The depressing appointment of Les Ebdon
James Forsyth 2:37pm
Today brings confirmation
that No.10 has not stood in the way of Vince Cable appointing Les Ebdon as the new director of fair access. Ebdon’s appointment is depressing for several reasons. First, Cable has ridden
roughshod over the objections of the BIS select committee to his choice. So much for all of the coalition’s talk about respecting parliament — this is executive arrogance at its worst.
Second, Ebdon represents the mindset that has done so much damage to British education in the past 50 years. It is worrying that he does not seem to appreciate that the biggest ‘root cause’ of poorer pupils not getting into top universities is the quality of state schooling in deprived areas. His appointment will send a chill down the spine of every academically elite university in the country. The former vice chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire will now be sitting in judgement on their admissions’ policies.
Finally, it shows how this country — or certainly its governing establishment — haven’t yet woken up the challenges we are going to have to face in competing in the global economy in the twenty-first century. In South Korea, children are being pushed so hard that the government has had to hire inspectors to enforce a 10pm curfew on tutoring. In Britain, we’re appointing a man who defends Mickey Mouse courses to oversee university access.
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Frank P
February 20th, 2012 2:47pm Report this commentA buck-toothed bleeder whose pillocky grin says it all.
Sally Chatterjee
February 20th, 2012 2:47pm Report this commentAs we argue over the method of appointment and whether he's right, is anyone asking why we bother having a "director of fair access"?
Nicholas
February 20th, 2012 2:57pm Report this commentLooks like a berk. Until this country gives up its love affair with the long discredited (everywhere else) tenets of communist inspired socialism, the intimidation of political correctness and the ridiculous lip service to "equality and fairness" (all slogan and asinine law) this sort of bollox is set to continue.
People are not born equal, do not live equal and cannot be made equal by any amount of government intervention and interference. Even the champagne socialist elite spouting this crap are not equal! Labour began the rot by attacking the social mobility once provided by the 11+ and grammar school system and every subsequent government has just made it worse trying to militate the inevitable effects of that supreme act of arrogant folly. Get over it and focus on more important things.
Andy Carpark
February 20th, 2012 3:02pm Report this commentBoneless Dave sez: 'Read my lips. Educashun, educashun, educashun, innit. Cos she truly was the people's princess. Strewth, am I holding this up the right way round? Hey, look, I mean, 'slike, y'know. Schoolsnospitals. The many not the few. Aw, fucken 'ell. 'Ere, Steve, can you read this bit?'
BlueonRed
February 20th, 2012 3:08pm Report this commentWell done Vince another push for the better Universities toward the Private option. When you have a quiet moment could you give some thought toward giving enterprise and business growth a bit of a push as we seem to have something of a problem in that area.
justathought
February 20th, 2012 3:12pm Report this commentVice President Xi Jinping was accompanied by a 150-delegation on a three day visit to Ireland. Of the four agreements signed it is notable that education was included. The Chinese want to understand how the Irish education system produces such a talented workforce. VP Xi commented on the relatively quick transition from an aggro-pastorial economy to a knowledge based economy.
TomTom
February 20th, 2012 3:13pm Report this commentThis is the kind of thing that made the German Democratic Republic and the USSR such phenomenally successful societies - the Ideological Purity of the University System. Soon Britain will be basking in the full glory of its worldwide reputation as a haven of ideological lunacy under Boy Dave and his Bullingdon Boy Band
Mike Barnes
February 20th, 2012 3:22pm Report this commentDo universities even have spines?
The real people who are getting a 'chill down their spines' at the moment are parents who pay an absolute fortune for private education who are now starting to worry their average children will miss out on places to brighter state school kids. Good, the game has been rigged in the favour of private schools for too long. Go for it Prof.
Mr. Bubbles
February 20th, 2012 3:23pm Report this commentA 'director of fair access'. Seriously?
Sir Everard Digby
February 20th, 2012 3:24pm Report this commentTypical socialist crusher of hope. Imbued with the spirit of the People's Republic of South Yorkshire,he peddles utter stupidity masked as intellectual thought.
Jude the Obscure could 'see further,the higher he climbed' 'Educationalists' like Ebdon will never understand such people. Their aspiration is for universal mediocrity. Vince being a fine example and a warning to the likes of Ebdon about what his views can produce.Not that he will notice -dogma over enthusiasm everytime
It doesn't add up...
