A Revolution Betrayed

There are few subjects these days that cause parents more stress than the education of their children.

In his new book, Peter Hitchens describes the misjudgements made by politicians over the years that have led to the increase of class distinction and privilege in our education system. This is of course the opposite of what was intended, especially by former Minister of Education Shirley Williams and Margaret Thatcher, her successor in that role, who closed down many more Grammar Schools than Williams.

Given that the cost of private secondary education is now in the region of £50,000 a year and the cream of Comprehensive Schools are now oversubscribed (William Ellis, Camden School for Girls, The Oratory, Cardinal Vaughan), parents are spending thousands on private tutoring and fee-paying prep schools in order to get their children into these academically excellent schools. Meanwhile hypocritical Labour politicians like Diane Abbott send their children to expensive private day schools. So, what alternatives – if any – are there?

Peter Hitchens argues that in trying to bring about an educational system which is egalitarian, the politicians have created a system which is the exact opposite. And what's more, it is a system riddled with anomalies - Sixth Form Colleges select pupils on ability at the age of 15, which rules out any child who does not have major educational backing from home (heavy involvement by working parents or private tutors, for example) and academies also are selective, though they pretend not to be.

This is an in-depth look at the British education system and what will happen if things don't change radically.

About the Author

Peter Hitchens is a columnist for the Mail on Sunday and a contributor to many other publications. He has published several books, including The Abolition of Britain and The Rage Against God, also published by Bloomsbury Continuum, mainly on aspects of what he regards as a Cultural Revolution which has transformed Britain for the worse in the last half century. He is active on social media, especially Twitter. He has been a journalist for nearly 50 years, has reported from 57 countries and was a resident correspondent in Moscow and Washington. He is a former revolutionary Marxist who now describes himself as a socially conservative Social Democrat.