Don’t force Osborne to use his children in tokenistic politics

There’s a lot of fuss today about the story that George Osborne intends to send his son and his daughter to the independent Norland Place prep school.   It is mentioned that he was a pupil there himself, so he knows its reputation and that his children will be happy there.

Osborne has said:-

“I hate the kind of tokenistic politics where the politician uses his private life to illustrate some broader point.”

I’m with him 100% on that.   If he believes in the right of independent schools to exist, and the right of parents to choose an independent school for their children, he has every right to make that choice himself.   And let’s not forget that Tony Blair made a somewhat similar choice when he decided to ferry his children across London to a high-reputation, academic catholic school, rather than letting them go to the nearest comprehensive.

Back to George and his decision.   Just because he wants to send his children to a particular independent school, that does not mean he would not do his utmost to improve all state schools.   Taken to its logical extreme, government ministers would all have to live in social housing to prove that they believed in providing the best housing possible for those who need it.

I was educated at an independent school.   I have no children, but, if I had, I would have educated them privately.   But that does not stop education being my primary political interest.   I was Chairman of Governors of a state school for many years, served on the governing bodies of others, and am an active member of a national education group.

I passionately want to restore the education system to the highly-respected one that it once was.   I want to improve all schools and make them produce well-educated, knowledgable, cultured, competent individuals, who are well-behaved and considerate to others.   But I would still send my children to an independent school  -  that’s my right as an individual.  

I hope that George will stick to his guns and send his children to the school of his choice.