One of the most significant, yet least often mentioned, reasons for Conservative dominance in the 1980s was that large parts of the Left were certifiably insane. Now, under the twin influences of Blairism and anti-psychotics, most of them can at least pass as sane for short periods, but some are still keeping that 80s vibe going. Literally, in some cases: Brian Garvey, president of the NASUWT, has just given a speech denouncing Thatcher.
Why, yes, as it happens the NASUWT is a teaching union. How ever did you guess ?
As far as I can make out, the charge is that bad behavior in British schools is down to Lady Thatcher. Considering that even the oldest students in British schools would have been approximately 3 months old when Lady Thatcher resigned, this makes ‘the dog ate my homework’ sound almost plausible. Needless to say, all the usual clichés are present and correct: ‘legacy of selfishness’, ‘I'm all right Jack" culture’, ….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It’s tempting to mock the sheer insanity of trying to cast the woman who popularized the phrase ‘Victorian values’ as the patron saint of classroom mayhem, but let’s just pretend Garvey’s trainwreck understanding of Thatcherism is correct (while praying that he doesn’t teach history). OK, Mr Liberal, Conservatives are selfish, now how does that lead to people stabbing each other ? I might have missed a page, but I don’t recall knives playing a large part in ‘Atlas Shrugged’.
In so far as these freaks have a point, it’s that teachers have lost respect, but whose fault is that ? They’re trying to claim that British education sucks because of someone who hauled her flag down sixteen years ago and folk don’t respect them ? Sounds like one for Mulder & Scully. Then we get the union general secretary babbling on about the 'scars' of 18 years of Conservative government. Spare us. Folks in the private sector (aka the real world) are stuck dealing with a hostile administration right now, but do you see any of them whining about their ‘scars’ ? But wait…in the private sector you need actual results rather than being able to brush off constant failure with insane arguments about people who quit back when mobile phones were the size of small cars.
Lady Thatcher’s contribution was merely to help expose the double standard by which people in the private sector had to perform to stay employed while public sector professionals could do pretty much whatever they wanted. So now the dirty, drug-sodden, workshy members of our professionally unemployable class are whining about lack of respect ? Personally, I think it speaks well of kids when they can recognise these toxic losers for what they are. They might be young, but they can recognise that if our society is structured such that spending your life wasted and waiting for the revolution, man, means you end up a bitter loser, that's a feature not a bug.
Consider this though: these people insist that they are entitled to a publicly-funded job for life, gold plated pensions and high wages, irrespective of results, all the while claiming the public is too FICK to make any worthwhile judgment on their effectiveness. They claim that even management stopping by to see how they perform is apparently the height of unreasonableness. They issue ranting denunciations of faith schools and the like, all the while claiming that they are being victimized by all and sundry. So, massive sense of entitlement, contempt for the wider society, belief that they should not be subject to any form of authority, unhinged abuse of anyone not conforming to their views and permanent (and ludicrous) sense of grievance. Gosh, can’t see why the kids turn out the way they do!
Why, yes, as it happens the NASUWT is a teaching union. How ever did you guess ?
As far as I can make out, the charge is that bad behavior in British schools is down to Lady Thatcher. Considering that even the oldest students in British schools would have been approximately 3 months old when Lady Thatcher resigned, this makes ‘the dog ate my homework’ sound almost plausible. Needless to say, all the usual clichés are present and correct: ‘legacy of selfishness’, ‘I'm all right Jack" culture’, ….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It’s tempting to mock the sheer insanity of trying to cast the woman who popularized the phrase ‘Victorian values’ as the patron saint of classroom mayhem, but let’s just pretend Garvey’s trainwreck understanding of Thatcherism is correct (while praying that he doesn’t teach history). OK, Mr Liberal, Conservatives are selfish, now how does that lead to people stabbing each other ? I might have missed a page, but I don’t recall knives playing a large part in ‘Atlas Shrugged’.
In so far as these freaks have a point, it’s that teachers have lost respect, but whose fault is that ? They’re trying to claim that British education sucks because of someone who hauled her flag down sixteen years ago and folk don’t respect them ? Sounds like one for Mulder & Scully. Then we get the union general secretary babbling on about the 'scars' of 18 years of Conservative government. Spare us. Folks in the private sector (aka the real world) are stuck dealing with a hostile administration right now, but do you see any of them whining about their ‘scars’ ? But wait…in the private sector you need actual results rather than being able to brush off constant failure with insane arguments about people who quit back when mobile phones were the size of small cars.
Lady Thatcher’s contribution was merely to help expose the double standard by which people in the private sector had to perform to stay employed while public sector professionals could do pretty much whatever they wanted. So now the dirty, drug-sodden, workshy members of our professionally unemployable class are whining about lack of respect ? Personally, I think it speaks well of kids when they can recognise these toxic losers for what they are. They might be young, but they can recognise that if our society is structured such that spending your life wasted and waiting for the revolution, man, means you end up a bitter loser, that's a feature not a bug.
Consider this though: these people insist that they are entitled to a publicly-funded job for life, gold plated pensions and high wages, irrespective of results, all the while claiming the public is too FICK to make any worthwhile judgment on their effectiveness. They claim that even management stopping by to see how they perform is apparently the height of unreasonableness. They issue ranting denunciations of faith schools and the like, all the while claiming that they are being victimized by all and sundry. So, massive sense of entitlement, contempt for the wider society, belief that they should not be subject to any form of authority, unhinged abuse of anyone not conforming to their views and permanent (and ludicrous) sense of grievance. Gosh, can’t see why the kids turn out the way they do!
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