Letters

Wednesday, 5th March 2008

Spectator readers respond to recent articles

Education revolution

Sir: Fraser Nelson (‘Made in Sweden’, 1 March) is right to highlight the importance of Sweden’s independent state schools for the debate on school choice and diversity. The successful Swedish experience strongly influenced New Labour reformers as we sought to introduce independent state-funded schools into England. However, it doesn’t need the Conservatives to ‘bring the Swedish education revolution to Britain’. The revolution has arrived already in the shape of the academies programme, which enables schools to be set up and managed on an independent basis by promoters outside the local authority system. There are now 83 academies open, managed by promoters including leading private schools, universities, churches, businesses and philanthropists. Academies are concentrated in precisely the areas of low standards highlighted by Mr Nelson, and they are working. Their results are rising far faster than the national average, and they are on average three times oversubscribed by parents who like what they see.

This is why we are accelerating the academies programme. At least 160 more academies will open by 2010, with more to follow thereafter. The Conservatives may be talking about radical education reform; New Labour is delivering it.

Andrew Adonis
Minister for Schools,
House of Commons, London SW1

Powell unhinged

Sir: Robert Shepherd’s analysis of the reasons behind Enoch Powell’s notorious immigration speech (‘The real tributaries of Enoch’s “rivers of blood”’, 1 March) is fascinating. But there are other more concise explanations. My aunt, Dame Enid Russell-Smith, worked closely with Powell when she was deputy secretary to the Ministry of Health and he was health minister, and she admired him greatly. When, after the 1968 speech, I asked her why this wonderful man seemed to have descended into abusive racism, she had a simple answer. ‘He’s gone mad,’ she told me. ‘People do, you know.’

Colin Bostock-Smith
St Leonards on Sea

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Ian Rippey

March 9th, 2008 2:47pm Report this comment

Charles Moore, writing in the Spectator some weeks ago (I cannot find it in his column in the Spectator going back to 1st December 2007) laments the fact that the late Auberon Waugh is no longer around to comment on topical matters. Fear not, Mr. Moore, there is an excellent (though rather less waspish) substitute: Peter Marren, whose contribution "Twitcher in the Swamp" appears in the excellent British Wildlife Magazine www.britishwildlife.com (published 6 times annually). For some years I have noticed the similarity of his comments and those of the late Mr. Waugh; indeed I think one or two of Mr. Waugh's expressions have been reproduced verbatim by Mr. Marren. As someone who obviously has more than a passing interest in wildlife (having recently purchased a Moth Trap, and also mentioned the tendency of the Holly Blue butterfly to lay its eggs on Ivy) I feel Mr. Moore would enoy this magazine (perhaps he already has a subscription?). Mr. Marren has also written "Twitching in the Swamp: Droppings from the natural world", published in 2004 by "Swamp Publishing", 122 Derwent Road, Thatcham, RG19 3UP. This 192 page book, with illustrations by David Carstairs, is based on 14 years of Mr. Marren's "musings" in British Wildlife magazine. Mr. Marren has also written a number of other books on Wildlife (notably on Wild Flowers and Wild Life Conservation). I do not own these but hopefully they are as readable as "Twitching Through The Swamp". Ian Rippey Portadown County Armagh Northern Ireland

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