Archive for January, 2008
School Class War Declared
Posted by Nick Cowen in Education on 16/01/2008
There isn’t that much one can add to this Telegraph report other than to say that it was almost inevitable: independent schools are going to come under increasing regulation in order to ‘justify’ their charitable status. Obviously, merely providing a good standard of education to 500,000 British children just doesn’t cut it anymore as a public benefit. Independent schools have continually shown up state education, if only by drilling their pupils for national exams much more effectively. Now many have started to transcend those standards altogether by taking IGCSEs instead, having found the depth provided by normal GCSE courses an insufficient challenge for their pupils’ abilities. This could not be allowed to go on.
Social Cohesion, Religious Minorities and Faith Schools
Posted by David Conway in Education on 15/01/2008
A society enjoys social cohesion when, between its members, there exist associative bonds sufficiently strong as to dispose them to be mutually civil and solicitous of each other’s welfare.
Associative bonds between the members of any society will be strong in proportion as they share the same beliefs, values and tastes, or at least certain important ones.
Without being mutually civil and solicitous of each other’s welfare, the members of no society can for long sustain themselves as a single society. Hence, social cohesion must always be a desideratum of any political society that wishes to remain viable.
Vacancy: EU President
Posted by Pete Quentin in European Union on 14/01/2008
If fully ratified, the EU’s Lisbon Treaty will create a new role of permanent EU President. Tony Blair’s speech in Paris on 12th January has increased speculation that he aims to become the first full-time EU President, writes Claire Daley.
The possible contenders are currently keeping their cards carefully concealed. However, players are beginning to come to the table. Poker faces at the ready…
One big contradiction
Posted by James Gubb in Health on 10/01/2008
Reading John Carvel’s interview with Alan Johnson in Society Guardian this week, one could be forgiven for supporting this government on the NHS. He does seem, at least on the superficial level, to get it. It’s funny how every recent Secretary of State for Health has gone into the job with a very ‘nicey-nicey’ approach to the NHS and then, six months to a year or so down the line, realise it’s not going to reform itself and that Blair didn’t introduce competition just for kicks.
Making parents an offer they can’t refuse!
Posted by Nick Cowen in Civil Liberty, Education on 09/01/2008
Via Samizdata, we learn that the government is getting into the broadband Internet business, intending to create a million new compulsory ‘customers’ for the big Internet Service Providers by ‘requiring parents to provide their children with high-speed internet access’. The government claims it has been putting ‘pressure’ on companies to lower their broadband costs. How much pressure is really required to make a deal with corporations that involves giving them millions of customers who are not allowed to say no? I imagine a rather limp handshake would be sufficient.
Bishop Gets Bashed After Entering No-Go Area Concerning the Truth
Posted by David Conway in Social Cohesion on 08/01/2008
The truth shall set ye free, the good book says, a venerable adage that strangely seems to admit of exception in the case of straight-talking Anglican bishops.
This is especially true of those, like Bishop Nazir-Ali, with temerity enough to claim that Muslim no-go areas have lately grown up in Britain in consequence of large-scale immigration, combined with multiculturalism and the rise of Islamic extremism.
No sooner did his claim appear at the week-end in an article in the Sunday Telegraph than a stampede quickly broke out among politicians and pundits eager to be first into the tv studios to sound off about how lacking in all evidence was the bishop’s claim.