Monday, July 17, 2006

Endowed decision a disaster says MP

Has Stamford's Tory MP Quentin Davies gone completely OTT over the county council's decision to stop private school fees on the rates?

According to the Mercury he believes that stopping the £2 million a year scheme "threatens disaster for future generations of the town's bright children."

His argument for carrying on the injustice seems to be that its something we've always had in Stamford, so it must be right.

Sorry Quentin.

The scheme was outdated and not fit for the 20th Century, never mind the 21st.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is policies like this why Quentin Davies and the conservatives will stay in power for a long time to come!

This issue strikes at the heart of the Stamford people but I think you will find no person wants the school to have to make its complement with purely kids from far away and reside purely with its own walls.

Scholorships gave SES its character and allowed a whole range of pupils to mix together from all backgrounds. Take this away and you are left with an institution that has no wish to play a part in the local community and produces students that have had only the opportunity to mix with the wealthy.

Surely by supporting labour you would feel the desire to remove this class divide which is essentially been created and exists throughout our country..but obviously not.

The scholorship created a community with all kinds of backgrounds and was better for it. I think it is you that is stuck in the wrong century, sir.

fairdealphil said...

Hi, anonymous.

Thanks for your comments. Any reason why you hide behind anonymity?

I'm baffled at your first comment about these policies will keep Quentin and the Conservatives in power...

Quentin and the Conservatives were stopped from running this country by the British electorate in 1997 and were stopped from returning in 2001 and indeed as recently as last year...

As regards your assertion that the scholarships assist Stamford Endowed Schools in breaking down the class divide, you may be interested to know that at least one third of those who receive the scholarships come from fee paying primary schools.

My primary objection to the scheme is that is is blatently unfair to every Lincolnshire ratepayer who has to fund it - yet can never apply for a place no matter how talented their child...

I also believe that the current system fails the vast majority of Stamford children, not just those who fail the 11-plus, but also those who pass the exam and still don't get a place at a private school on the rates.

I'd welcome further debate.

thanks.