Why all this fuss about school places?

[wendigo100]

BBC

Letters are being posted to hundreds of thousands of parents across England telling them which secondary schools their children will attend.

Local authorities have allocated places for around 500,000 10- and 11-year-olds beginning in September. But government figures suggest at least 90,000 will be disappointed in their first choice.

Surely this happens every year without much fuss. Why is it all over the news this time?

[milanbenes]

talk about freedom of choice,

this is going like socialist countries, to get the best for your family
you're gonna need mega social networks and contacts in all kinds of beurocratic offices

Milan.

[The Lone Gunman]

BBCSurely this happens every year without much fuss. Why is it all over the news this time?

Because less and less kids are getting into their school of choice.
It i sbecoming more and more of a lottery as where your kids will go to school.
NL making sure that those who can not affrod to buy a house next to the best school can still get into it.
So much for green issues. Send kids to school within walking distance where possible would be a good start.

[BoredBloke]

Typical joined up government this. On the one hand they want people to walk to school or use public transport to cut down on the congesstion caused by the school run, then on the other hand they encourage the practice of kids travelling all over the town to get to their school.

Surely the main driver for kids going to a school should be how close they are to it so that the kids can walk to it. If that means that the houses in those areas are more expensive then so be it - supply and demand!

[The Lone Gunman]

If that means that the houses in those areas are more expensive then so be it - supply and demand!

Yes, but that means the poor people go to the worst schools. Downward spiral....

Always the excuse. How about they put more effort into improving the schools where the poor people live. Not only do they get a better education, but they can get rich on the housing market.

[Troll]

Yes, but that means the poor people go to the worst schools. Downward spiral....

Always the excuse. How about they put more effort into improving the schools where the poor people live. Not only do they get a better education, but they can get rich on the housing market.

That would assume that poor people attach equal value in their kids schooling, rather than being just a place to dump their kids each day.

[Jawz .]

Yes, but that means the poor people go to the worst schools. Downward spiral....

Always the excuse. How about they put more effort into improving the schools where the poor people live. Not only do they get a better education, but they can get rich on the housing market.

Yeah I sort of agree with you. If you've got a school in a low socio-economic area only having kids from that area it's going to be a poor performer. The majority of the kids will be low achieving and will drag down any average or above average students. However if there was a mix of students from different backgrounds this would be less of a problem. Saying that I don't want my kids going to school with trash/pikies.

[Troll]

Yeah I sort of agree with you. If you've got a school in a low socio-economic area only having kids from that area it's going to be a poor performer. The majority of the kids will be low achieving and will drag down any average or above average students. However if there was a mix of students from different backgrounds this would be less of a problem. Saying that I don't want my kids going to school with trash/pikies.

That was the argument of the Headmaster of the lowest scoring secondary school in the country, that there are 4 grammar schools in his area, they creamed off the brightest pupils and what was left ended up at his school.

[Jawz .]

That was the argument of the Headmaster of the lowest scoring secondary school in the country, that there are 4 grammar schools in his area, they creamed off the brightest pupils and what was left ended up at his school.

Poor f*cker. I suppose he'd be under a lot of pressure to not expel kids too.

[Lucifer Box]

Because less and less kids are getting into their school of choice.
It i sbecoming more and more of a lottery as where your kids will go to school.

In Brighton and Hove, it literally is a lottery...


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6403867.stm