February 20th, 2012 3:32pm Report this commentI agree with Peter Hitchens. Willetts shares at least equal blame: he should be sacked, and universities returned to Gove to look after.
Gawain
February 20th, 2012 3:37pm Report this commentBet he'll shoehorn his own kids into good universities ! There is always one rule for the nomenklatura and another for the taxpayers.
BlueonRed
February 20th, 2012 3:53pm Report this commentMike Barnes:
do you actually have any evidence to make such a comment? If so what is its source? What is the motivation for universities to behave in such a manner? Surely it would be easier just to give in to such subjective mindsets like your own?
Maggie
February 20th, 2012 4:01pm Report this commentIts all ammunition for the Tories at election time. More proof that the LibDems are a beacon for mediocrity and dumbing-down.
Publius
February 20th, 2012 4:40pm Report this commentDire. Thanks "Dave".
The Crunge
February 20th, 2012 5:06pm Report this commentWhy is it that everybody on the Left grasps failure like a drowning man clings to a bit of driftwood. Left wing people seem to relish failure and loathe aspiration let alone actual achievement. What is more, left wing people want the ever dwindling group of people who actually relish aspiration and achievement to pay for their beloved cult of failure. Cable and Ebdon misguided, arrogant and clearly not of this world but perfect talismans for the cult of failure revered by the left and embodied in the church of hopelessness that is the Labour Party. The motto of the British left: "Don't bother to try or excel, it just isn't worth it and somebody else will pay".
Dimoto
February 20th, 2012 5:07pm Report this commentLooking on the bright side .... you can be sure that the (spurned) BIS select committee will now be on Ebdon's case 24/7.
Voter
February 20th, 2012 5:34pm Report this commentIf socially and economically deprived children are being deprived places at Oxbridge because of the state school they attend then maybe the govt should pay all children on free school meals to attend Eton or Harrow. Oh no...of course the elite would not like that.
Sorry James there is a bit more to it than that.
Also if you are advocating children studying until ten at night every night
then shame on you.
Anne Wotana Kaye 1
February 20th, 2012 5:38pm Report this commentFrank P
February 20th, 2012 2:47pmReport this comment
A buck-toothed bleeder whose pillocky grin says it all.
Hi Frank, I know one should not judge a book by its cover, but this one is really tatty.
Frank P
February 20th, 2012 6:21pm Report this commentAnne
Glad to see you back. Are you feeling better. You're being missed on t'other Wall. I'll let them know that you're back in the fray.
As for 'books and covers' that particular volume has a transparent one and you can see its pages are blank.
EC
February 20th, 2012 6:21pm Report this comment"No.10 has not stood in the way of Vince Cable appointing Les Ebdon as the new director of fair access."
It takes a real man to put his finger in the dike.
Frank P
February 20th, 2012 6:36pm Report this commentSee this:
*ttp://johnbald.typepad.com/language/2012/02/melanie-phillips-professor-ebdon-and-the-pseudo-universities.html
and this:
*ttp://www.melaniephillips.com/stopping-the-rot-in-the-universities
Fergus Pickering
February 20th, 2012 6:54pm Report this commentYeah, sack Willets and sack Cable. One young twat, one old twat.
Holly ......
February 20th, 2012 9:36pm Report this commentAt the re-shuffle,the new bod could get rid.
Already arranged I reckon, but hey give Cable his last taste of power before he's kicked in the nallocks.
Fergus Pickering
February 21st, 2012 1:15am Report this commentNumpty kneed in the nallocks, eh?
dorothy wilson
February 21st, 2012 9:50am Report this commentLet's hope the Select Committee makes life a misery for both Cable and his hireling.
Heartless C.
February 21st, 2012 10:13am Report this commentAs with the H2B, one piccy says it all, - though not in a flattering way.
Andy Carpark
February 21st, 2012 12:50pm Report this commentEC - Are youse bigging up Chris Huhne?! ;-)
Anne Wotana Kaye 1
February 21st, 2012 1:15pm Report this commentFrank P
February 20th, 2012 6:21pm
Thanks for the kind wishes, and please take care of yourself. "The moving finger writes..." but in this Berk's case, it just sticks itself right up where the sun don't shine.
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