In the news

[inulro]

A healthy reminder why, if I ever had kids (which is never going to happen), I'd never allow them go be educated in the UK is here. Apparently allowing children to develop and work at their own pace is bad. I take it as a given that what every government fears most is a truly educated and thinking populace, but occasional reminders are welcome.

And if anybody answers "there's always private schools", enough of the people I work with send their kids to private schools that I've heard more than sufficient horror stories about those.

While I agree with this one in principle, I doubt it would have helped me when I was lumbered with the Unwanted Real Estate. If they'd charged me any more council tax for the empty property I would have got to go bankrupt that much faster. OTOH, if they'd helped me find a tenant, it might have been a Good Thing.

I've lost the one which was (I think) from the Guardian yesterday about why trade with China is morally reprehensible (human rights, sweatshops, etc). Which I feel is obvious, but reminders are good, especially with various business types on The World Tonight last night talking about what a great idea investing in business is China is.

Book reviews one day, honest. When I'm feeling less like death. Thanks to last night's extreme humidity, I'm more arthritic than ever. Firework season also appears to have started in earnest last night. Combined with the extreme pain, it was very much a "kill me now" night.

Comments

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

I always swore that if I ever had kids I'd homeschool them, which is just another in my long list of reasons not to have kids. Homeschooling would be a full-time job, and I like my career too much.

Sorry to hear you're feeling like death. Hope it's short-lived.

[inulro.livejournal.com]

I'm not convinced about home schooling either, especially at high school level (no lab equipment, etc). Then again, I went to a really good high school - both academically and in terms of respecting individual needs so I may be biased.

I'm also hoping feeling like death is short lived. We fly out in a week and that'll be torture if my joints don't pick up.

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

Oh, I always intended to homeschool for elementary school only, and then find a good alternative high school. Then I realized I didn't have to have kids, and life became a whole lot easier. :)

[aoakley.livejournal.com]

That's really just a reminder of how easy it is to confuse a conspiracy theory with a bunch of disconnected people minding their own backs.

[rjshook.livejournal.com]

The schooling metrics is definitely an interesting story. Another perfect example of why you need to be really careful when setting up metrics. People will work hard to achieve them.
And if you are measuring the wrong thing and driving the wrong behaviour - oh well.

As for Council fixing up homes and charging the owners, that sets a really scary precedent. What does it do to the concept of private property?

[inulro.livejournal.com]

In my experience, most people who have empty property in an economically marginal area are quite desperate to turn it into a money-maker rather than a black hole, and the "carrot" portion of the plan would be very welcome - cheap loans to make the house habitable/ marketable would be very helpful.

Aside from the concept of private property, there is the fact that many of these people are already screwed because the property is undesirable and getting fined because they can't get it occupied is quite cruel.