Shocked of Darlington

I don't know how many of you are fans of the film Casablanca, but when I hear new labour ministers saying that they are shocked by reports of declining social equality in the UK, I'm reminded of Captain Renault who was shocked, shocked, to discover that gambling was rife in Rick's café as he collected his winnings. This time, it was Captain Milburn's turn to be shocked http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/14/social-mobility-internships , when he was given a research report which had found that the professions have become more, not less, socially exclusive in recent years; full report can be found at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/200480/fair_access_panel_report.pdf The Sutton Trust has stepped forward with some suggestions as to how this trend could be reversed http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article6078322.ece. Over the years, the Sutton Trust have produced some very useful reports, incisive research and bold policy proposals. Unfortunately, this is not one of those occasions. These proposals simply do not relate to the reality of schooling as lived by modern students. For example, a recent study found that it's not cool, especially for boys, to be seen as academically successful and that "the threshold for what is constituted "boffin behaviour" tended to be lower at poorer-performing schools." http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/29/education-schools-bullying or that given a choice, some headteachers are now hiring "Bouncers, ex-soldiers and former police officers …. to provide "crowd control" and cover absent teachers' lessons" rather than appoint a qualified teacher http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/12/school-behaviour-bouncers-discipline I would in jest ask why we don't just bring back grammar schools, and then the bright and compliant children of the lower orders could openly pretend that they were at public schools? However, as I fear that there might still be time for this to be done before the next election, I won't. How about an alternative approach to this problem, one that is based on supporting students in the lives that they actually lead, for example, why not build on existing rapping competitions as a way into public speaking rather than trying to become little Etonians.