[Margaret Pilkington]

I was interviewing 16 year olds......and Ok part of their education would have been under tory lead government policies, I don't blame Blair for their lack of educational standards........all I am saying is that he didn't deliver on a lot of his promises....instead he relied on statistics and targets that were meaningless. This was done to bamboozle the electorate.
Maybe the low numbers going to uni in the sixties was because the uni's were far more selective about who they took. In those days if you had a degree you were somebody...mainly because a degree in those days, actually meant something. And today higher education is for those who are well to do, and can pay for tuition fees......well, unless of course you want to saddle yourself with a huge debt before you even start work. Is this not a second class education (of sorts)? I do not have any political affiliations, and I have to say that I am very suspicious of all the political spin......especially the latest debacle which protects MP's from having to divulge their expenses...... the Freedom of Information act is a case of 'do as I say...not as I do' and that cannot be good or healthy.

I know all about the 11 plus system too. I was one of the ones who failed my 11 plus. It has been proved since, that the 11 plus was flawed and was biased towards the children of professional people - though yes, a small number of gifted children from non-professional families did pass.

In my case it wasn't a catastrophe...in fact quite the reverse, it made me all the more determined to make something of my life.