[MacDaddi]

(Original post by obi_adorno_kenobi)
No. More funding for schools so that they can actually employ staff to teach a wider curriculum. It's no good complaining that state schools don't teach languages if budgets are being cut and schools cannot afford to employ teachers to teach languages. The Right never quite get it.

They do, there isn't enough time in the day when it is being taken up by, lets say. less important subjects, not to everybody, but to the majority.

[obi_adorno_kenobi]

(Original post by MacCuishy)
They do, there isn't enough time in the day when it is being taken up by, lets say. less important subjects, not to everybody, but to the majority.

Make the school day longer then instead of constantly trying to squeeze a round peg into a 9-3 square hole. Constantly claiming that having schools and local councils (aka old men) choosing curricula is the silver bullet just doesn't wash. The issue isn't one of curriculum but one of resources and time. Give schools more of both. And what's less important exactly? Surely we want people to be religiously tolerant? If we regard Shakespeare as the embodiment of English written art then why is drama suddenly excised from the curriculum? Do we not want people to learn about self-expression and feeling? If so, why excise music and art from the curriculum. Education is about firing the imagination and encouraging learning. As I've argued before, we really should just abolish GCSEs and allow kids to develop over the course of 5 years and then throw them into an exam situation. This is especially important now that post-16 education is compulsory.

[Rakas21]

(Original post by obi_adorno_kenobi)
No. More funding for schools so that they can actually employ staff to teach a wider curriculum. It's no good complaining that state schools don't teach languages if budgets are being cut and schools cannot afford to employ teachers to teach languages. The Right never quite get it.

On the contrary, whilst it should be funded by cuts in another department i certainly do not oppose spending on some aspects of education given that state schools exist. Languages are something i very much advocate spending on (along with the sciences).

[obi_adorno_kenobi]

(Original post by Rakas21)
On the contrary, whilst it should be funded by cuts in another department i certainly do not oppose spending on some aspects of education given that state schools exist. Languages are something i very much advocate spending on (along with the sciences).

What like libraries!? Clever isn't it. Cut a resource that helps people learn outside of formal education and claim its to help shore up the education budget, which you've slashed. So further maths deserves more funding than history does it? Why's that then? Does further maths actually help increase tolerance and understanding and ensure that we don't end up with rabid racism and xenophobia of the kind this bill could quite easily become? Nope. Science is fine but we have a well-grounded tradition of being a world leader in the knowledge economy right across the spectrum. As a trained historian, I'm more than a little fed up with the notion that only science is worthy of being funded.

[toronto353]

(Original post by obi_adorno_kenobi)
What like libraries!? Clever isn't it. Cut a resource that helps people learn outside of formal education and claim its to help shore up the education budget, which you've slashed. So further maths deserves more funding than history does it? Why's that then? Does further maths actually help increase tolerance and understanding and ensure that we don't end up with rabid racism and xenophobia of the kind this bill could quite easily become? Nope. Science is fine but we have a well grounded traditional of being a world leader in the knowledge economy right across the spectrum. As a trained historian, I'm more than a little fed up with the notion that only science is worthy of being funded.

As a classicist, I have to agree with you on the above statement. The arts and humanities have much to offer society and teach us so much, yet they are so poorly funded at times.

[Rakas21]

(Original post by obi_adorno_kenobi)
What like libraries!? Clever isn't it. Cut a resource that helps people learn outside of formal education and claim its to help shore up the education budget, which you've slashed. So further maths deserves more funding than history does it? Why's that then? Does further maths actually help increase tolerance and understanding and ensure that we don't end up with rabid racism and xenophobia of the kind this bill could quite easily become? Nope. Science is fine but we have a well-grounded tradition of being a world leader in the knowledge economy right across the spectrum. As a trained historian, I'm more than a little fed up with the notion that only science is worthy of being funded.

No, i would not propose to cut any other education department but cut welfare for example (which i might add has a budget around 22% higher than education) to reallocate spending.

I having nothing against the arts or humanities per say (always been a fan of history) but in terms of which subjects have the greatest potential to increase the wealth of the British people/economy we have to priorotise the core subjects as the Maths/Sciences which will allow us to develop a competitive advantage and develop a high-tech economy.

[cl_steele]

Aye from me, i like this bill. could be written a bit better though.

[Metrobeans]

This has been withdrawn.