Manifesto Day 4: Education

Bit later today, and my usual passionate words I'm afraid to say are a little subdued. Today is the day for 'personal experience recollection' from your PM to be.

I'm not the best person you see to offer policies on our education system. A working class boy who passed the 11+ and attended a very middle class grammar school in the Lincolnshire Wolds, I threw away the chances I was given. I dropped out of A levels after six months, and thus never attended uni either. Therefore I've been left very bitter about things today. You see back when I was a lad if I could have claimed EMA then I'd definitely have finished my A levels and hopefully got the 2 A's and 1 B I was predicted. Then I could have attended uni and my life would have been very, very different. However back in 1996 things were quite different.

Therefore I've been left with a deep sense of injustice that I could have been so much more had I been born ten years later. Bollocks of course, I'd still have managed to piss it up the wall somehow.

How can I change our current education system, when the one we have in place would have afforded me more help? How can I criticise a system that in actual fact I wished had been in place 'in my day'? This system improves our GCSE results year on year, and the myth about 'easier exams' is just that: a myth. In this country I believe we have education right to a certain point.

Now from a personal point of view I'd like to see uni places reduced so the cream of the crop only attend, but thats just jealousy on my part. I can't fault a system that encourages everyone to attend higher education, that encourages the porrer members of society to remain in study and even funds those who slipped through the net once they reach adult age.

So my policy is one of no change. It ain't broke. I ain't fixing it.

Aaway from politics I've had an unshceduled day at home thanks to an unscheduled night of no sleep and being sick. I can't comment properly on journals today I'm afraid, but tomorrow will be back on it, and will put up linksto all my favourited entries for the challenge. Thanks so much everyone for taking part, entering into debate and most of all giving me my most views on consecutive blips ever. Sweet :)