Money controls the world, and that's it.
Once you've got it, THEN you can talk shit.
 

If schools are not there to give kids the skills for work then what? Whilst having a nation of artists, philosophers and poets is lovely, the notion soon vanishes when you realise we would all be queuing up at bread lines.

There is no doubt the education system is floored and provides no balance, but the aim is still the same.
 

I guess I'm a romantic, but I would hope that the aim of the education system is a bit more than churning out the next generation of mindless automatons with the 'right' knowledge and, perhaps more significantly, attitudes to ensure that the various industry leaders who are alledgedly concerned about the declining 'quality' of the 'product' can keep making their millions smoothly.

I'm not saying that the schools should be churning out people who are incapable of being any use in the work place - that's not in anybody's interests. But these are kids; it's not supposed to be marine basic training boot camp. I would certainly say that we should let the kids experience some of the art and philsophy and dreams their dreams a bit while they're at school. When we grow up, we come down to earth with a bump soon enough.

But to be fair, I don't think anyone's seriously saying that we should be churning out mindless automatons, not even the CBI. I suspect in fact tbat there's nothing much wrong with what's coming out of the education system. It's just the standard annual news-story at results time.

However, in answer to your point, I think schools are there for more than to give kids skills for work. Those skills are something that the schools must endeavour to develop, but there's more to life and to education than just that.