Clarry

Why does Brown drop a bollock and the thread somehow turn into a anti David Cameron fest

Don't think it has really save a couple of posters who are a little biased

And you're not biased?

I hate all this beauty show rubbish. Whoever wins has to be a statesmen on a European and global level.

Back to real politics.

I was at a meeting today to discuss the resctructuring of the council education department. Despite breaking even each year we are looking at a 20% reduction in expenditure before any spending cuts are made by the next government. So there may be even more on the way. And apparently most councils are looking at this too. I say fair enough if it's in efficiencies such as job duplication.

I'd also be up for a pay-freeze for earners over a certain level. I think I get an extra £40 a year for inflation payrise. Sod that - take it back.

However, nobody ever seems to mention the knock-on effect to private business when public money is cut heavily too. Like local printers etc.

The most bigotted person I know is woman from New Zealand who moans constantly about foreigners being over here.

Why does nobody moan about the number of Aussies etc. over here?

Oops there was me thinking NZ was a good illustration to use to make my point...

Serves me right for daring to dip my toe into a political thread!

You made fair points, and I'm only talking about one person. Doesn't NZ's geography restrict a lot of habitable areas? Or have i watched too much Lord of the Rings?

The woman Brown was rude about said "All these Eastern Europeans, where are they coming from?". So she's thick. But don't forget to mention she is a widow too. Important point that.

The most bigotted person I know is woman from New Zealand who moans constantly about foreigners being over here.

Why does nobody moan about the number of Aussies etc. over here?

So what did the woman ACTUALLY say? I'm assuming all she did was point out the immigration problem we have at the moment and how that can adversely affect public services in certain areas.

I think it was about the legal immigration of EU citizens from Eastern Europe.

c) to be able to vote in this country means you must be a citizen, it is not racist to suggest that someone who is not a native to the country who wishes to become naturalised at least be proficient in speaking the language

Hence all the emigrees from the UK **** off to Australia and the NZ...

this i agree with i think if you cant speak the language you shouldnt have the opportunbity to vote

What level of English would you require? GCSE? Which grade?

What about "non-foreign" illiterate and barely literate people?

What about people with Alzheimer's (for example) who may or may not be having a "good" day?

What about people who have forgotten to take medication on polling day?

"Foreigners" voting must be registered, thus paying some sort of tax.

Just wanted to ask Ian (Drat); what is the Labour policy on the reintroduction of the European Beaver into the wildlife? That to be fair could swing my vote.

didn't the UK used to have wolves and bears?

i'd chomp if the odd bear and wolf was about.

then we wouldn't need to kill foxes they'd do it for us

But imagine what would happen when the first person is killed by a tree felled by a Beaver. The Health and Safety brigade would have a field day.

Sky thing:

Labour: Europe, Benefits, Defence, Immigration

Conservative:.........................

Lib Dem: Tax, Spending, Crime, Health, Political Reform

Non Above: Education

And as for travel expenses for meetings? Video Confrencing?

Bit hard with 300 people attending!

Even the compere, Alistair Stewart, is not permitted to press the leaders on their answers, AFAIK.

Sounds like the interview in the first episode of the new version of "V".

Peter I attended a meeting yesterday which explained that there are over 250K civil servants in Whitehall. I'll dig out my notes and clarify

And I am not suggesting cutting jobs.

You do it by doing what they do in the USA, put different departments in different cities (states in the USA), reducing London costs, spreading the wealth and talent around the country and not just London!

Happens here to some extent. A lot of the DCSF (education) team are in Darlington.....but then people will only moan about the expenses when they have to travel to other parts of the country for Conferences.

Is it so important, though? I've read a number of articles quoting studies that say that it can be important (more especially in earlier years) but it seems it is a difficult thing to quantify the effect.

This is as I said more of a topic of its own which is why I didn't go into more detail however yes this is mainly an issue within Primary rather than Secondary education, it is though Primary education that shapes an adult and their future learning and is far more important than secondary learning in that sense.

The effects of class size on Primary pupils is beyond question and is evident the value added scores of most (not all schools) in relation to the class sizes.

