They ask the wrong questions

Did you notice this week that "Our Equality Chief", Trevor Phillips, wants to set quotas for middle class pupils at our best schools. These pesky middle class parents are working out which are the successful schools, and then striving to get their children there! (The best schools here are the few remaining grammar schools and better comprehensive schools.)

In terms of success, as usual, he wants to hobble children of enterprising parents, in the hope that if the places are taken by disadvantaged children than by some mysterious alchemy all children will perform better.

When is somebody going to ask (-I know the Tories have already done this) what constitutes a good school and what makes for success in education?

The answer, of course, is one where there is respect, enthusiasm and good motivation on the part of all.

This means, in the end, that there must be discipline and exclusion of trouble makers, which in turn means that provision must be made for remedial treatment of trouble makers to improve their basic skills and give some kind of vision.

It means that staff must not be overburdened by needless red-tape or targets which do little to improve child performance and everything to control education from Downing Street.

It means that a dull uniformity, imposed or confirmed by an unimaginative LEA or educational establishment must be replaced by local and spontaneous experiment by schools and parents together. For too long a national monolithic ideology and approach has driven out the spirit of creativity.

If there are good schools, it sometimes the happy coming together of particular brilliant teachers and administrators, but it is always the effect of local situations able to rise above the deadening powers of remote control and respond to local needs.

At best, the suggestions of Mr. Phillips will do little to make things worse, at worst.....