Nick Clegg: The Pupil Premium is "a once in a generation chance" to close the gap between poor and rich pupils

Comments

[It doesn't add up...]

Ed Balls thought that school buildings taught pupils and established good standards. Money doesn't do it either unless it is well spent. That means toughening academic standards and restoring sound teaching methods, including segregation by ability (not wealth).

[robert]

Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats want to only educate children from poor or disadvantaged backgrounds and the tax payer is paying £2.5 billion for this scheme.
Clegg would do well to recognise that gifted children need to be educated to their full potential whether from poor or better off backgrounds.
Grammar Schools achieved this and were a major contributer to social mobility.

[Josh]

It's like trying to jump in front of a train to stop it crashing. Roll out grammar schools and technical colleges and the problem will solve itself. If we accept mediocre schools, then we accept a mediocre country.

[Ross J Warren]

Selection by level of poverty is pretty twisted. Even so this scheme will waste much of the money being thrown at it as always. It will be swallowed up in well meant but useless token attempts. Brown's computers to disadvantaged youngsters got the money to the child, the only certain way to ensure the child benefits. Don't get me wrong I am not Labour in any sense. By all means lets bring back selection, but lets use the money wisely...I hope good comes of this initiative but I fear it is in many ways a waste of money.

[PEOPLE]

In the words of our so called educational experts they said "Let their be equality in education".Then it came to pass that the race to the lowest common denominator started.A system that was once the envy of the world became a social engineering project for the bbc and guardian readers.As the experts pen pushers and allround theoligists took over.Teachers became target chasers social workers and someone for spoilt brats and thicko parents to abuse.Like many from a poor a background i was educated in a system that worked for our society.Where as today it is a political football which instead of lifting those from my background.Consignes them to a cesspit of mediocraty.

[anon]

Can anyone explain, in a nutshell, the difference between this and the Assisted Places Scheme?

[Ross J Warren]

Yes Anon, the child stays in a awful school, where as with assisted places the child is often aided t9o attend a better one.