Path: ccsf.homeunix.org!CALA-MUZIK!newsfeed.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp!diablo.efnet.com!efnet.com!news2.volia.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: "John R. Yamamoto-Wilson" Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan Subject: Re: dogs in japan Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2006 08:42:32 +0900 Lines: 45 Message-ID: <4ejtr8F1epkc4U1@individual.net> References: <44826747@news.starhub.net.sg> <4o7582ti5v6p5eu0830fb8dfbr7u9itcig@4ax.com> <1149413738_16551@sp6iad.superfeed.net> <6ZBgg.6498$qD.3974@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net> <1149473336_22853@sp6iad.superfeed.net> <1149544130.588780.127290@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: individual.net 1xW8ULLIdJhrA2jSdBXnzQkt+oi7UOG8kNB/XEa7QMLxKEO4pf User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.4 (Windows/20060516) In-Reply-To: Xref: ccsf.homeunix.org fj.life.in-japan:163235 CL wrote: > I had the misfortune of visiting several schools in Birmingham > and Manchester during a recent trip and I have to say what I > saw was as bad as anything I have ever seen in New York or Chicago. The quality of state schools in the UK is often (not always) closely related to the catchment area. State schools in depressed inner-city areas are often struggling, whereas state schools in middle class areas tend to be bolstered by very active PTAs and other parent/community initiatives to ensure that there is money for books, libraries, sports facilities, etc. By the way, it is misleading to see education in the UK as being divided purely into state and independent; in fact, there is quite a spectrum: http://www.axcis.co.uk/html/types_of_schools.html#typesofschools Note the comment on independent schools: "Some are selective but many are not, and take pupils regardless of their ability or aptitude." There are so many issues to be taken into account in a proper discussion of this subject that one hardly knows where to begin. However, I would say that anecdotal observations tend to be one-sided (like the person who argues that there is no such thing as global warming because it happens to be a cold spring in the particular area where he or she is living). As a starting point for genuine comparison of the state and independent systems, you may find the following useful: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,3321,00.html See, in particular, the list of top-performing state schools: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/displayPopup/0,,66020,00.html From the point of view of academic excellence, one could expect as good a performance from the schools on this list as from many independent (fee-paying) schools. John http://rarebooksinjapan.com