I was pleased to hear Sir Ken Robinson on radio, criticising the present, straight-jacket school system and urging a far more creative environment.  Until we escape the 'another brick in the wall' mentality of the system, the status quo will remain, leading to greater illiteracy and conformity.

Unfortunately, politicians see 'education' as a hot potato - too hot to handle properly.  Their fear of the press and parents means that successive governments merely tinker with a system that needs replacing.

Britain has an authority problem.  It is ingrained in every aspect of life and has the stench of bullying about it.  

If you have power, you abuse it by treating those under you with contempt.  If you are the underling, you must become as obsequious as possible.  This strain is no more clearly evident than in schools.

The hierarchy is thus:  The governors, headteacher and senior management at the top, parents on the next layer down, then teachers, and finally the pupils - the majority of a school population, the lowest rung, whose thoughts and opinions matter not one jot in the running of the place.  A feudal system.
So until the false authority of schools is eliminated and pupils given the major say in their own schooling, we cannot call schools 'education'.

Sir Ken described his vision of a creative, flexible, mobile environment in schools.  Will the politicians listen?  What do you think?