Random rantings

I seem to have taken to watching pop-educational programmes on a Sunday afternoon. Last week the fun subjects included one on paedophiles and one on the history of treatment for mental health problems. This week, what brain injuries can tell us about the workings of the brain, quantum physics, and the class system in relation to British politics.

I didn't really mean to watch the one about quantum physics, I feel I was misled by the title 'The nature of reality'. The brain injuries one was straightforward and interesting.

But Posh and Posher: Why public school boys rule Britain I just found offensive. I had no problem with their premise, that the number of privately educated politicians is disproportional to the country as a whole which could mean the country is not being properly represented. The crux of the argument seemed to be that to be a successful politician in Britain you needed to read PPE at Oxford. And it is easier for some kids to get into Oxford than others. Fair enough.

However in my opinion the whole thing just came across chip-on-the-shoulder-y. Now don't get me wrong, I'm as chip-on-the-shoulder-y as the next degree-educated ex-state school pupil, but seriously this was just embarrassing.

The programme didn't give any credit whatsoever to those who knew they wanted to get into politics, got into Oxford, read and passed PPE, got a job in politics, and worked their way up. You don't just turn up and get handed a good degree from Oxbridge. Carol Vorderman got a third, High Laurie got a third (and he went to Eton). A third is not going to be good enough to make you Prime Minister (FYI Dave got a First in PPE from Oxford).

I am absolutely not denying that the route of opportunity is easier for old Etonians than it would be for someone from a failing comprehensive. They will have had the money, the best education, the networks, and the encouragement to do this. But that is no reason to pull together a bunch of teenaged Etonians and ask them leading questions to try to make them look like ignorant Chav-hating toffs. They are just kids, it isn't their fault their daddy is rich. And just because their daddy is rich doesn't mean they are not academically and socially able to succeed in a career in politics.

We expect our doctors and lawyers to be educated and trained to do their job, so why not politicians? Medical school and law school are also well known for their over-representation of private school kids. Surely the solution needs to be either change the system so the route in is not academic, or broaden access and equality of opportunity to the academic route.

The conclusion of this programme should have been that current politicians need to be persuaded to change the system (FAIL if this programme was meant to do that) or state school kids need to be encouraged to be politically motivated, and given support to get internships or read PPE if they want to. Generally I was quite annoyed and disappointed. If I was a posh politician I'd take no notice of the programme, instead seeing it as being petty, jealous and not worth bothering with. This sort of crap is not the way to win them over. I bet someone with a degree in PPE from Oxford can form a more coherent argument.... oops.

Plus they stated the Milliband brothers as examples of the nasty band of overprivileged politicians who come from Oxbridge, which whilst to a certain extent true ignored the fact that they went to a state school in London (fun fact: the same one that the band N-Dubz went to) and then the University of Oxford with the assistance of an Inner London Education Authority scheme intended to enable comprehensive school pupils to attend the university. So that just annoyed me. Surely these Millibands should be poster-boys for the way it should be done?! Grr.

I also went to see the film Black Swan which is set in a ballet company, but isn't particularly about ballet. The film is billed as a thriller, which I guess is accurate but it wasn't really what I was expecting. That isn't to say it wasn't good, I thought it was well done. The whole thing was very very tense and intense throughout, and in some places quite visually disturbing. I have rarely felt such a prolonged feeling of being on edge when watching a film. This isn't a nice film to go and see if you want to chill out! But a reasonable candidate for an Oscar.

In other news, my newly installed boiler is leaking through my hall ceiling. This isn't good. I'll let Cyclops explain.