Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com 
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com 
Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels.com
Attentive readers of this blog will recall us searching for the sources of the following quote on the purpose of education , which we here reproduce in full:
[to turn out young men] who would be acceptable at a dance and invaluable in a shipwreck
The originator was the first Headmaster of Stowe School, JF Roxburgh
We thank Mr Peter Seymour of Hertfordshire, who sourced it for us in Prospect magazine
At this point, we feel that our overseas readers may require a little explanation as to what Stowe School is. The Educational system in England is divided into two. There are State Schools, which attended by 93.5% of the population. Then there are Public Schools, which are attended by 6.5% of the population. Confusingly, they are also known as Private Schools and the Independent Sector. Stowe is very much in this second category.
There is a myth current among some that these Public Schools foment the development of a tiny and exclusive elite which selects itself again and again across the generations. 65% of Judges, 52% of Ministers, 44% of News columnists and 43% of cricketers come from this 6.5 per cent they say- and they go on to give many other examples. These critics go on to allege that this is somehow unfair, unusual and economically inefficient.
To which we at LSS repost: nonsense! Absolutely anyone can become a pupil at a public school and join the elite. They are open to everyone who can pay the fees.. The following figures demonstrate how easy this is.
At Stowe for example, the fees are a mere £12,697 per term. There are things like registration fees and acceptance deposits, but these are a one- off . And so a year’s education at Stowe will only set you back a mere £39 491. Of course most people have two children, so a fairer average might be £78, 982.Naturally, you will have to find things like uniforms, sports equipment and pencils on top of that, but you may well get change from £100 000 per year.
And Stowe is cheap compared to some! Take Eton, where the fees are £14,167 per term, plus estimated extras of £500-£1000 per term. David Cameron and Boris Johnson went there, so you can see it must be value for money. Or Dulwich (Nigel Farage) which will set you back £14 782 per term.
The great advantage of these schools is that they are run as private sector businesses, subject to the same market disciplines as for example Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, Ryanair or Tesco. Why they are given the same tax status as charities such as Cancer Research or the RSPCA is however a mystery which we at LSS cannot fathom.
In 2019 the UK average salary was £36 983 per annum for someone in their thirties. The median was £29 400.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-48745333
#stowe #publicschools #stateschools #educationalapartheid
Learning, Science and Society 