- oratory has got its parents and students sussed- £125 sound about right?

And it's nothing new on the political scene- both Tony Blair and Harriet Harman have had their children attend it. So originality points? 0. 

it's also a faith school- all well and good (go to one myself actually...)- except... faith schools can base part of their intake on- any guesses- faith. Faith school+£2million catchment area+good grades= what sounds to me like a pretty elite "comprehensive". 

i think it's brill that Clegg wants to send his son (Antonio... dahhhhlinnng...) to a state school. I think it's brill that his son (Antonio... dahhhli- sorry. i'll stop.) has got into such a great school. I think it's brill that such great schools exist in the state system. BUT- and it's a big "but"- London Oratory is hardly a massive, hard-core, take-what-you're-given-and-like-it comprehensive. It's not as if Antonio is one of the kids that hasn't really got a choice about what school they go to- the kids that aren't deputy pm's sons, aren't living in million pound houses, aren't catholic, aren't in a feeder school, can't afford to go private if necessary, only have one school in their area, have parents who haven't been told enough about the tricks and tips of the system..... the kids that aren't so lucky. 

Clegg has rather highlighted the injustice and inequality in our education system. Some children have a wealth of great schools available to them and some have nothing. He has managed to get his child into a great school so won't have to worry about special measures and lack of opportunities. He has done pretty well as a dad, as a man trying to set up his son's future (Etc.) but, politically, i think he's rather shot himself in the foot (even if he does insist on limping across the finish line with a determined "it's still state" and a faint) because Oratory, in comparison to the majority of ordinary state schools, is pretty... well... private-ish, i guess. It belongs to an elite group of state schools with a private school mindset and private school image- the only thing that's really different is that Clegg doesn't have to pay for his son's education.

TIP: maybe our politicians should start trying to support and raise the profile of the ordinary school? rather than giving continued prestige and coverage to elite, already over subscribed and well funded schools? just an idea, Nick, just a little tip.