THE PRINCE WAS RIGHT.
Not often I agree with the thoughts of the putative Defender of "All faiths", but I have to say that Prince Charles was 100% right in what he said about the loathsome "child-centred" learning and the culture of lunatic ambition - and all he gets is criticised by our leftist media for it. He should be congratulated for speaking clearly on an issue that philistines like Education Secretary like Charles Clark and the rest of the 1960's Hippy generation ideologues think they have a monopoly over.
Charles Clark is the same genius who has come up with the terrific idea yesterday that the surest way to get into a top English Independent academically successful Grammar school is...to be a hooligan.
According to Clark ALL schools will be forced to accept pupils who have been disruptive - it's only fair! This is the absurb social engineering that characterises Left Wing Governments. Yet the media join in the attack on Prince Charles not gormless Charles Clark.
It seems it took Charles's secretary to properly state the Prince's thoughts and opinion for him...perhaps Charles is not cut out to be a statesman. ;)
...By evening, however, Paddy Harverson, the Prince’s communication secretary, told Radio 4 PM programme that his boss had been misunderstood:...“And what he thinks is that not everyone is the same, not everyone has the same talent. People have different talents and what education should be geared towards is giving everyone the chance to make the best of those talents in their own way. Rather than having a ‘one-size-fits-all’ response, everything should be geared to the individual talent and their own ability and the hard work they put into it.”
Does Charles have the talent to be king?
Posted by: mairin | November 19, 2004 at 05:01 PM
In a word, mairin.
Yes.
(Although it should be pointed out that I do have a very low opinion of 'Kings')
Posted by: peteb | November 19, 2004 at 05:09 PM
perhaps Charles is not cut out to be a statesman
You do have a talent for stating the obvious, Máirín.
Posted by: Young Fogey | November 19, 2004 at 05:38 PM
It was the irony that amused me...
In any event, while the original blog said Charles spoke clearly on the issue, although it took a third party to clarify what he was saying. At the end of the day, what he meant to say, according to his secretary, is a bit different.
Child-centered learning, in moderation, works fine when combined with other methods and when there is more emphasis on direct instruction for the basics.
Posted by: mairin | November 19, 2004 at 06:02 PM
The Prince was misreported by a Royalty-hating media - that is why his views had to be clarafied - for the benefit of slow witted dumbed down liberal.
Charles Clark, the former Marxist and current Minister, has not got a clue about Education.
Posted by: David Vance | November 19, 2004 at 06:13 PM
I was just pointing out that what the secretary said was the Prince's thoughts on education has very little to do with child-centered learning.
Apparently what Charles meant to say was "different strokes for different folks".
"People have different talents and what education should be geared towards is giving everyone the chance to make the best of those talents in their own way."
Posted by: mairin | November 19, 2004 at 06:18 PM
Misreported, David?.. you wouldn't have a link to the actually memo he sent then? Because he didn't actually 'speak' on the issue did he?
Posted by: peteb | November 19, 2004 at 06:22 PM
dammit
'actual'
Posted by: peteb | November 19, 2004 at 06:23 PM
The Prince himself had a mind befitting the Cambridge education that was granted to him, yes ?
Posted by: Roger W. Christ | November 20, 2004 at 06:41 PM
Apparently what Charles meant to say was "different strokes for different folks".
In Charles' view: "The rich man at his castle, the poor man at his gate/God made them high and lowly , he ordered their estate"!
Posted by: Young Fogvey | November 21, 2004 at 11:19 PM