Knew a businessman once in Canada. This man ran a tool and die company, which did repairs for the refineries on both their boats and their plants machinery, and every two years this man would hop on a plane, fly over to Scotland or England, and interview machinists with a yen to emmigrate. He did this, because having been trained in his craft himself in Britain, he felt the British jouneyman was the best qualified for the work he needed doing.
He stopped in about 1978 or so, because he couldn't find men with those qualifications any more. The British education system had finally crumbled, and subscribed to the idea that you can't tell a 12 year old they're not suited for an academic life and might be better off thinking about a trade. The entire system became geared to keeping the lowest common denominator in school, and 'feeling good about themselves'.. What tripe.
One wonders how good they feel about themselves when, unable to manage higher education, they end up either on the dole or fighting their classmates for the next vacancy at Burger King..
However, and this is almost ironic, Conservative leader Ian Duncan Smith has decided the Tory stance on education for the next election, will be a return to a system which has the facilities to steer those with aptitude, or inclination, towards an education in the trades. Ironic, because it's being announced as a 'new policy'..
Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope yet for this island and those who live on it. If we could rediscover pride in workmanship, and build a work ethic, we'd be on the road to rebuilding the Empire..
Well.. we'd be far better off than we are..