Is it true thatmany applied bursary didn't get through indis

[DC17C]

Where imparting knowledge is concerned I'm sure that state schools have some excellent teachers, but I'm sure I don't want them teaching my children. The headmaster at one of our local comps wears an earring. That would not happen at an indie (well, except perhaps at Brighton College ).

I'm not against bursaries by any means. The ordinary children have much to learn from the bursary children. But no school should be forced to award bursaries, otherwise the "Aston Martin" argument would hold good.

Ok I'd like to add my perspective on this one....a few short months ago I would have struggled to reply to this but I have found my voice in the last few weeks. I am the product of years of private schooling through the hard work of my parents who sacrificed a lot to pay for it and then I was given an amazing chance to get a scholarship and assisted place to go a private boarding school for 6th form and I did well - I had great grades at o level and a level and was able to go to a red brick uni to do dentistry- at the time I thought it was great. I learned a lot by rote, had a great memory and thrived on logic and rational subjects completely missing the point of creativity being totally driven to get high grades and to achieve and work hard.
20 years later I burned out due to a combination of physical ill health combined with stress and have had to retrain. I have spent the last 2 years back in an FE college working with a fantastic group of amazing, talented diverse people many of whom lack confidence because they were made to feel inferior because not everyone can be Top of the Class . They still have so much to offer and I have learned so much from them because we have learned to work as a team and to learn from each other.
This was the part of my education I missed first time round and I have found my creativity and understand its value and importance, I now have the the ability to recognise and value the person beyond the stereotype and also to realise that I am best when I share my knowledge and talents rather than be up on some pedestal which is actually a pretty scary place to be for some kids and adults.
So what that ....my kids headteacher at primary often had blue or purple hair and a nose piercing? She was the most talented, creative ,passionate fun teacher and was loved by the children, staff and parents and was respected by them because of her gentle non judgemental knack of making all the children feel valued and encourage them to do their best. She had emotional intelligence in spades ..something sadly lacking in many organisations and parents striving for their kids to be the best...that pedestal can be be pretty lonely and dull after a while for all the material you can acquire.
And another thing ... The "bursary kids" are ordinary kids once they are in the class. They should not be there to teach the other kids something- they should all be learning to work together.
I am getting less convinced at the value of segregating children by exam at 11 though I have the paradox of finding my children both seem to be thriving and happy in their single sex grammar schools ...its a tricky one.....

[PurpleDuck]

Thank you for sharing your insight, DC17C. It's great that you were able to find your new purpose and that you feel good about it. And yes, life can be full of paradoxes, sometimes...

[enigma]

Yeah, we are all living in this imperfect world full of paradoxes and conflicts. What is good to you isn't always good to me. A system is a system as in contract is a contract no matter what. A bursary system is in place, if you don't believe nor accept its existence then that's your principle. There are pros and cons and boons or banes but the one that gives the best result wins. After all, success is down to the individual "As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, think big" (Donald Trump)

[kenyancowgirl]

Definitely time to walk away when someone is quoting Donald Trump to make a point....

[salsa]

I think what Trump meant was:
As long as you are going to be offending anyway, offend big.

I doubt he does much thinking before he speaks.

[quasimodo]

Definitely time to walk away when someone is quoting Donald Trump to make a point....

+1

I started thinking of Maths the lowest common denominator

(this is a reference to Donald Trump and the way the GOP selects its candidates and not to any contributors)

[DC17C]

Definitely time to walk away when someone is quoting Donald Trump to make a point....

+2

Trump and the politics of paranoia- the oldest trick in the book - deflect and blame someone else
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06ybngz" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;