Industrial Union 620
the study foudn that well over half had attended fee-paying private schools. compared with the 7% of all pupils who have access to this schooling, this strongly suggests that those with more wealth are most likely to stay wealthy throughout their life. furthermore, the significance of private schooling to professional achievement has only dropped very slightly in the last twenty or so years.
Dr Lee Elliot Major, the head ofthe research project stated that "we are still to a large extent a society divided by wealth, with future elites groomed at particular schools".
furthermore, although 'only' around 40% of all politicians have attended private school, there remains widespread patronage and a culture of 'jobs for the boys' in government. this was recently exemplified when a photograph of the aristocratic elite Burlington Club was released featuring several Conservative leader David Cameron's shadow cabined members in full upper-class attire [see photo above].
little more than 15% of the leading professionals studied were educated in state schools, with around a third coming from grammar school backgrounds.
far from supporting the right's idea that this somehow demonstrates that private education is better, the IWW sees this as the same old story of the rich doing everything they can to keep ordinary workers down. although trends have changed slightly in the last twenty or so years, this antagonism will remain, as the children of the employing class are given an ivory staircase when the children of the workers are given the greasy pole to climb.
the IWW condemns moves towards privatisation and 'public-private partnerships' in the education system and our members actively campaign for a non-exploitative mass education system that reflects the needs and aspirations of all, not just a privileged few. this education system cannot be achieved through government or private enterprise, but workers' power on the job.