Well the aim of comprehensively educating the population is a noble one that I subscibe to.

THe fault lies with clinging onto all the old garbage from the past.

the Grammar school i attended was a dump by any standards. We had a reunion of four of us a year or two back - we'd all done reasonably well - despite differing fortunes.

But we all agreed it was a crap preparation for life. They took the top 18% of the population. Of those about five kids a year got to university, and it was just geared up for those five.

the rest of us just had to make out as best we could.

The trouble is with education experts - they think they are too bloody clever by half. thus you get the nonsense of that National Curriculum. And of course you can always get lickspittles like Woodhead to step into line and rubber stamp it. No one has the balls to say - this is rubbish. Well its in no ones interest - cept the kids, and they don't count.