This is also why Teaching Assistants are so needed in Primary schools too.

From Seattle

"Do not become America where if the people do not volunteer and donate vast amounts of money the "public" schools crumble because they are funded so little by the government. Parent donations actually fund some of the staff at my kids public school and if parents didn't show up to volunteer, nothing would happen. The budget was cut so drastically this year we have to again do with less teachers and more students. Ugh, I'm moving to Europe!! OH and another thing, community volunteering and monetary donations is what creates our parks too. Do not get me started!!!"

From Cardiff

"I worked as a community development worker for ten years, volunteers were bloody hard to find. ive also been a parent governor and tbh i gave it up because the teachers were doing a good job and i couldnt see what i could do about it. it will either make no difference to or be wholly divisive for -communities "

All this "power to the people" is a bit Socialist isn't it?

it's a fee paying school , his class has Japanese , Turkish, Indian , Canadian , Chinese and I think even an Irish kid has somehow sneaked though the system :winkold: ... Each month the school picks a country from around the world and then puts on a big display at the main entrance and the children are encouraged to bring things in from that country , talk about and learn about .. For example On India day the Indian children and their parents were encouraged to come to school in traditional costume and talk about India ( There was some irony I guess that I'd been to more of India than the majority of the Indian people present so lots of them ended up asking me about certain areas :-) ) .. they bake traditional foods the kids get to learn about different cultures ...it's fantastic

Thus my son is 5 he has no perception of division on race or faith etc can't vouch for financial lines mind you as there are some right snobby clearings in the woods there :winkold: .. but the point is the school has that freedom , it has that happy feel to it ...... And that Is how to my mind the Charter school "could" work

Sounds good.

That's what most Lambeth Primary schools do now. And it works...until they become teenagers and the hormones kick in!

The notion that some parents hold that they some how know best what their children need and how they should be taught in comparison to someone who has trained for years is simply laughable.

It has nothing to do with weatlh or class either as the parents at both ends of the spectrum are capable of the most clueless attitudes and understanding of the needs of their child.

Spot on.

I am dismayed with the number of parents who do not have faith in their own children's ability. Unfortunately, in Lambeth, this is down to a lot of White British "middle-class" parents who think it is better to educate their children in neighbouring boroughs (with the same or worse results, especially at GCSE).

These are the parents of children that will usually do well, regardless.

I'm all for the days of sending your children to the nearest school available.

Basically, if you teach your children to count and do the alphabet before they are of school age, they're likely to be fine.

Holland is a good shout, especially if Labour get in. You can then get used to a barren, featureless landscape, which is what will greet you upon your return.

It's a bit unfair to settle returning emigres in Lincolnshire.

"Figures show the number of jobs created under Labour matches the number of migrant workers" says the Scum and the Daily Heil…the clue here is the word "matches". If the number of jobs matched the number of new red cars on the road? Would that mean all new jobs under Labour have gone to red car owners? Typical xenophobic bollocks once again.

Lib Dem 65%

Green Party 55%

Labour Party 48%

UKIP 46%

BNP 29%

Conservative 27%

Citizen X, made for television but well watchable.

Tells the story of a Russian detective charged with tracking down a cruel and prolific serial killer. Hindered by his superiors and a total lack of resources, it's pretty bleak at times. It's a true story, and the strong cast (especially for a TVM production) deliver. Stephen Rea suffers proper in the lead role.

I've had that on my PC for a couple of months, must get round to watching it

Excellent movie.

On the topic of the BAFTAS I was very happy that Carey Mulligan won best actress for her role in An Education. She was brilliant in that film and I still recommend it, even if it is only to see her performance.

I was flicking through the channels and happened on the BAFTAs and a bloke I know from my local was in one of the clips for best British film. He was selling John Lennon his first guitar in "Nowhere Boy", the only screen time he had in the whole movie and its a BAFTA clip!

I was surprised Richard Todd wasn't mentioned in the list of dead movie people.

Before the Battle of Rorke's Drift did the British Army have to go to Ante-Natal classes?

(....desperately tries to think of a good "Isandlwana" pun. Fails.)

Who threw that spear?

Assegai over there...