I have responded to a post on this topic by Hatfield Girl (aka Angels in Marble), as follows:
"Speaking as a teacher, I'd say that small class sizes are made necessary by the undermining of authority. Within many schools, order of a sort is maintained with the help of classroom assistants, learning mentors etc. Teachers spend much time disguising the problems because they fear being blamed for them.
I don't suppose it's possible to quantify the economic cost of similar inefficiency throughout society, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist - I believe it to be enormous. Look at all the helpers, advisers, lawyers - remember Rumpole of the Bailey on how the Timsons have kept him (and the rest of the system) in claret, and multiply that a million-fold.
If every order is subject to question and defiance, the army is at a standstill; and so is our society, which is spending our collective inherited wealth on avoiding dealing with the root of social problems. "Slackness", as they term it in the West Indies, is incredibly expensive."
You have opened a can of worms, as the Americans say.
Talking Politics on Radio 4 today looked at genetic difference in intelligence, and how schools / gov't education policy responds to it.
Actually, I'd rather select by attitude than intelligence. Bright wasters are destructive.
"Actually, I'd rather select by attitude than intelligence. Bright wasters are destructive."
There was a very interesting article along these lines in NY Magazine, 'How not to talk to your kids'. The party version being that it's better to for kids to develop a work ethic, than to rely on inate ability.
I think there is some parallel research on the personality trait of 'grit'.
Commenting by HaloScan
